Enhancing the value of "heavenly gems"

Việt Nam•08/02/2024

(VLO) In recent years, the agricultural sector's policy of focusing on investing in the quality and value of rice has yielded remarkable results. Not only has it maintained traditional markets, but the restructuring of the agricultural sector has helped Vietnamese rice increase in value and reach more demanding markets.

Farmers are gradually changing their mindset and have boldly switched to growing high-quality rice varieties.

Spectacular progress

Rice exports have seen spectacular breakthroughs over the past year. Key factors contributing to this result include: improved production organization, significantly enhanced rice quality, and closer links between production and consumption.

These are considered crucial turning points in enhancing the value of Vietnamese rice in the international market. A key highlight is the gradual shift in farmers' production mindset, boldly transitioning to cultivating high-quality rice varieties, and establishing production and consumption linkages. This has contributed to the broader reach of Vietnamese rice brands in both domestic and export markets.

With advanced and modern production technology, Tan Dat Agricultural Production and Service Cooperative (Vung Liem district) has established a rice raw material area to supply rice products according to market demands.

Producing high-quality rice and specialty rice will also add value and provide broader access to various market segments.

To date, the Tan Dat rice brand has been certified organic according to four leading international standards, with many key products including white rice, red rice, and herbal purple rice.

“The cooperative has invested in a modern rice milling system with a production line that filters out broken grains and impurities. With this production line, the rice grains are shiny, beautiful, and meet export standards,” shared Mr. Doan Van Tai, Director of Tan Dat Agricultural Production and Service Cooperative.

Furthermore, according to Mr. Doan Van Tai, to elevate the status of rice, it is necessary to research and develop additional rice-based products. The cooperative hopes that rice will become the main raw material, serving as the foundation for many other rice-based products such as nutritional powder, rice bran sprouts, rice tea, etc.

Besides the shift in farmers' mindset, in response to new market opportunities, the change in businesses' approach to improving rice quality is also a way for businesses to build their own brands and create an image of Vietnamese rice in the market.

Vietnamese rice brands are becoming increasingly popular.

Mr. Nguyen Van Thanh, Director of Phuoc Thanh IV Production-Trading Co., Ltd. (Long Ho district), said: "With optimal technological advantages, the company effectively solves the most important post-harvest stage: timely transportation of rice from the fields to the factory, helping to ensure the flavor and quality of the rice. This reduces post-harvest losses and increases the yield of finished rice."

This is an important foundation for improving the quality and value of rice grains, moving towards building a strong brand, and meeting the demands of domestic consumption and export.

According to Mr. Nguyen Van Liem, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, for many years the province's agricultural sector has oriented the development of the rice industry along the value chain, creating conditions for rice processing and trading enterprises to link with farmers and cooperatives... to build large, stable raw material areas and apply traceability standards, developing the province's rice brand.

High expectations for the future of rice.

According to economic experts, high rice prices on the world market, the increasing popularity of Vietnamese rice brands, the cessation of rice exports by some countries, and the increase in national food reserves by other countries, all present good opportunities for rice.

However, Vietnam's rice exports still face "bottlenecks" that hinder the restructuring process and the enhancement of added value for rice. These include quality issues and the fact that Vietnamese rice is mainly exported in raw form, with most lacking its own brand.

The agricultural sector has focused on developing rice-growing areas, improving the quality of rice varieties, contributing to increasing the value of rice grains, and moving towards building a rice brand for the province.

Furthermore, according to Nguyen Quoc Toan, Director of the Department of Agricultural Product Processing and Market Development, Vietnam lacks deeply processed rice products such as rice-based food, rice-based drinks, rice milk, or rice-based cosmetics, while global consumer demand for these products is increasing and their selling prices are many times higher than those of raw rice.

To further enhance the value of rice in the future, according to the Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Nguyen Van Liem, in addition to applying scientific and technical advancements in rice production and improving the quality of rice varieties, the province has recognized the importance of attracting businesses to invest in the rice processing sector, contributing to increasing the value of rice and moving towards building a rice brand for the province.

At the same time, businesses need to focus on building rice brands, raising awareness, and enhancing their ability to protect their brands.

Because, when rice has a brand and a strong position, it's not just about changes in quality and price; export businesses will also find ways to improve the quality of exported rice, boost production and export of high-quality rice to compete in foreign markets. Therefore, we have complete faith in the transformation of the value of Vietnamese rice in the future.

According to Tran Cong Thang, Director of the Institute for Agricultural and Rural Development Policy and Strategy, the "Sustainable Development Project for 1 Million Hectares of High-Quality Rice Specialization Linked to Green Growth in the Mekong Delta Region, 2023-2030" is considered a crucial solution to improve the efficiency of the rice value chain. High quality refers not only to improved varieties but also to standardized inputs, production methods, low emissions, reduced use of fertilizers and chemical pesticides, mechanization, and reduced post-harvest losses. This high-quality rice will contribute to enhancing Vietnam's competitiveness in the international market. Participating in this project, Vinh Long province has registered to implement 20,000 hectares in the districts of Tam Binh, Vung Liem, Long Ho, and Binh Tan.

Text and photos: NGUYEN KHANG

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