Climate change

An eroded site (Illustrative photo: VNA) Ca Mau (VNA) - Erosion was recently detected in three sections measuring about 1,700m of the embankment in Tran Van Thoi and U Minh districts in the southernmost province of Ca Mau. The damage was caused by Storm Koguma , the second one hitting the East Sea this year, according to the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. The Department has instructed the irrigation division to arrange personnel to keep watch on the eroded parts and proposed the provincial People’s Committee strengthen the dykes before the stormy season arrives. Projects to strengthen the current sections of the dyke and build new parts as well as residential areas, are lagging behind due to high prices of building materials, labour shortages and land clearance issues. After inspecting erosion that recently occurred, Director of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Thanh Trieu ordered the acceleration of the projects, especially constructions to build pavements and strengthen the embankments. Natural disasters and climate change have worsened erosion cases in Ca Mau, which has a coastline spanning 254km. About 20-50m of land is being eroded and the province loses some 450 ha of land and coastal preventive forests each year./. VNA …

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Argentinian Ambassador to Vietnam Luis Pablo Maria Beltramino (Photo courtesy of the Argentinian Embassy) Hanoi – The new Argentinian Ambassador to Vietnam, Luis Pablo Maria Beltramino, has affirmed his country’s willingness to upgrade its relations with Vietnam to a strategic partnership, especially when the two sides are preparing to mark the 50th founding anniversary of their diplomatic ties in 2023. Talking to the Vietnam News Agency after presenting his credentials to President Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Beltramino expressed his honour to be appointed Ambassador of Argentina to Vietnam and pledged all-out efforts to continue promoting the solidarity, friendship, and cooperation between the two countries, which set up their comprehensive partnership in 2010. Valuing the flourishing extensive cooperation, he highlighted its three pillars of political dialogue, trade, and technical collaboration. The ambassador noted the political dialogue mechanism has been deployed in the form of all-level mutual visits, especially those at high levels. Meanwhile, he went on, the two economies are complementary to each other, and Argentina is ready to diversify products to meet Vietnam’s demand. On the other hand, the Southeast Asian nation also boasts a number of high-quality products like technology, textile-garment, and footwear, which are all popular in his country. The seventh meeting of the inter-governmental committee on economic-trade and scientific-technological cooperation will take place in August to discuss trade opening, Beltramino announced. He applauded the effectiveness of bilateral technical cooperation over the last two decades, noting the implementation of 15 joint projects in various fields, including industry and agriculture, which are the strengths of both Argentina and Vietnam. The diplomat also talked about bilateral collaboration in forensic anthropology, in which the South American nation has been helping Vietnam to identify war martyrs. …

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Rice – shrimp farming fields in Bac Lieu province’s Hong Dan district. (Photo: VNA) Bac Lieu (VNS/VNA) - The Mekong Delta province of Bac Lieu plans to expand large-scale production and the use of advanced techniques to improve agricultural yield and quality and raise farmers' incomes from now to 2025. The provincial People’s Committee targets production of 1.17 million tonnes of paddy, including 190,240 tonnes of organic paddy, a year by 2025. It plans to expand large-scale rice fields to 100,000ha, or about half of the province’s total rice area. Farmers participating in large-scale rice fields will have contracts with rice companies that will ensure stable prices. It also plans to produce 600,000 tonnes of seafood a year by 2025, with half of that being shrimp. About 20,500 tonnes of organic shrimp will be produced a year by 2025. It targets breeding more pigs, buffalo, cows and goats, and 3.5 million poultry a year by 2025. The province, which is the delta’s largest salt producer, plans to produce 55,000 tonnes of salt a year by 2025, including 7,000 tonnes of high quality white salt. It also targets having 103 new agricultural products certified under the country’s one commune – one product (OCOP) programme by 2025, taking the province total’s OCOP products to 171 products. The second phase of its hi – tech agriculture zone for shrimp breeding is expected to be completed by 2025. Pham Van Thieu, Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, said that zoning projects would be cancelled if they are not feasible, and land used in ineffective projects or by investors with insufficient financial capacity would be taken back. The province will mobilise capital from official development assistance (ODA), foreign direct investment (FDI) and other sources, and develop insurance systems to reduce risks in agricultural production. It will also encourage startup investors in agriculture and rural development. It will help farmers …

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