Fake ST25 rice flooding the market

With the keyword ST25 with just one click, consumers will be overwhelmed  in the matrix of ST25 rice with the same packaging design but the price is completely different.

Thu Hong, a resident of Times City Urban area in Hanoi, said, on the occasion of Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday, she didn’t only buy ST25 rice for her family but also purchased more than 200 kilogram as a gift for her relatives. However, she found that the rice didn’t taste good when cooked.  She searched for information on the press and discovered that she had bought a fake one.

“Now every apartment building has an online market for its residents. Upon seeing an advertisement of genuine ST25 rice invented by Mr Cua, I decided to buy 300 kilograms for my family and present to my relatives on the occasion of the Lunar New Year with a price of VND33,000 (US$1.4) per kilogram,” Hong told Vietnam Agriculture Newspaper.

Unfortunately, Hong is among many people who have mistakenly bought  rice varieties falsely labeled as ST25.

As traders have made counterfeit goods with sophisticated methods, it was difficult for consumers to spot the genuine product.

In response to information about the rampant selling of ST25 rice on the market, Ho Quang Cua, who invented the ST25 rice, said:  “Only three days of winning the award [world’s best rice], many rice traders have announced that they have the best rice variety in the world.

“Some businesses take the photo that we receive the award and the logo as well as print the package with the picture of me. I did not know what kind of rice they sold to consumers .”

Not only the ST25 rice has their brand stolen, but other specialties of many localities were also imitated which left negative impacts on genuine products, Cua said.

He advised consumers to buy ST25 rice from businesses that are official distributors of Ho Quang Tri Enterprise - the enterprise founded by him.

Consumers in the north can buy the product through Viet Food Agricultural Product Chain Joint Stock Company which is located at No. 566 Buoi Street, Ba Dinh District’s Vinh Phuc Ward. It is an authorized distributor of Ho Quang Tri Enterprise.

They can contact the company via the hotline 1900989959 or through its agents.

Consumers in the south can buy ST25 rice at Phuong Nam Food Joint Stock Company which is located at 453/86 Le Van Sy, Ward 12, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City. The company has distributed rice products of Ho Quang Tri enterprise in the southern market over the past six years.

To distinguish between fake and true ST25 rice produced by Ho Quang Tri Enterprises, consumers can base on the product’s packing.

The genuine ST25 rice will bear the following information:

• Packing standard: ISO 22000: 2018 - HACCP
• Brand logo: ST in orange, with a star on the "S" letter
• Logo issued at the competition: The World's Best Rice 2019.

The information - manufacturing and packaging by Ho Quang Tri Enterprise - is printed on the packaging.

It also specifies that ST25 rice is produced in My Xuyen District, Soc Trang province.

The phone numbers of Ms. Trinh Kim Tuyen (wife of Mr Cua) and Mr Cua were also printed to receive feedback from customers.

The genuine ST25 rice is only packaged in 5-kilogramme bags.

To avoid buying fake ST25 rice, consumers should choose reputable rice agents and shops in the market with purchase invoices or delivery notes from Ho Quang Tri Enterprise or its official distributors.