Engineer Ho Quang Cua (R) receives the World's Best Rice Award during the award ceremony in Phnom Penh on November 9
Vietnam’s ST25 rice brand Ong Cua has shared the top honour of the “World’s Best Rice 2025” alongside Cambodia’s Phka Romdoul rice at the 2025 International World Rice Conference organised by The Rice Trader (TRT) in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
The recognition marks the third time Vietnam’s ST25 rice has been crowned the world’s best, following its victories in 2019 and 2023, reaffirming the country’s growing reputation on the global rice map.
According to the organisers, the top three entries of this year’s competition came from the Philippines, Cambodia, and Vietnam, with the two latter countries sharing first place.
At the event, representatives of Ho Quang Tri Private Enterprise, the producer of the ST25 rice brand Ong Cua, presented the company’s 30-year journey of research and innovation in developing high-quality fragrant rice varieties.
They also highlighted the award’s positive impact, from raising farmers’ incomes to enhancing the image of premium Vietnamese rice and opening access to demanding markets such as the United States, Japan, Europe, and Australia.
Developed by engineer and Labour Hero Ho Quang Cua and his research team in former Soc Trang province, ST25 is the result of decades of careful crossbreeding and selection. The rice is long-grained, translucent, and non-chalky. When cooked, it produces soft, fragrant rice with pandan and young rice aromas, a rich natural sweetness, and maintains its texture and aroma even when cooled, the qualities that have captivated both domestic consumers and international culinary experts.
Ho Quang Cua shared that receiving this global recognition once again is not only an honour but also a testament to the persistent innovation and dedication of Vietnamese rice farmers.
“This title strengthens the global presence of Vietnamese high-quality rice and demonstrates that our farmers’ hard work is truly appreciated,” he said upon receiving the award on November 9.
Since its debut at the 11th World Rice Conference in Manila (2019), where it beat entries from Thailand and Cambodia to take first place, ST25 rice has consistently remained among the world’s most acclaimed varieties.
The World’s Best Rice Contest, held annually by The Rice Trader (USA) since 2009, is one of the industry’s most prestigious events, serving as a platform to identify global trends and promote excellence in rice production and trade.
With its third world title, Vietnam’s ST25 rice brand “Ong Cua” once again asserts the country’s pioneering position in the global premium rice segment - a symbol of innovation, quality, and pride for Vietnamese agriculture.
