The first prize was awarded to ThaiBinh Seed Corporation’s TBR39 fragrant rice at Viet Nam’s best rice contest 2022. — Photo courtesy of the organisers

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 World’s Best Rice Contest.

The second and third prizes went to an ST24 variant of Ho Quang Tri company (Soc Trang Province), and a Loc Troi 28 variant of Loc Troi Group (An Giang Province).

ThaiBinh Seed’s A Sao rice also won the top spot in the competition’s sticky rice category.

The second and third prizes for sticky rice were presented to OM38 and RBR78 products of Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta Rice Research Institute and ThaiBinh Seed, respectively.

The contest was organised by the Vietnam Food Association (VFA), Crops Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, and Nong Thon Ngay Nay (Countryside Today) Newspaper.

The competition featured 12 fragrant rice and sticky rice products from 12 renowned players in the sector such as Loc Troi Group, ThaiBinh Seed, HK Trading Co. Ltd., and the Cuu Long Delta Rice Research Institute.

Nguyen Ngoc Nam, chairman of the Vietnam Food Association, said Viet Nam’s best rice contest had been held since 2019, and aimed to promote high-quality rice varieties that can compete with other countries.

All rice products participating in the contest must be made in Viet Nam, be submitted for a national test for at least one crop, and have a minimum purity of 98 per cent.

The winner will represent Viet Nam in the 2022 World’s Best Rice Contest under the TRT World Rice Conference to take place in Thailand from November 15-17.

The Vietnamese ST25 fragrant rice variety won the World’s Best Rice Contest in 2019 and secured second place in 2020.

The TRT World Rice Conference is the largest annual gathering of commercial and professional rice industry participants in the world. — VNS