The provincial chairman hopes that Bac Lieu rice will have a strong brand.

Bac Lieu Chairman Pham Van Thieu hopes to have a unique rice brand for his hometown. Photo: Nhat Ho

Speaking at the announcement ceremony, Chairman of the Bac Lieu Provincial People's Committee Pham Van Thieu requested the agricultural sector to coordinate with localities to disseminate the BL9 rice variety into production in accordance with current regulations. He stated that the Agricultural Seed Center could not successfully promote this rice variety on its own.

The Chairman of Bac Lieu also proposed strengthening linkages with companies and businesses in building large-scale fields for guaranteed purchase of new products - the BL9 rice variety, contributing to increased production efficiency and benefits for farmers; and called for creating a favorable environment for companies and businesses to invest in production, business, and guaranteed purchase of agricultural products in the province.

The BL9 rice variety has been granted special trademark recognition. Photo: Nhat Ho

The Chairman of Bac Lieu suggested that currently only the BL9 variety exists, and the agricultural sector is also creating new rice varieties bearing the Bac Lieu brand.

Mr. Thieu emphasized that once a brand is established, it needs to be communicated and promoted to businesses and consumers so they can see how good it is and whether production is favorable. This will help people produce in a chain to enhance the brand's value, rather than simply recognizing it and then leaving it at that.

Bac Lieu province has nearly 59,000 hectares dedicated to rice cultivation with 2-3 harvests per year, and nearly 48,000 hectares of rice-shrimp farming, yielding an annual output of over 1.2 million tons and a total production value of nearly 8,000 billion VND each year.

Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Bac Lieu province, Luu Hoang Ly, speaks at the announcement ceremony. Photo: Nhat Ho

According to the Bac Lieu Provincial Agricultural Seed Center (the unit that bred the BL9 rice variety), the BL9 rice variety has the potential for high yields, reaching 5.5-6.5 tons/ha in the summer-autumn and autumn-winter seasons, and 6.5-7.5 tons/ha in the winter-spring season. It is widely adaptable and easy to cultivate.

BL9 rice is translucent, has minimal chalkiness, a mild aroma, and produces soft, sweet-tasting cooked rice that doesn't dry out when cooled. Notably, experiments conducted at our facility have shown that BL9 rice can tolerate salinity levels of approximately 4‰ in greenhouses.

Currently, the BL9 rice variety is grown on approximately 150 hectares in various localities throughout Bac Lieu province, with plans to expand to around 500 hectares in the near future.

Previously, in the Mekong Delta, there was a rice variety that received special recognition for circulation: the ST25 rice variety, which was awarded the title of " world's best-tasting rice" in 2019, created by a research team led by engineer Ho Quang Cua.

Source