Việt Nam’s rice race heats up with fresh push for quality gains

Việt Nam’s rice race heats up with fresh push for quality gains

The Prime Minister’s recent directive to call for actions to sustain rice export has highlighted that the rice industry still has much work to do, especially a long-term, sustainable and breakthrough approach.

A paddy field in An Giang Province. — VNA/VNS Photo Vũ Sinh

Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính’s recent directive to boost rice exports underscores that Việt Nam’s rice industry still faces significant challenges requiring long-term, sustainable solutions focused on quality and competitive advantage.

Having overtaken Thailand as the world’s second-largest rice exporter, Việt Nam is now shifting its focus from sheer volume to high-value products. The PM has called for urgent action to tackle bottlenecks threatening this position.

According to Government Office Document No 7697/VPCP-NN, issued on Monday, the sector must confront risks including salinity intrusion, drought, climate change and strict regulatory barriers from demanding markets such as the EU and Japan.

“In the context of weakening global demand, forcing rice exporters to sharply lower prices, Việt Nam’s competitiveness in prices will be narrowed down. This requires a long-term strategy with the focus shifting from increasing output to improving product value,” the PM emphasised.

Việt Nam must prioritise exporting high-quality and organic rice with transparent traceability and a strong national brand, or risk losing its hard-won global ranking amid fluctuating supply and climate pressures.

The PM tasked the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment with crafting detailed plans to safeguard the country’s standing while accelerating a project to develop 1 million hectares of high-quality, low-emission rice fields by 2030.

Statistics reveal that in the first seven months of 2025, Việt Nam exported 5.5 million tonnes of rice worth US$2.81 billion – volume up 3.1 per cent but value down nearly 16 per cent compared to the same period last year.

The market faces pressure from India’s large mid-priced rice exports and the Philippines’ 60-day suspension of rice imports from September 1. The Philippines remains Việt Nam’s largest rice importer.

Nonetheless, Vietnamese rice is expanding in stable markets such as Japan, South Korea and the EU, thanks to speciality varieties like ST25.

Data from the Thai Rice Exporters Association confirms Việt Nam exported 4.72 million tonnes in the first half of 2025, surpassing Thailand to become the world’s second-largest rice exporter. India leads with 11.68 million tonnes exported. 

Bizhub