Rice lacks national brand: scholar

Rice lacks national brand: scholar

Building a national brand name for Vietnamese rice would help increase rice export value and prestige in the world market, the rector of Can Tho University said yesterday at a seminar held in HCM City.

Professor Vo Tong Xuan said that Viet Nam was one of the world's largest rice exporters, but it had become less competitive against other rice-exporting nations because it had not built a strong brand.

In the global rice market, competition has become increasingly tough, he added.

"We should adjust how we export branded rice," Xuan said.

While Viet Nam has good rice seeds, farmers prefer growing plants that have higher yields, not better quality, he said.

Such a mindset is different from farmers in other countries, he added.

Tran Anh Tuan, CEO of Pathfinder, a consulting company, said some Vietnamese businesses usually mixed rice of various quality and prices to compete on price, which affects the reputation of domestic rice.

The Government recently approved a project to build a strong global brand name for rice by the year 2020, with a focus on restructuring production, processing and distribution of three main kinds of rice – white, fragrant and special rice.

The brand vision has been basically established, but there are many things that still need to be done, he said.

Xuan said the first step should be selecting the best seeds, organising production and promoting rice at international fairs and in the media to increase consumer awareness, he said.

He urged the agricultural sector to speed up the application of good agricultural practices in production to meet consumer demand for safe products.

Nguyen Lam Vien, chairman of Vinamit, said that Viet Nam should strive to produce organic farm products and penetrate international markets.

"If we focus on organic production, Viet Nam's agricultural sector will surpass Thai's in 20 years," he said, adding that Viet Nam has opportunities to succeed in organic agriculture.

Nguyen Quoc Vong, adjunct professor at RMIT University, stressed that organic production required stakeholders to have knowledge and vision about the field.

They also must help farmers understand and follow requirements of organic production, he said.

At the seminar, Vo Minh Khai, president and CEO of Vien Phu Organic and Healthy Foods Joint Stock Corporation, spoke about his experience in successfully building a the organic rice brand Hoa Sua Foods, which is cultivated in the U Minh forest area in Ca Mau province and certified by the US Department of Agriculture and the EU.

Khai said he built brands based on differences (packaging, quality and no harmful residue) and unique qualities (helps prevent diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer and anaemia).

If Viet Nam decided to focus on organic agriculture, its farm produce would have great advantages in the world market, Vien said.

Australia mulls fruit imports

Australia has officially commenced a review to import fresh dragon fruit from Viet Nam. According to a press release published by the Australian Embassy in Viet Nam on Wednesday, fresh dragon fruit is one of the agricultural products given top priority for gaining access to the Australian market.

Earlier, the country completed its preliminary evaluation of pests and diseases associated with the fruit through cooperation between the two governments, it said.

In the coming months, the two sides will join hands to identify risks, with the participation of Australian experts, judging dragon fruit production and export processes. A draft report outlining these risks will be announced at the end of this year for stakeholders' consultations.

The Australian Embassy in Viet Nam also said their country was promoting the review process for shipments of other fresh fruit from Viet Nam.

Last year, some 28 tonnes of fresh Vietnamese lychees were sold in the Australian market. The first batch arrived in the country in May 2015.

Australia also completed the risk evaluation for Vietnamese mangos last November.

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