Vietnam’s prime minister has ordered a renewed push to safeguard the country’s position as a leading rice exporter, stressing that the industry must focus on quality, sustainability and long-term competitiveness rather than volume alone, Viet Nam News reports.

The directive from Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính highlights concerns that the country’s hard-won ranking as the world’s second-largest exporter could be at risk if producers fail to adapt to mounting pressures, including climate change, resource constraints and shifting international demand.

Official guidance issued this week warned of key threats ranging from saltwater intrusion and drought to increasingly strict regulatory standards in high-value markets such as the European Union and Japan.

Although Vietnam has overtaken Thailand in global export rankings, officials acknowledge that weakening demand worldwide has forced prices down. This, in turn, is narrowing the advantage Vietnamese producers once held. The government says the future of the sector depends on moving towards premium varieties, organic cultivation and transparent supply chains supported by a strong national brand.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment has been instructed to accelerate work on a 2030 project creating 1mn hectares of high-quality, low-emission rice fields. Officials are also expected to draw up detailed strategies to reinforce Vietnam’s market share in the face of intensifying competition.

Trade figures underscore the challenge. Between January and July 2025, Vietnam exported 5.5mn tonnes of rice worth $2.81bn. While shipments rose by just over 3% compared with the same period last year, the overall value fell by almost 16%.

India continues to dominate global supply with more than 11.6mn tonnes exported in the first half of the year. Vietnam shipped 4.72mn tonnes in the same period, overtaking Thailand but still well behind India.

Further pressure looms from India’s large mid-priced exports and from Manila’s recent decision to suspend rice imports for 60 days starting September 1, a setback given the Philippines remains Vietnam’s largest customer.

Even so, Vietnamese rice is gaining ground in more stable and demanding markets, including Japan, South Korea and the European Union, with speciality varieties such as ST25 seen as strengthening the country’s reputation abroad.