Increase income thanks to ST25 rice.

Mr. Ho Quang Cua's ST25 rice, grown by Engineer and Labor Hero Ho Quang Cua in Can Tho City, has won the "World's Best Rice" award three times in 2019, 2023, and 2025 at international competitions. This award affirms the position and prestige of Vietnamese rice in the international market and is clear evidence of the quality and value of Vietnamese rice. It is even more encouraging that more and more farmers are increasing their income thanks to the ST25 rice variety.

Harvesting ST25 rice in Dai Ngai commune, Can Tho city.

ST25 rice always fetches a high price.

ST25 rice not only produces fragrant and delicious grains, but it also yields high productivity and exhibits good resistance to drought, salinity, and unfavorable production conditions. Recently, the selling price of ST25 rice has consistently remained high (1,000-2,000 VND/kg higher) compared to many other rice varieties, thus increasing the income of many farmers who cultivate this rice. In particular, farmers implementing rice-shrimp farming models in many coastal areas of Can Tho City and the Mekong Delta provinces have significantly increased their income thanks to selling their rice at very good prices. ST25 rice grown in rice-shrimp farming areas typically produces soft, fragrant, and flavorful cooked rice. Rice from these rice-shrimp farming areas is highly valued by businesses and consumers for its quality, and is often purchased at a price approximately 1,000 VND/kg higher than ST25 rice grown in other regions.

Mr. Huynh Chi Phuong, Director of Shrimp Rice Company Limited in An Giang province, said: “Previously, before developing the ST25 rice variety, farmers in coastal areas of the Mekong Delta implemented a crop rotation model of one rice crop and one freshwater prawn farming crop per year, with income mainly from prawns, and rice only being a secondary crop. But recently, with the high yield, quality, and selling price of ST25 rice, farmers have been able to earn income from the rice crop equal to that from the prawn farming crop, with profits from rice reaching 40-50 million VND/ha. In total, the income from the rice-prawn model can reach 100 million VND/ha/year.” According to Mr. Phuong, thanks to Engineer Ho Quang Cua, who created the ST rice variety group, from ST5 to ST25, and continuously improved it, farmers in coastal areas have been able to adapt to drought, salinity, and climate change, thus increasing their income. The ST25 rice variety currently yields high productivity and has good rice recovery. Thanks to its partnerships with farmers in rice-shrimp farming areas, the company has access to delicious, safe, fragrant rice products for the market.

Recently, export rice prices have decreased compared to 2024, so the selling prices of most rice varieties in the 2025-2026 winter-spring crop have also fallen, with many varieties only fetching 5,300-6,300 VND/kg. However, ST25 rice is still selling at a relatively good price, from 7,200-8,500 VND/kg, with rice from rice-shrimp farming areas reaching 8,200-8,500 VND/kg. Mr. Dinh Tha, residing in Tiep Nhut hamlet, Tai Van commune, Can Tho city, said: “At this time, I and many households in the ST25 rice production cooperative in the locality are harvesting ST25 rice. The rice is being purchased by businesses at a price of 8,000 VND/kg, much higher than other rice varieties. With this price and yields reaching 1 ton/hectare (1,300m2) in many rice fields, farmers are making a profit of over 3 million VND/hectare.”

Expanding production and business

Ong Cua Rice is an exclusive brand owned by Ho Quang Tri Private Enterprise. Ong Cua Rice represents the ST rice varieties, specifically ST25, ST24, ST21, etc., researched and developed by Engineer and Labor Hero Ho Quang Cua, Dr. Tran Tan Phuong, and Master's Degree holder Nguyen Thi Thu Huong. These rice varieties have won numerous domestic and international awards, contributing to increased income for farmers, boosting the production and export value of Vietnamese fragrant rice, and elevating the brand of Vietnamese fragrant rice in the global market. Along with the fame of ST25 rice, which has been honored at international competitions three times, including the "World's Best Rice" award, farmers in the Mekong Delta and other regions of the country have intensified the cultivation of ST25 and other ST rice varieties. Besides Ho Quang Tri Private Enterprise, many other units and businesses have also partnered with farmers to produce and market ST rice products.

According to the Vietnam Food Association (VFA), in the 2025-2026 winter-spring crop season, the planted area of ​​ST rice varieties reached nearly 200,000 hectares, an increase of over 60% compared to the same period last year, with production expected to increase sharply in the first half of this year. More than 70% of ST25 rice production is exported to major markets such as the United States, Europe, Australia, China, and Southeast Asia, showing that high-quality Vietnamese rice is increasingly trusted by the international market. Mr. Do Ha Nam, Chairman of the Vietnam Food Association (VFA), stated: “The fact that ST25 continues to be honored by The Rice Trader in the "World's Best Rice 2025" award system is not luck, but the result of systematic breeding science, rigorous quality control, and a responsible agricultural mindset for the global market. From the VFA's perspective, we see ST25 not just as an award-winning rice variety, but as a benchmark and a national asset.”

According to Mr. Do Ha Nam, Vietnam is one of the world's leading rice exporting countries. In the coming period, it is important that we not only sell quantity but also sell value and establish a brand. He hopes that ST25 will be developed as a national rice variety, properly protected, produced according to standards, and developed within a transparent value chain from seed, cultivation, processing to market.

Text and photos: KHANH TRUNG

Source: https://baocantho.com.vn/nang-cao-thu-nhap-nho-lua-st25-a198551.html