Vietnam has won a tender to supply 10,000 metric tonnes of long-grain broken rice to South Korea at approximately $436 per tonne, securing a share of the country's seventh tariff-rate quota (TRQ) rice tender of 2026.
According to the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation, South Korea allocated 114,833 tonnes of rice under the tender, which closed on September 15. China secured the largest allocation, receiving contracts for 57,222 tonnes of short-grain brown rice at prices ranging from $899.40 to $904.91 per tonne. The United States followed with 36,111 tonnes of milled rice and medium-grain brown rice, priced between $856 and $1,048 per tonne.
Vietnam's allocation was smaller in volume but competitively priced, with the long-grain broken rice contract awarded at approximately $436 per tonne. Thailand secured contracts for 11,500 tonnes of long-grain broken rice and fragrant rice, at prices ranging from $481 to $1,193 per tonne.
The tender comes amid signs of growing interest in long-grain rice in South Korea, where domestic producers and food businesses are exploring alternatives to the short-grain varieties traditionally favoured by consumers.
According to the Vietnam Food Association, domestically developed long-grain varieties are gaining visibility in the Korean market. One example is IPS, an indica rice variety developed by Professor Chin Joong-hyoun of Sejong University and cultivated in Haenam. The variety is used by Chipotle in Seoul and is suited to dishes such as burrito bowls, fried rice, pilaf and curry because of its longer grains and lower stickiness.
Commercial production of IPS began in 2021, with the variety subsequently becoming available through retail channels. Its development also reflects efforts to adapt rice production to climate change and changing agricultural conditions.
South Korea is supporting this transition through public investment. The government has committed 19 billion won to research and development of long-grain rice varieties and production technologies through 2029, signalling a broader effort to diversify the country's rice sector.
