From Vietnamese rice to broken rice: Vietnamese agricultural products reach out to the world
On August 26, at the Roppongi store of Matsuya chain, an event was held to launch the menu with the dish "Vietnamese broken rice style pork rice". The official appearance on the menu at more than 1,000 stores of the Matsuya chain, one of Japan's largest fast food chains, has been considered an important milestone in the journey of Vietnamese cuisine continuing to conquer the Japanese market.
To serve the launch of Vietnamese broken rice at Matsuya, 10 tons of fish sauce were directly imported from Vietnam and brought to Matsuya's processing plant. This not only demonstrates the quality and suitability of Vietnamese products for the Japanese market, but also opens a new direction for the export of Vietnamese spices, raw materials and processed foods to Japan.
According to Mr. Ta Duc Minh, Trade Counselor of Vietnam in Japan, the official appearance of Vietnamese broken rice at the Matsuya restaurant chain can be considered a turning point in the journey of bringing Vietnamese cuisine to the world.
"Vietnamese broken rice at Matsuya will be served with traditional Vietnamese fish sauce. This is also the first time that traditional Vietnamese fish sauce, a typical spice and symbol of Vietnamese culinary culture, has been used in the preparation of dishes at a large restaurant chain in Japan," said Mr. Ta Duc Minh.
Regarding the rice industry, according to data from the Customs Department, as of August 15, 2025, Vietnam had exported nearly 5.88 million tons, bringing in more than 3 billion USD. The average export price reached nearly 512 USD/ton, a figure that clearly shows the shift from quantity to value enhancement.
"In the past 7 years, the Vietnamese rice industry has recorded historic progress. Since Vietnam won the world's best rice award in 2019 and continued to win high prizes in 2023, these milestones have marked a dramatic change in the quality of Vietnamese rice," Associate Professor - Dr. Nguyen Thuong Lang, international economics and trade expert, senior lecturer at the Institute of International Trade and Economics, National Economics University, shared with Cong Thuong Newspaper.
Previously, after nearly 30 years of export from 1988 to 2018, Vietnamese rice was often considered to be of poor taste, cheap price and low quality. However, with the emergence of brands, especially ST25 of Mr. Ho Quang Cua. The image of Vietnamese rice has risen to become one of the best rice varieties in the world, making Vietnam the second largest rice exporter in the world. This opens up opportunities to build an ecosystem of rice products, including rice cakes, vermicelli, rice paper, etc., and develop an international standard rice industry.
Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Phung Duc Tien emphasized that over the past 80 years, each stage of the country's development has been marked by historical highlights, illuminated by the Government's mechanisms and policies and the National Assembly's legal system. Today's achievements are the result of the resilient, synchronous and drastic efforts of the entire political system and the entire nation.
In the agricultural sector, Vietnam has created a historic turning point, from having to import 2-3 million tons of rice, to exporting the first batch of rice in 1989. Today, rice, seafood, wood, tea, coffee, fruit, etc. have affirmed their position on the world map. Last year alone, Vietnam exported more than 9 million tons of rice, ranking third globally in seafood, and also became one of the leading wood exporting countries with a turnover of nearly 17 billion USD. Coffee trees, with an area of about 700,000 hectares and a yield of up to 4 tons/ha in many places, have made Vietnam the world's leading coffee center, especially in the Robusta, Arabica and specialty coffee segments.
“Even during the difficult period of the Covid-19 pandemic, agriculture has still proven its supporting role in ensuring food security for more than 100 million people and maintaining exports. This shows that the potential and strengths of the industry are still very large, opening up opportunities for sustainable development in the future,” said Mr. Phung Duc Tien.
Industry and Trade connects markets, boosts agricultural product consumption
Over the past 80 years, Vietnamese agriculture has gone through a long journey, from self-sufficient production to the position of one of the world's leading agricultural export powers. These achievements reflect the strong and synchronous direction from the Central to the local level. In that journey, the Industry and Trade sector plays a key role: from policy making, promoting trade, to expanding international markets, contributing to turning agricultural potential into national economic strength.
Before 1975, agriculture mainly served domestic demand with traditional crops such as rice, corn, potatoes, cassava, exports were almost limited and agricultural trade was not yet developed. After 1975, the centralized economy caused many difficulties for agriculture in terms of productivity and quality.
Since 1986, when Vietnam implemented Doi Moi, the Industry and Trade sector began to accompany agriculture to expand markets, build a trade system and promote exports. Specialized cultivation areas were formed, agricultural product processing developed, gradually bringing Vietnam to the international market. To date, Vietnamese agricultural products have been present in more than 195 countries and territories, from rice, coffee, cashew nuts, pepper, to seafood and fruits.
And over the past few decades, the Industry and Trade sector has become a "strategic bridge", bringing Vietnamese agricultural products to the world. Through domestic and international fairs and exhibitions, business delegations surveying the market and foreign trade promotion programs, Vietnamese enterprises are connected with partners, grasping needs, consumer trends and international standards, thereby improving competitiveness.
In addition, the Industry and Trade sector also actively supports brand building, quality certification and traceability, especially for key agricultural products such as rice, coffee, pepper and fruit. Disseminating market information and providing guidance on taking advantage of Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) helps businesses reduce tariff barriers, expand markets from Asia to Europe, America and other potential regions.
Thanks to these efforts, Vietnam has become one of the agricultural export powerhouses, increasing added value and expanding its influence on the global trade map. The role of the Industry and Trade sector lies not only in connecting markets, but also in its ability to orient and support businesses to improve their management capacity, meet international standards, thereby increasing sustainable competitiveness.
In the context of the agricultural sector facing major challenges such as climate change, international competition and increasing demands for quality and sustainability, the Ministry of Industry and Trade continues to play a leading role in building a sustainable export strategy, increasing added value and flexibly adapting to the global market.
When enjoying Vietnamese broken rice in Japan, Mr. Kiyoshi Muramatsu could not help but be impressed by the delicate balance of ingredients and the characteristic fresh flavor. This experience shows that it is thanks to trade connection and promotion that international consumers have the opportunity to enjoy the quintessence of Vietnamese agricultural products, while opening the door to the world, enhancing value and affirming position on the international trade map.
The growth of Vietnam's agricultural exports is based on three pillars: Farmers, businesses and the Ministry of Industry and Trade. This synergy not only creates quality products, but also builds the national brand and reputation on the global agricultural map. This is also a vivid demonstration of the synergy between production and trade.

Source: Vitic/ congthuong.vn