Vietnamese Rice Variety Creates a Stir in Cuba: What Are Locals Saying?

The VTV Special documentary Seeds of Happiness tells a simple yet powerful story about the journey of the CT16 rice variety—a small grain with profound implications for society, economy, and even political diplomacy.

In September 2024, during the state visit of General Secretary and President Tô Lâm to Cuba, the two nations signed a cooperation agreement on rice production. As part of this, the Vietnamese government dispatched a team of experts to Cuba, providing support and sponsoring several rice varieties. Among these, CT16 was selected as the flagship variety and is now thriving across Cuban fields.

Developed from the crossbreeding of the maternal line Nhị 32A and the paternal line R16, CT16 was transferred to Cuong Tan LLC (formerly in Nam Dinh Province) in 2014 for mass production.

Cost-Effective Land Preparation Techniques

At the Cubanacan farm in Los Palacios, Pinar del Rio Province, Cuba, the Vietnamese expert team arrived to find fields overgrown with waist-high weeds and abandoned land. Limited machinery and resources made rice cultivation inefficient.

Jorge Felix Chamizo Tano, Director of Cubanacan Farm, shared, “We lack agricultural supplies, pesticides, machinery, and fertilizers… so even if we plant rice, the yield is poor.”

The Vietnamese experts agreed to start by irrigating the land and constructing water canals, creating a flat and fertile area for cultivation.

According to Nguyen Trong Dai, a Vietnamese agricultural expert, Cuban farmers previously only cultivated dry land, sowing dry seeds and harvesting just one crop per year. When introduced to wet land preparation and seedling transplantation, Cuban farmers were initially perplexed.

Nguyen Kim Chi, another Vietnamese expert, explained, “Dry land preparation in Cuba requires 9–11 steps, but wet land preparation, as practiced in Vietnam, takes only 4 steps, reducing labor by two-thirds and cutting fuel costs in half. This significantly lowers cultivation expenses.”

High-Yield Rice Variety

The new methods yielded surprising results for Cuban farmers. Nguyen Trong Dai noted that the CT16 variety was highly praised for its robust, non-shriveled grains. Initially skeptical of the low seeding rate of 35kg/ha, farmers were amazed when the rice grew uniformly, vigorously, and produced strong tillers.

Jesus Roberto Midrabda Pérez, a farmer from Los Palacios, remarked, “CT16 is incredible. In all my years of farming, I’ve never seen such strong tillering. We’ve never achieved such high yields with so few seeds. It’s truly remarkable how little seed is needed.”

Reina Mecdes De Los Santos Garcia expressed her gratitude: “We are overjoyed to have rice, a staple in every Cuban meal. This project is a blessing for our people.”

The CT16 variety, when piloted in Cuba, quickly demonstrated its superiority, thanks to the dedication of Vietnamese scientists. The Vietnamese team cultivated 16 hectares in Los Palacios, achieving a yield of 7–8 tons/ha in the first season—double Cuba’s average of 3–4 tons/ha.

Alejandro Rodriguez Al Váez, a farmer from Los Palacios, exclaimed, “This is fantastic! It provides essential food for Cuban families, giving us security and happiness.”

Cuban farmers had never seen such a bountiful harvest—plump grains and heavy panicles. Jesus Roberto Midrabda Pérez enthused, “If every year is like this, it would be amazing. We are thrilled and grateful!”

The documentary Seeds of Happiness, which chronicles the journey of Vietnamese rice bringing prosperity to Cuba, aired simultaneously on VTV1 (Vietnam Television) and Cuban National Television on September 2, 2025, marking the 80th anniversary of the National Day of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

This rare and historic collaboration between the two national broadcasters highlights the enduring friendship and shared achievements between Vietnam and Cuba through their rice cooperation program.

Source: Information from the documentary “Seeds of Happiness”.