Vietnamese rice ranked second at World's Best Rice Contest 2020

After winning top prize for best rice in the world in 2019, ST25 fragrant rice was ranked second at the 2020 World's Best Rice Contest.

Labour Hero Ho Quang Cua (R) and his research team introduce their ST25 fragrant rice. (Photo: NDO/Nguyen Phong)
Labour Hero Ho Quang Cua (R) and his research team introduce their ST25 fragrant rice. (Photo: NDO/Nguyen Phong)

>>> ST25 rice maintains the title of best rice in Vietnam

The result was confirmed by Dr. Tran Tan Phuong, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Soc Trang Province, on December 4, as he announced the results from the annual contest held by the Rice Trader during the 12th The Rice Trader World Rice Conference 2020 in the US from December 1-3.

According to Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Food Association Do Ha Nam, this year, the ST25 rice developed by Labour Hero Ho Quang Cua and his team under the Ho Quang Tri enterprise in Soc Trang represented Vietnamese rice in the 2020 World's Best Rice Contest.

First prize in this year's competition went to Thailand, and third prize was Cambodia's.

Due to the COVID-19 epidemic, the 12th The Rice Trader World Rice Conference was held in virtual format and the results of the contest were announced online. In Vietnam, the online venue for the contest was at the Renaissance Riverside Hotel Saigon in Ho Chi Minh City.

After many years as the world's best rice, in 2019, at the World's Best Rice Contest in the Philippines, Vietnamese ST25 rice won 1st prize. This was the first time Vietnamese rice had been honoured as the best rice in the world.

Recently, following the aspirations of Ho Quang Cua and his team, the right to exploit ST25 is expected to be transferred to the State for the formation of a national rice brand and the transfer work is being taken on by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.