Vietnam Renews Push for National Rice Brand Built Around ST25

Industry leaders seek a unified market identity

Vietnamese agricultural and business figures have renewed calls for the country to establish a unified national rice brand, arguing that its position among the world's leading rice exporters has not translated into strong recognition among international consumers.

Vietnam produces and exports rice on a large scale but still lacks a representative brand that overseas buyers widely associate with consistent national quality, Tuoi Tre reported. Luong Minh Quyet, former director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment in the former Soc Trang province, said on September 2 that government involvement was needed to coordinate a fragmented branding landscape in which individual companies currently pursue separate strategies.

Quyet proposed selecting a group of elite, high-quality varieties and using premium rice such as ST25 as the core of a national trademark. That effort would be accompanied by investment in large production areas and a shift away from prioritizing export volume toward quality and brand value.

ST25 offers recognition but faces counterfeiting

ST25, developed by agricultural engineer Ho Quang Cua, has been named the world's best rice three times, according to Tuoi Tre. Industry participants see that international record as a potential foundation for a broader Vietnamese identity in premium rice markets.

Cua said a national brand could act as a common umbrella for exporters operating under agreed rules. He argued that stronger coordination and standards would help limit counterfeit ST25 products while giving Vietnamese rice a better chance of entering the highest-value markets.

The commercial gap is substantial, according to figures cited by Cua. Vietnamese fragrant varieties classified as high-quality rice have traded at around $500 per tonne in recent years, while branded rice sold by exporters into the US market has reached $1,000 per tonne. Brands buying rice in bulk for sale in China have achieved prices of about $700 per tonne, he said.

Cua linked the price difference to the lack of Vietnamese brands with enough sales volume to meet the requirements of international markets. Without a stronger brand platform, companies are pushed toward lower-priced transactions, which in turn weighs on paddy prices received by farmers. He warned that Vietnamese rice would otherwise remain near the average world export price.

Export model leaves value with overseas brands

Vu Ngoc Dinh, general director of Techbal Group, said consumers at home and abroad still lack a clear national rice brand representing Vietnamese quality. He told Tuoi Tre that Vietnamese rice continues to be perceived mainly as inexpensive rather than differentiated by distinctive characteristics.

Much of the crop is sold as raw material, according to Dinh, allowing foreign importers to package it under their own brands and capture more of the downstream value. The proposed national identity is therefore intended to improve recognition of origin as well as prices, rather than functioning only as a marketing label.

Vietnam also has production advantages that could support premium positioning. Cua said the country's high-quality rice varieties have short growing cycles, allowing new and aromatic supplies to remain available throughout the year. By contrast, he said neighboring countries generally produce one crop annually, and their premium rice begins to dry and lose aroma from July onward.

Branding begins with production standards

Le Minh Hoan, a former deputy chairman of the National Assembly and former agriculture and environment minister, said the industry must move from seasonal transactions toward jointly creating value. Under that approach, exporters would work with cooperatives and farmers before planting to choose varieties, establish standards, forecast demand, organize production areas and manage risks.

Hoan argued that farmers should be treated as partners in brand development rather than simply as suppliers of the cheapest available raw material. A credible rice brand, he said, begins with seed selection, fields, water, fertilizer and pesticide use, followed by harvesting and storage practices.

The proposal consequently depends on coordination across the supply chain. A national trademark based on ST25 and other specialty varieties would require common rules, traceability and consistent quality from production through export. It would also require companies, cooperatives and farmers to share both the benefits and risks of targeting higher-value markets. Whether the government can align those interests will determine if Vietnam can convert its recognized varieties into a durable international brand.