Identifying Consumer Preference for Milled Rice Quality in The Red River Delta

Over the last years, the demand for good quality of milled/white rice in the Red River Delta (RRD) of Vietnam has been increasing rapidly. To meet that demand, breeding new varieties with fine grain quality, suitable for cultivation conditions and climate of the RRD is of crucial significance and a prerequisite. Identifying criteria for breeding good quality rice can help rice breeders to keep breeding programs on track. From the results of investigating consumer preferences and the consumption of good quality rice in the market as well as evaluating agronomic characteristics and milled rice of quality varieties accepted by market, selection criteria for quality varieties for the RRD were established. The main criteria include early maturity, stable yield (5.5-7.0 tons/ha), low to moderate amylose content (17-23%) and fragrance. However, there were no strict requirements for grain length and grain shape and the breeders can select varieties that have long, medium or short grain.