Con Cuong district’s indigenous rice proposed to get geographical indication

The above information was given by Mr. Lo Van Ly - the Head of Agriculture and Rural Development Department of Con Cuong district.

Currently, Khau Cam Xang rice is in experimental planting process in Mau Duc and Thach Ngan communes.

In the coming time, along with completing the application procedures for geographical indication, the district will expand the planting scale in other villages and communes including: Dong Tien, Chom Lom, Yen Hoa (Lang Khe commune); Oi, Lam Khe (Chi Khe commune); Tan Hoa, Thanh Nam, Thanh Dao, Khe Ran (Bong Khe commune); Mau Duc commune, Thach Ngan commune, Don Phuc commune, Cam Lam commune, Binh Chuan commune.

Khau Cam Xang is a traditional rice variety of Thai people in Con Cuong district,which has been preserved by the Center for Plant Resources since 2011 with registration number GBVN 018073. The origin of Khau Cam Xang is upland rice but it has been domesticated and planted in water rice field conditions for many years.

This is a glutinous rice variety used in daily meals. The people in Con Cuong district still apply their traditional cooking method, namely cooking rice on a wood stove and using a traditional pot. Cooked rice is cooled down, put into boxes made of rattan or bamboo and brought to the field, often served with sesame salt or Thai traditional sauce.

Furthermore, Banh Chung (square sticky rice cake) and purple sticky rice wine are indispensable in festivals or local New Year's Day. For Thai ethnic people in Con Cuong district, these product from glutinous rice also have spiritual significance. On Tet holiday, there must be at least one product such as purple sticky rice wine or cake, so that the whole new year will be prosperous and lucky.

Khau Cam Xang rice is mainly consumed in Con Cuong district, sold to tourists. Currently, customers in other places (Hanoi and other provinces) know about Khau Cam Xang rice and often order it. The selling price of Khau Cam Xang rice originating in Con Cuong district is usually 5,000-7,000 VND/kg higher than that of Khau Cam Xang rice grown elsewhere. Consumers often buy products in Con Cuong district as gifts and use them because this kind of rice is good for health.

According to the experts, Con Cuong district’s land resources are quite diverse, in which, the type of soil for growing Khau Cam Xang rice covers an area of 598 hectares, accounting for 0.34% of the total natural land area of the district.

The Vietnam Institute of Agricultural Sciences assessed that Khau Cam Xang rice has high production value compared to other rice varieties; its price is 2 times higher than that of plain rice and 1.5 times higher than that of the local glutinous rice. Khau Cam Xang rice is of good quality, has an elongated grain shape, purple; The content of valuable nutrients is higher than that of many other rice varieties.