Vietnam’s ST25 rice hits Selgros shelves in Germany

The Vietnamese Goods Week at Selgros Berlin is taking place from August 17 to 21 at Selgros Lichtenberg Berlin, seeking to lift exposure of Vietnamese products to German consumers.

As part of the event, ST25 specialty rice has been displayed on supermarket shelves and is now being distributed through the Selgros network.

According to the Vietnam Trade Office in Germany, the presence of ST25 rice at Selgros is instrumental to business matching and exchanges efforts between Vietnamese enterprises and German partners, facilitated through Vietnamese Goods Day events jointly organised by the Trade Office of the Embassy of Vietnam in Germany and Selgros in June 2025 and February 2026.

Vietnam's ST25 rice showcased at the Selgros Berlin network. Photo: baodautu.vn

This is the fourth time the Vietnam Trade Office in Germany has organised a Vietnamese Goods Day event at German supermarkets, affirming its role in accompanying Vietnamese businesses in connecting with importers, distributors and retail chains in the market.

The initiative also supports businesses in strengthening their market access capabilities and expanding export markets.

Selgros Cash & Carry is one of Germany's major wholesale food and consumer goods retailers and is part of Transgourmet Central & Eastern Europe.

The network currently operates 38 locations across Germany, offering more than 60,000 products, with sales areas of up to 11,000 square metres at each location.

Selgros' main customers are restaurants, hotels, retailers, businesses and service establishments.

With its extensive distribution network and diverse product portfolio, the chain is regarded as an important channel for international food products to reach the German market.

Against this backdrop, the official placement of ST25 rice on Selgros shelves not only opens an additional distribution channel for a specific product, but also demonstrates the effectiveness of trade connections between Vietnamese businesses and overseas distribution networks.

According to Nguyen Dac Thanh, Vietnamese Ambassador to the Federal Republic of Germany, the official distribution of ST25 rice through Selgros is particularly significant in the process of bringing high-quality Vietnamese agricultural products directly to German consumers.

“This is also an important step towards bolstering the added value of Vietnamese agricultural products, moving from an export model based primarily on volume to one that places greater emphasis on quality, branding, product value and the ability to gain direct access to distribution networks in Europe,” he said.

However, Ambassador Thanh noted that getting a product onto supermarket shelves is only the beginning.

To maintain a long-term presence in the market, Vietnamese businesses need to continue ensuring product quality, meeting food safety standards, investing in packaging, maintaining stable supply, and implementing promotional and marketing activities suited to German consumer preferences.

Mova Plus is the first company to become an official supplier of ST25 rice to Selgros.

“Having ST25 rice officially available at Selgros carries significance beyond that of a single product. It renders an opportunity for German consumers to directly access and experience a high-quality Vietnamese agricultural product,” said Lam Hien Hoa, global business director of Mova Plus.

Vietnam striving to bring high-quality rice to the world With the embrace of now-globally recognised ST25 rice, Vietnam’s foray into foreign markets has received the necessary boost – but a lack of cooperation between exporters and farmers could limit domestic suppliers’ competitiveness.

Rice gaining traction within major markets Rice exports in 2024 are shaping up to perform strongly overall, with promising results already achieved over the past several months.

Rice exports set to break records According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, rice exports in October reached 800,000 tonnes with a value of $505 million, bringing the total for the first 10 months to nearly 7.8 million tonnes at almost $4.9 billion.

Vietnam rice exports to recover on high-quality demand Following a decline at the beginning of the year, Vietnam's rice exports are expected to recover thanks to increased import demand and a consumer trend favouring high-quality rice.