Vietnam's Ong Cua ST25 Rice Wins Second Place in the World in 2026

Vietnam's Ông Cua ST25 Rice Wins Second Place at World Contest in 2026

After three first-place wins, Vietnam's Ông Cua ST25 rice placed second at this year's World's Best Rice contest.

The 2026 World's Best Rice contest concluded on October 9 in Manila, Philippines, with first place going to Myanmar. Vietnam's Ông Cua ST25 rice placed second, the Philippines came in third, while India and Thailand tied for fourth. The results were announced during the World Rice Conference organized by The Rice Trader (USA).

The contest brought together rice samples from many countries. The judging panel, comprising international chefs and experts, evaluated rice in both raw and cooked states, based on criteria such as uniformity, grain length, aroma, softness, and flavor.

Mr. Hồ Quang Cua (second from left) alongside Vietnam's Commercial Counselor in the Philippines - Mr. Lê Phú Cường - at the contest on the morning of October 9. Photo: Provided by the subject

ST25 previously won first place in 2019, 2023, and 2025. In the most recent contest, this rice variety shared the top prize with Cambodia. Previously, in 2017, ST24 also made it to the top three of the contest.

ST25 is the result of over 30 years of research, selection, and breeding by engineer Hồ Quang Cua and his colleagues. He has been associated with the development of aromatic rice varieties ST, including ST24 and ST25, in the rice-shrimp region of the Mekong Delta.

Ông Cua ST25 rice is produced by Hồ Quang Trí Private Enterprise in Sóc Trăng. According to the company, the brand has been protected in Vietnam, the USA, the UK, the European Union, Australia, Hong Kong, and China. The product is distributed in the USA, Australia, and Canada.

Thi Hà