The first project to build a trading floor for rice and rice by-products in accordance with Vietnam's circular economy model was officially launched on December 19 in the Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap.

Vietnam imported 999,750 tonnes of rice last year, a figure that is likely to create competition with domestic products and impact the lives of local producers, as well as food security in general, according to industry insiders.

Vietnamese fragrant rice ST24 and ST25 were named among the Top 4 of the World’s Best Rice 2022 at an awards ceremony held in Thailand on November 17.

The export price of Vietnamese rice stands at the highest spot on global markets, some US$20-50 per ton higher than the rice prices of Thailand and India.

ThaiBinh Seed Corporation’s TBR39 fragrant rice won first prize at Viet Nam’s best rice contest 2022 and will represent the country at the 2022...

Australian Intellectual Property (IP Australia) has officially issued trademark protection certificates to three brands of ST24 and ST24 rice produced by Ho Quang Tri Private Enterprise.

Viet Nam is expected to export between 6.5- 6.7 million tonnes of rice, bringing revenue of US$3.3 billion this year.

The Ong Cua ST25 rice variety is now being sold in the wider UK market after becoming popular among British-Asian consumers.

For the first time, Vietnam's ST25 rice has been used to process dishes on the menu of the Japanese Cabinet Office, Minister of Agricultural and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan has said at the recent government meeting.

Vietnam’s rice exports during the initial four months of the year has rebounded impressively with the export value exceeding US$1 billion, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD).

The trademark “Vietnam Rice” has by now been protected in 22 foreign countries, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) reported, urging for the issuance of a legal document managing the use of the trademark.

The Vietnam Food Association has proposed the Ministry of Industry and Trade work with ports and localities to remove difficulties in the transportation of rice for export.

Vietnam is anticipated to become the world’s third largest rice exporter next year with an estimated export volume reaching 6.3 million tonnes, according to the projection made by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Vietnam’s exports and imports rose over 24 percent year-on-year in the first quarter, driven by the country’s free trade agreements (FTAs), an expert has said.

The Vietnamese rice sector was shocked last month when companies from the US and Australia attempted to attain the trademark for ST25 rice.

Unlike regional competition, Vietnamese branding approaches of well-established rice varieties could still see some improvements because of existing ambiguities in the product development strategies of the responsible government agencies.

The National Office of Intellectual Property (NOIP) says the ST25 rice variety has been granted a Protective Certificate No 21.VN.2020 under Decision No 45/QD-TT-VPBH dated March 6, 2020 by the director of the Department of Crop Production.

If certain legal entities in the US successfully register the ST25 rice brand, Ho Quang Cua, the real owner of the brand, will lose ownership and it will be very difficult to claim it back.

Four foreign companies have registered trademark protection for Vietnam’s ST25 rice in the U.S., which may choke off Vietnamese food exporters tapping the market later,