Enhancing Rice Processing and Value-Added Products
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Currently, rice processing activities in Thái Bình Province are mainly focused on producing rice noodles, cakes, rice wine, and rice paper.
Although Vietnam ranks among the top three rice exporters globally, the industry still faces significant challenges. Experts emphasize the need for comprehensive improvements — from production and processing to market distribution — in order to enhance value chains and strengthen international competitiveness.
Dr. Hoàng Xuân Trường, Deputy Director of the Center for Research and Development of Agricultural Systems (under the Institute of Food Crops), made this statement during the recent seminar titled “Developing Processed Rice Products to Enhance the Value of Vietnam’s Rice Industry”, organized in Hải Dương by the National Agricultural Extension Center in collaboration with the Institute of Food Crops.
Challenges Along the Rice Value Chain
According to Nguyễn Văn Đình, Deputy Director of the Thái Bình Agricultural Extension Center, the province’s agriculture remains a key economic pillar, with an average rice cultivation area of 160,000 hectares per year.
However, most Thái Bình rice is consumed domestically, as the province’s rice processing infrastructure remains outdated and limited, preventing large-scale exports.
Vietnam’s rice processing sector has improved in recent years and can be divided into three levels:
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Primary processing: including harvesting, drying, and milling.
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Secondary processing: producing rice-based goods such as noodles, vermicelli, cakes, and other food products.
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Deep processing: extracting and isolating valuable compounds from rice for health or industrial applications.
In Thái Bình, the processing sector still mainly produces rice noodles, cakes, and rice wine.
Mr. Đình hopes that the province will soon improve its rice value chain, particularly by promoting TBR97 rice, which shows high productivity and export potential.
Hải Dương’s Experience: Expanding Rice Processing Capacity
Similarly, Hải Dương Province produces around 700,000 tons of rice annually, with 500,000 tons used domestically and 200,000 tons supplied for national reserves, interprovincial trade, and export.
Over 3,000 milling facilities operate in the province, processing rice for exporters, confectionery producers, and distilleries.
Local specialties like bánh gai (glutinous rice cake) and bánh khảo (rice flour pastry) have become signature products that boost the local economy and tourism.
Nguyễn Phú Thụy, Deputy Director of the Hải Dương Agricultural Extension Center, noted that while some facilities have adopted modern technologies, most still use outdated systems due to limited capital and land constraints.
The province has begun standardizing cultivation zones and issuing export planting codes, but the supply chain remains unstable due to dependence on middlemen — affecting both prices and farmers’ incomes.
To address this, Mr. Thụy emphasized the need for policies encouraging modern milling systems, stabilizing domestic markets, and creating a strong foundation for the Hải Dương rice brand.
He affirmed:
“We are striving to attract investment and support farmers toward a sustainable, efficient, and high-quality agricultural system.”
Strengthening Rice Variety Research and Innovation
Regarding strategies for developing the rice value chain, Dr. Hoàng Xuân Trường proposed five key directions for innovation:
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Invest in rice variety research that enhances climate resilience, drought tolerance, and salinity resistance, while applying biotechnology to production.
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Upgrade post-harvest and processing infrastructure to reduce losses and improve storage capabilities for enterprises.
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Promote cooperative farming models to improve farmer connections and competitiveness.
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Build and protect Vietnamese rice brands through geographical indications and export planting codes.
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Develop sustainable, eco-friendly rice production models to balance productivity with environmental conservation.
Representatives from the Institute of Food Crops shared that the institute has accelerated research on high-quality, sustainable rice varieties, such as Gia Lộc 601 and HD12, which are well-suited for rice noodle and cake production, ensuring elasticity and quality of processed products.
Fostering Collaboration Between Science and Local Farmers
Provincial representatives expressed interest in expanding access to rice processing technologies and guiding farmers to adopt modern methods.
They also emphasized the importance of stronger collaboration between scientists and local farmers in researching and selecting high-yield, high-quality rice varieties suitable for deep processing.
These coordinated efforts will not only improve production efficiency but also enhance product value, laying the groundwork for a more innovative and competitive Vietnamese rice industry in the years ahead.