From the source of ST25'chet' rice that is often left behind after harvest, a group of students from Soc Trang Vocational College has researched and developed the product "Young Rice Tea - SVC", opening up a new direction for exploitation for agricultural by-products in the Mekong Delta.
The project implementation team includes 5 students from the Faculty of Agriculture - Fisheries: Do Thi My Hang, Minh Diep, Truong Tran Tai, Huynh Hoang Duy and Nguyen Cong Ly.
According to the research group,'chet' rice is the part of rice that grows back naturally about half a month after harvesting. This type of rice has long been mainly left in the fields or used as animal feed, so its economic value is not high.
Recognizing that the raw materials are clean, natural and nutritious, the student group chose'chet' rice in the milky rice stage to process herbal tea. The main ingredients are taken from ST25 rice variety - a famous rice variety of Soc Trang with a characteristic aroma.
Do Thi My Hang - Head of the project group said that ST25'chet' rice has a stronger aroma than many other rice varieties after processing. However, because the head of the grain has sharp thorns, farmers often do not take advantage of it.
From there, the group developed the product "Young Rice Tea - SVC" in the form of bags, without using preservatives. In addition to chopped rice, tea is also mixed with chrysanthemums and grass roots to create a light and refreshing flavor, suitable for green consumption trends and natural health care products.
According to instructor Huynh Thi Thuy Tien - Deputy Head of the Faculty of Agriculture - Fisheries, the product has been quality tested according to current standards.
In the production process,'chet' rice after harvest is cleaned, treated with hot water to remove microorganisms and then put into cold drying to maintain color and natural antioxidant compounds, especially polyphenols.
The ingredient mixing stage is carefully researched by the group to create a sweet aftertaste and the characteristic aroma of young rice in the Mekong Delta.
Not only aiming for herbal drink products, the project also aims to increase the value of agricultural by-products, reduce post-harvest waste and contribute to promoting the circular agricultural model.
According to lecturer Nguyen Thi Thao Nguyen, the school has now linked with cooperatives in Vinh Loi and Phu Loc communes (Can Tho City) to build a stable source of raw materials for the project.
The research group expects the product to be developed into local OCOP products, while creating more jobs for people in production and distribution stages.
With the idea of exploiting agricultural by-products in an environmentally friendly direction, the project "Young Rice Tea - SVC" has just won the First Prize in the 8th "Students with Startup Ideas" competition in 2026 in the fields of vocational education, health and life.
Previously, students of Soc Trang Vocational College also won high prizes at this competition with the project "Dried Crocodile Leaf Lemon" in 2025.
