Growing ST25 together
Holding heavy clusters of ripe ST25 rice in his golden field, Mr. Nguyen Van Cong, a resident of Hamlet 51, Tan Nhut Commune, Ho Chi Minh City, shared that local residents often gather to exchange ideas on improving household incomes. Recognizing the high economic returns of ST25, many families decided to adopt the variety.
His family has cultivated ST25 for about six years on roughly two hectares, achieving an estimated yield of around 5 tons per hectare. According to him, growing ST25 is not particularly difficult. The crop takes about 100 days to harvest, and a yield of 5–5.5 tons per hectare is considered good. With fresh paddy currently selling for about VND7,000 (US$0.026) per kilogram and milled rice fetching around VND45,000 (US$1.73) per kilogram purchased directly by traders at the farm, the profit margins are significant.
Nguyen Huu Quoc, head of Hamlet 51, also began planting ST25 after learning about its benefits from neighbors. His family cultivates 0.2 hectares, harvesting about one ton during the most recent summer–autumn crop. Beyond achieving good yields and prices, his ST25 rice was selected for display at a business networking event organized by the Tan Nhut Commune People’s Committee.
In Hung Long Commune, Mr. Truong Van On, a resident of Hamlet 22 grows one hectare of ST25, harvesting approximately 5.5 tons in the latest crop. He said cultivation is not overly complicated. Notably, the variety is resistant to pests and diseases, reducing the need for plant protection chemicals and minimizing environmental impacts.
Recognizing its advantages, he and fellow members of a local cooperative group have encouraged other farmers to purchase ST25 seeds and expand production. Overall, this variety brings strong economic returns. The rice is fragrant and soft, and it sells at a high price, so farmers are very pleased.
Economic and environmental benefits
Ms. Tran Thi Ngoc Trinh, Chairwoman of the Farmers’ Association of Tan Nhut Commune, said ST25 is widely cultivated in Hamlets 11 and 51, covering around 10 hectares with an average yield of 4.5 tons per hectare and two crops per year. The model has improved livelihoods for many households. Thanks to its high productivity, premium quality, and strong selling price, local farmers are satisfied with the results.
Importantly, ST25 cultivation requires minimal use of pesticides, reducing environmental and health risks. To further expand the model, she suggested that farmers need better access to market information to secure higher prices and more stable outlets.
Meanwhile, Ha Tan Loc, Vice Chairman of the Hung Long Commune People’s Committee, reported that the total ST25 cultivation area in the commune is about 65 hectares. Of this, around nine hectares are produced organically with support from ABZ Import-Export Company Limited, which supplies seeds, fertilizers, and guarantees purchase, yielding about 4 tons per hectare. Another 32 hectares follow traditional farming methods.
The remaining 24 hectares are produced under semi-organic practices through a cooperative group guided by local plant protection engineers, achieving yields of approximately six tons per hectare. However, he noted that urbanization in the city’s outlying rural areas has led to fragmented and scattered farmland, posing challenges for large-scale, concentrated production.
Despite these difficulties, the commune views ST25 as an effective and suitable model aligned with organic and eco-friendly agriculture. Authorities are reviewing plans to expand cultivation further and are working toward building and promoting the ST25 Hung Long rice brand in Ho Chi Minh City.
