Inviting SunRice to join in 1 million ha of high-quality rice project

Mr. Paul Joseph Serra, Director General of SunRice Group, stated that Ricegrowers Vietnam Lmd Co., a subsidiary of SunRice Group (Australia), operates in the rice industry and has a factory in Binh Thanh Trung commune, Lap Vo district, Dong Thao province. Since 2014, SunRice Group has been trading and exporting rice from Vietnam to high-valued markets such as Japan. SunRice obtained a license for Vietnam's Japonica rice to enter the Korean market, as well as becoming the first of its kind to earn maximum residue limits (MRLs) certification for high-value rice entering the European market.

SunRice's successful collaboration led to the acquisition of a factory in Lap Vo in 2018, which currently employs 150 people. In 2022, the conglomerate launched a sustainable rice value chain initiative between Vietnam and Australia. The conglomerate has been supporting farmers in the Mekong Delta to adopt more sustainable rice production practices, to achieve zero carbon emissions across the value chain by 2050.

SunRice also intends to expand its Lap Vo factory in 2024, with a total expenditure of $3.8 million. In addition, they plan to introduce new rice types in Dong Thap and other Mekong Delta regions.

Mr. Pham Thien Nghia, Chairman of the People's Committee of Dong Thap Province, indicated that the province produces three crops of rice per year on an area of over 350,000 hectares. Dong Thap has registered to join in the Sustainable Development Project, which aims to cultivate one million hectares of high-quality rice with low emissions and promote green growth in the Mekong Delta region by 2030. The goal area by 2025 is 70,000 hectares, which will increase to 163,000 hectares by 2030.

The People's Committee of Dong Thap Province greatly appreciates SunRice's decision to invest in the rice sector in Dong Thap during the last decade. The province will continue to assist the company in expanding its factory in Lap Vo district and has invited SunRice to join in the one-million-hectare high-quality rice project in Dong Thap and other Mekong Delta provinces.

"Dong Thap has numerous benefits in implementing the one-million-hectare high-quality rice project to improve rice quality. Furthermore, the province is working to strengthen rice industry value chains and promote digital transformation in agriculture, especially rice cultivation. Dong Thap expects SunRice would share its rice cultivation experience to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions," stated Mr. Pham Thien Nghia, Chairman of Dong Thap Province's People's Committee.