A bustling market in Cai Khe Shopping Centre is filled with a wide range of rice. Vietnamese, Thai, Us and Japanese rice all have eye catching packaging. Yet, most consumers pick foreign rice.
Most consumers in Can tho said he only buys Thai rice. Meanwhile, a trader of Cai Khe Shopping Centre in Can Tho City conffired that most of his customers choose Thai rice.
Price and quality are the simple explanations why many consumers go for imported rice. Meanwhile, Vietnamese rice is struggling to build its own brand.
Huynh The Nang, Chairman, Vietnam Food Association pointed out that the ASEAN Economic Community means that countries are importing rice at zero percent tariffs. They're already out-competing Vietnamese rice at home.
Building brands and improving quality is a very important task for domestic rice firms, in order to resolve the current situation when many consumers prefer imported rice.