Fake, counterfeit ST25 rice is selling too well

“Particularly, those transactions have become active for a couple of months now because consumers are restricted from going out due to Covid-19”. That is the information provided by technician Ho Quang Cua - the father of ST25 to the reporter of the Vietnam Agriculture Newspaper. “This is a national problem because consumers might lose trust, abandon a product that brings pride to the nation and is a major market capable of consuming tens, hundreds of thousands of tons of rice per year. The damage will be many times more severe in the case that we lose the brand to the US”.

Fake, counterfeit rice even in the first batch exported to the US

How is the specific situation regarding fake and counterfeit ST25 rice in our country, sir?

It was only about 10 days after ST25 rice won the World's Best Rice award (November 12, 2019) that the US advertised to sell ST25 rice. According to the growth cycle, it must be around mid-January and early February 2021 for harvested ST25 rice to appear on the market. Thus, it can be said that from that period and earlier, rice bags labeled ST25 were not authentic, including the first export shipment to the US in 2020.

Fake, counterfeit rice brand in our country is not only a national problem but has now been warned by the World Rice Trade Organization about the widespread use of the phrase meaning "The world's best rice" that they registered for protection in the US. The anti-counterfeiting is continuous and long-term. In the immediate future, it is necessary to check and deal with false advertising on the Internet, printing and packaging without the governmental contract, packaging without stating the origin of goods, without a clear address...

In the long run, this type of rice must be added to the national brands, have regulations for allocation, use and management. Only then can we gradually build order and build Vietnamese rice brand.

Specifically, what is the meaning of the warning from The Rice Trader - the founder and owner of the "World's Best Rice" competition, sir?

First of all, Mr. Jeremy Zwinger (President of The Rice Trader) directly warned me, because when entered the international competition I signed a commitment that I must ask for their permission if I want to use the meaningful phrase "The world's Best Rice", and I soon fixed that. Their warning is based on the widespread online advertising of rice sold domestically and internationally, with the trademark meaning "World's Best Rice", which they claim as their intellectual property registered in the US.

They anticipate two scenarios that will occur if correction was not made. First, going to court in the US (for businesses), and secondly, forbid participation in the World’s Best Rice organized by them every year (for Vietnam, with the Vietnam Food Association currently being the leader).

I think businesses can solve it on their own but the state management in handling this matter is also required (by the Economic Security Department and the Directorate of Market Surveillance). The work is quite urgent because it is almost at the time they announce the schedule of the 13th World Rice Conference, usually held in the fourth quarter of the year.

The valuable experience of other countries

How do countries manage rice brands? What do you suggest about the national rice brand for Vietnam?

Countries famous for delicious rice such as India and Thailand manage rice brands very strictly.

For example, considering Thailand, Khao Dawk Mali 105 and RD15, have the word "Thai hom mali rice" (Thai national aromatic rice) printed on the top of the rice bag. The purity of the rice must be 92% or higher, measured by a DNA analyzer (not with the naked eye like Vietnamese rice ST5, ST20 which is currently exported to the EU).

India and Pakistan have a slim, thin rice variety called Basmati that expands by about 69% when cooked. At present, they have improved hybridization, so there are many non-photosensitive Basmati varieties with higher yield than traditional Basmati, but the naming of the Basmati rice must be decided by the State...

Vietnam has long had a national product recognition committee, but not for rice, even though it has been honored four times in a row internationally. Since now we have one rice variety that has acquired world level, I think we should return to this discussion about how to possess a “top” like the top of the crystal glass that The Rice Trader gave us. This is a serious matter that we need to think more about.

What are your expectations for the national rice brand goal?

My hope after winning the award is that the ST25 rice variety must belong to Vietnam, belong to Vietnamese farmers, be protected at UPSTO like the Thai Ministry of Commerce registered for the protection of KDM 105 rice variety in the US in 2002. If I leave it with my family, I don't know if the next generation can keep it or not! If you lose your copyright, you lose everything.

Of course, if the procedure goes smoothly, after transferring the ownership rights to the State, I still have my responsibilities to continue to upgrade seeds and produce super-primitive and original varieties, but at that time the scale will be smaller. Then I can temporarily call it my second retirement.

Thank you, sir!