THE STORY BEHIND SÓC TRĂNG FRAGRANT RICE
HOW THE ST VARIETIES WERE BORN AND WHERE THEY’RE HEADING
Back in late 2011, Vietnam’s Intellectual Property Office officially recognized the “Sóc Trăng Fragrant Rice” brand — the name given to the now-famous ST fragrant rice varieties. And behind this brand is a man whose dedication has shaped the entire Vietnamese premium rice scene: engineer Hồ Quang Cua.
Today, his hope is simple but ambitious: to elevate ST rice into a world-recognized Vietnamese rice brand.
“If Thailand can do it, why can’t we?”
After graduating in 1978 with a degree in Crop Science from Can Tho University, Hồ Quang Cua returned to his hometown in Sóc Trăng. From a district agriculture office to Deputy Director of the provincial Department of Agriculture, he spent more than 20 years quietly building the foundation for what would become the ST fragrant rice legacy.
In 1991, he joined a research team from the Mekong Delta Rice Institute and Can Tho University to collect and test traditional fragrant rice varieties from Vietnam, Thailand, and Taiwan. Working alongside top agricultural scientists like Professor Võ Tòng Xuân and Professor Nguyễn Văn Luật — and later studying abroad — he began nurturing the dream of creating a world-class fragrant rice variety for Vietnam, starting right from Sóc Trăng.
During this time, he learned that Thailand’s iconic Khao Dawk Mali 105 variety — the backbone of Thai jasmine rice — was originally selected by a local technician. Yet every year between 1992 and 1997, Thailand earned nearly USD 1 billion exporting over 1 million tons of this fragrant rice.
“So why can’t we?” he wondered.
Vietnam was already a leading rice exporter and had achieved national food security. So together with his colleagues and local farmers, he began the long, tireless journey of researching, crossbreeding, and testing fragrant rice varieties.
What they discovered after years of work
Over many seasons, the team arrived at three important conclusions that shaped the ST rice we know today:
Rice can naturally mutate, creating opportunities to discover or breed higher-quality varieties.
Vietnam needs improved fragrant rice with high yield, not low-yield traditional varieties like those used in Thailand or India.
Human resource development is essential — you must train the next generation of researchers.
Not everyone agreed with these ideas at first. But encouraged by the Ministry of Agriculture and the Sóc Trăng provincial government, the team pressed on. Over time, they created seven parent fragrant rice varieties using genetic sources like Khao Dawk Mali, northern Vietnamese Tám Xoan, and Sóc Trăng’s own Tào Hương.
By 2013, they had developed 21 different ST varieties. Among them, the beloved ST20 stood out with its long slender grain, soft texture, and subtle pandan-and-young-rice aroma.
Ong Tho Rice and ST25: A Collaboration from Seed to Harvest
Ong Tho Rice is proud to work with Hồ Quang Cua by taking ST25 and other ST varieties from seed and cultivating them at scale for commercial distribution. By carefully managing the growing process, Ong Tho Rice ensures that every batch meets the standards of premium rice — fragrant, soft, and flavorful.
Through this partnership, Ong Tho Rice brings ST25 and other ST varieties to kitchens across Vietnam and beyond, combining Hồ Quang Cua’s decades of breeding expertise with Ong Tho Rice’s experience in high-quality cultivation and commercialization.
From Sóc Trăng to the Mekong Delta — and beyond
Since 2009, nearly 25,000 hectares of ST fragrant rice have been planted in Sóc Trăng, with tens of thousands more across coastal Mekong provinces. Farmers have adopted two-crop systems as well as purple onion–rice or shrimp–rice rotation models.
The results have been life-changing.
For example, farmer Trà Diên from Viên Bình (Trần Đề district), who cultivates 23 công (≈2.3 ha) of ST5 per year, shared:
“My income doubled compared to the old IR varieties — over 150 million VND per year.”
The shrimp–rice rotation model in coastal areas also improves soil, stabilizes the environment, and slows land degradation — a win-win for both farmers and nature.
Growing talent alongside the rice
This rice journey hasn’t just created better varieties — it has grown people, too.
Ten young engineers have continued their studies through ST-related research, including Dr. Trần Tấn Phương, who completed his PhD in 2011 with a dissertation on breeding high-yield fragrant rice for domestic use and export.
**Taking ST rice to the world:
A vision where farmers and businesses win together**
In late 2011, five companies were officially allowed to use the certified “Sóc Trăng Fragrant Rice” brand. Around the same time, Vietnam exported more than 400,000 tons of fragrant rice — mostly Jasmine. ST varieties were still limited and mainly sold domestically.
This gap inspired Hồ Quang Cua and his colleagues to push further. They began developing a new model: a farmer–business alliance designed to increase farmer income. The goal?
Raise farmers’ earnings by at least 20% in the first year and continue growing thereafter through proper cultivation techniques.
Why this model?
Because the price of white rice in early 2013 hovered just above USD 400/ton, leaving slim profits. Meanwhile, ST20 was successfully exported for USD 900/ton — and there wasn’t enough supply to meet demand.
This raised a crucial question:
“Can we seize this opportunity to break into the high-end global rice market?
Can we organize farming so that ST becomes a true Vietnamese specialty?”
His answer: Yes — if farmers and businesses work together in a new, sustainable production model.
According to the project team, ST20 and ST21 are high-end premium fragrant rice varieties favored by urban middle-class consumers. Sold domestically for around USD 1/kg and exported for up to USD 900/ton, they are strong competitors to Thailand’s premium fragrant rice.
If large-scale farmer–business partnerships are developed, the benefits will spread across thousands of hectares — boosting farmer income, strengthening businesses, and serving as a model for Vietnam’s “four-party linkage” agricultural strategy.
The dream that drives it all
Engineer Hồ Quang Cua says it simply:
“My ultimate wish is to build a sustainable production relationship that strengthens the entire value chain — and to one day see Sóc Trăng fragrant rice recognized as a true Vietnamese brand on the world stage.”
A dream born in the rice fields of Sóc Trăng — and one that continues to inspire Vietnam’s rice industry today.
Reference Source: Gaosach.vn