Students transform discarded rice into herbal tea.

TPO - Utilizing rice stubble - an agricultural byproduct that is often wasted - a group of students from Soc Trang Vocational College have developed the product "Young Rice Tea - SVC", and won first prize at the 2026 Student Entrepreneurship Ideas Competition.

Báo Tiền Phong•06/05/2026

At the 8th Student Startup Ideas Competition (SV_STARTUP) in 2026, the Young Rice Tea - SVC project by a group of students from Soc Trang Vocational College won first prize in the Health, Wellness, and Life category (Vocational Education block).

A group of students from Soc Trang Vocational College won first prize at the SV_STARTUP 2026 competition with their project "Young Rice Tea - SVC".

The group is led by student Do Thi My Hang, majoring in Seafood Processing and Preservation (Soc Trang Vocational College), along with 4 members and guidance from their teachers.

Sharing her idea, Hang said that the group wanted to utilize readily available but underutilized raw materials to create higher-value products. "It's not just tea; SVC also contributes to increasing farmers' income and aims for sustainable agricultural development," Hang said.

According to the research team, the main ingredient of the tea is rice sprouts at the milk stage – rice stalks that naturally regrow from the stubble about 15 days after harvest. Previously, this type of rice was often discarded or harvested by farmers and sold at low prices as poultry feed. However, young rice contains many beneficial compounds, such as antioxidants, B vitamins, fiber, and bioactive enzymes.

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Using the above ingredients, the group of students combined chrysanthemums and cogon grass roots to create herbal tea. The product not only helps reuse agricultural by-products but also enhances economic value, opening up avenues for increased income for farmers.

Young barley tea was evaluated by experts on the competition's judging panel as a healthy beverage with cooling properties, aiding digestion, and aligning with the trend of consuming natural products. Notably, the processing technology allows for production on various scales, from household to industrial.

According to the team, the project is highly feasible due to abundant raw materials and low input costs, while market demand for herbal products is increasing. The product is expected to be priced at 30,000 - 40,000 VND per box (15 packets), with a minimum expected profit of approximately 30% when launched on the market.

"The project helps utilize local materials, has a simple production process, is easy to replicate, and follows the OCOP product model." "And combined with agricultural tourism, it offers the experience of making young rice tea," Hang added.

According to Mr. Vu Thanh Tien, Secretary of the Soc Trang Vocational College Youth Union, at this year's competition, in addition to the First Prize for Young Rice Tea - SVC, students from the school also won the Third Prize in the field of Agriculture, Environment, and Energy with the project on naturally dried snails. The school was also honored among the Top 25 outstanding collectives in supporting student entrepreneurship.

According to Mr. Tien, in 2025, the school implemented many activities to support startups, from idea screening and incubation to connecting with mentors and businesses. The school supported 18 projects, of which 11 projects developed prototypes. "These activities help students gradually refine their ideas, improve their skills, and increase the commercialization potential of their products," Mr. Tien said.

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Source: https://tienphong.vn/sinh-vien-bien-loai-lua-bo-di-thanh-tra-thao-duoc-post1840456.tpo