Viet Nam's ST25 rice has claimed the World's Best Rice title for the third time, sharing the prestigious award with Cambodia's phka romdoul variety at the 17th Annual World Rice Conference organized by The Rice Trader in Phnom Penh from November 7 to 9, marking another triumph for Vietnamese agricultural innovation on the global stage.
The award-winning ST25 variety is the result of decades of research, selection, and breeding efforts led by engineer Ho Quang Cua and his team, who have been developing new rice strains under the ST brand since the 1990s by combining several varieties to inherit their most outstanding qualities.
ST25 is distinguished by its long, translucent grains without chalky cores, moderate stickiness when cooked, fragrant pandan and young green rice aromas, and rich sweet flavor, with the exceptional quality of retaining its tenderness and distinctive aroma even after cooling, qualities that have captivated both domestic consumers and international culinary experts.
According to Ho Quang Cua, this recognition strengthens the "High-Quality Vietnamese Rice" brand and expands Vietnam's market reach into demanding regions including the United States, Japan, Europe, and Australia, demonstrating the country's growing competitiveness in premium agricultural exports.
The World's Best Rice competition, an annual international event organized since 2009 to identify emerging trends and directions for the global rice market, first awarded Viet Nam the top prize in 2019, while Cambodia's phka romdoul has secured the title seven times, highlighting Southeast Asia's dominance in premium rice production.
