Nếp tan is an indigenous rice variety, a famous and delicious specialty of this historic land. Tied to the lives of the Thái ethnic people for generations, nếp tan has now moved beyond the traditional kitchen to become a valuable commercial product, helping rice farmers earn a stable income.

Visiting the nếp tan fields during the grain-filling stage as they turn golden, Mr. Lường Văn Đại, the chief of Phăng 1 village, shared: “Nếp tan has a long-duration crop season. Every year, after six months of cultivation, families don’t begin harvesting until mid-November. The whole village has 78 households, and almost every family has an area for growing nếp tan, with a total area of about 15 hectares.”

Mr. Đại explained that the reason people are attached to this rice variety is that nếp tan not only serves their daily meals but is also the main ingredient for making “khảu hó” to worship their ancestors during holidays, festivals, or on happy occasions for the family and village.

The Mường Phăng nếp tan rice plant is sturdy and stands taller than common rice varieties. Its grains are round, firm, and opaque white. When steamed into sticky rice (xôi), the grains are shiny, not sticky to the touch, and are naturally pliable, sweet, and fragrant. Through many generations of the Thái people in Mường Phăng, this rice variety has retained its original flavor. Previously, nếp tan rice was mainly grown by people to serve their family’s needs and as a precious gift for esteemed guests. Now, from a traditional rice variety, Mường Phăng nếp tan has become a specialty, a commodity sought after by the market. With a stable yield of 5.4 - 5.6 tons/ha and a high price, nếp tan brings a good income to the people.

Mrs. Tòng Thị Hồng from Phăng village said: “Mường Phăng nếp tan paddy is priced at VND 16,000 - 20,000/kg, and the milled rice is VND 35,000 - 42,000/kg. This is much higher than common rice varieties. Moreover, nếp tan is very popular, market demand is high, and many people seek to buy it. Besides using it for our families, it sells easily and for a good price.”

With its economic value and specialty status, the former Mường Phăng commune (before the two-level local government arrangement and merger into a new commune) had identified the development of nếp tan as a key OCOP product for the locality. The cultivation area for nếp tan in Mường Phăng has been consistently maintained and expanded, now reaching over 60 hectares and forming a stable, concentrated growing region.

In particular, to preserve this precious genetic resource, for the 2025 crop, the Department of Science and Technology is coordinating with the Mường Phăng commune People’s Committee to implement a project to restore the nếp tan rice variety on a pilot area of 2,500m² (with 2 participating households). Mr. Lò Văn Diện, a household participating in the model, said: “Implementing the restoration program, from the indigenous nếp tan variety of the previous season, my family participated in carefully hand-selecting the large, firm-grained panicles from many nếp tan fields in the commune to use as seed for this crop. Currently, the restoration field is growing well, with no pests or diseases, and the grains are full. This promises to be a source of quality seed for the next rice season.”

According to Mr. Trịnh Doãn Hoàng, Head of the Mường Phăng commune Economic Office, the locality is coordinating closely with professional sectors to effectively carry out the work of restoring and selecting the nếp tan rice variety. Households are also being guided on proper cultivation techniques and selecting good seeds to maintain the quality of the rice grains. In conjunction with this, the commune aims to promote the planning of the growing area, product promotion, and the introduction of the Mường Phăng nếp tan specialty to the market, moving towards building a distinctive agricultural brand for the locality.

Mường Phăng nếp tan today is not only a precious product of this historic land but also a testament to the change in the production mindset of farmers. By preserving and promoting the value of this traditional rice variety, Mường Phăng is affirming its position on the map of Điện Biên’s specialty agricultural products.