Vinaseed rice products conquer international markets

The rice products of Vinaseed – a member of The PAN Group – now have access to the priority lane when entering the European markets, opening the doors to the global supply chains.

On July 23, 2020, Vietnam Rice Co., Ltd. (Vinarice) of Vinaseed obtained the certificate of food safety management (FSSC 22000) for processing, packaging, and distribution from Bureau Veritas – the UK's leading independent organisation for certification.

This certification has important implications in bringing Vietnamese branded rice products to the EU market. As it is one of the comprehensive food safety standards established based on a combination of the two certificates ISO 22000 and PAS 220, it guarantees that certificate-holders meet the highest standards to access even the most demanding markets such as the EU and the US.

Right from the establishment of Vinarice, Vinaseed has chosen to follow the FSSC22000 management systems and invested in modern facilities and applied Japanese technologies. Less than eight months into operation, Vinarice has received FSSC22000 certification after a strict and rigorous assessment process. This has a special meaning in the context of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) which officially took effect from August 1, 2020.

According to the agreement, the EU will give Vietnam an annual export quota of 80,000 tonnes of rice with a tariff of 0 per cent. This certification is affirmation of the high standards of Vinaseed products and will help bring high-quality Vietnamese rice to global markets.

In July 2020, Vinaseed successfully exported VJ Pearl Rice and RVT fragrant rice to the Netherlands and the Czech Republic at the price of $1,040 per tonne. This week, the company will continue to export Ban Mai white rice and Phuc Tho brown rice to Australia, a very promising market. These are the first Vietnamese branded rice products to be exported officially to the market. The high-quality products use Vietnamese rice varieties grown, harvested, and processed in the country, meeting all strict standards and conditions from raw material development to final product quality control.

Talking about these initial successes, Nguyen Quang Truong, CEO of Vinaseed said, “To take advantage of this opportunity, Vinaseed has been preparing since the EVFTA was under discussion. We developed sustainable agricultural production areas according to VietGAP standards. All of our rice products meet FSSC International Certification and other strict standards and conditions to export to demanding markets like the EU. As Vinarice owns the most modern rice processing plant in the region, the group is confident to further expand exports to other demanding markets.”

In 2019, Vinaseed's total export volume to the EU reached 2,000 tonnes with the value of $2 million. The PAN Group’s member company aims to double its exports to about 5,000 tonnes in 2020 when new tariffs of 0 per cent will make its products more competitive in the market, Truong added.

These exports are not only signify success for Vinaseed, they also mark the first Vietnamese branded rice products to officially enter the international market. This shows the serious and persistent efforts of The PAN Group to elevate the Vietnamese agricultural and food sector and complete its mission Born to Feed the World.