The Ong Cua ST25 rice variety is now being sold in the wider UK market after becoming popular among British-Asian consumers.

It became famous globally after winning the Best Rice Competition in 2019 and 2020.

Nguyen Hai Nam, business development manager of EUTEK Group, its exclusive distributor in the UK, said after receiving positive reviews from many Asian market in the UK, his company planned to focus on promoting Viet Nam rice and other specialties in Britain.

Ho Quang Cua, the creator of Ong Cua ST25 and a member of the board of director of Ho Quang Tri Enterprise, the Vietnamese exporter of the rice, said two tonnes had been shipped to the Australian market and received good reviews.

The company is now receiving a lot of orders.

There are two main reasons for the success of the grain rice, the Viet Nam - UK Free Trade Agreement (UKVFTA), which came into effect last year with preferential tariffs, and the fact that Ho Quang Tri Enterprise has trademarked the brand in international markets, including the UK.

Until it got the trademark, a lot of other companies had registered the ST25 name in many overseas markets, making it difficult for the company to export to those markets. — VNS