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

HCM CITY — ThaiBinh Seed Corporation’s TBR39 fragrant rice won first prize at Việt 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 Hồ Quang Trí company (Sóc Trăng Province), and a Lộc Trời 28 variant of Lộc Trời Group (An Giang Province).

ThaiBinh Seed’s A Sào 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 Cửu 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 Nông Thôn Ngày Nay (Countryside Today) Newspaper.

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

Nguyễn Ngọc Nam, chairman of the Vietnam Food Association, said Việt 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 Việt 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 Việt 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