Thailand is currently the world’s top rice exporter. The country reserves some a third of its total rice growing area to growing high-quality varieties for export. The Southeast Asian nation has been able to build a brand name with the value of some Thai varieties outweighing Vietnamese varieties by a few hundred dollars per tonne. Rice researchers in the Mekong Delta region therefore looks to not only pushing production of high quality rice but also developing a trademark for Vietnamese rice – contributing to a brighter future for Vietnam’s rice exports and higher incomes for local farmers.
