Multiple hydropower projects axed Van Nam HCMC - Many central provinces have recently cancelled a slew of small hydropower projects due to long delays and concerns about adverse environmental impacts and deforestation. Most recently, Dak Lak Province has eliminated 17 small and medium hydropower projects with a total capacity of 28 MW and 69 potential sites for hydropower generation with a total capacity of nearly 120 MW. The province earlier halted construction of another small hydropower plant, Drang Phok (10 MW), for fears that it would lose over 60 hectares of special-use forest. Most of the hydropower projects abolished occupy forest land, so they would leave damaging effects on forests and ecosystems. Dak Lak has a lot of hydropower projects, with about 25 currently in operation and many others under way. Lam Dong Province has been tightening the licensing of hydropower projects. According to a report on Lam Dong’s current environmental situation by the provincial … [Read more...]

Viet Nam News HÀ NỘI - Domestic pepper price recently slump to a six-year low due to weak demand. Pepper price is currently at some VNĐ80,000-84,000 (US$3.5-3.7) per kg, two-and-a-half times lower than the peak price in 2012. The sale of pepper was struggling as market demand was low, while the expansion in plantation areas and yields was boosting supply. In Gia Lai Province, pepper price was at VNĐ81,000 per kg on Wednesday, VNĐ4,000-5,000 per kg lower than the previous day. In Đắk Nông and Đắk Lắc, pepper was sold at VNĐ82,000-83,000 per kg. In Đồng Nai, pepper price saw a whopping decrease from VNĐ87,000-89,000 per kg on Tuesday to VNĐ80,000-81,000 on Wednesday. Nguyễn Lâm Sự, a farmer in Đắk Nông Province's Đắk R'lấp District, said farmers were very worried about the unusual slumps in pepper price in recent days, which was eroding their profits. According to Nguyễn Ngọc Luân, head of Lâm San Cooperative, Đồng Nai Province, the price of pepper was currently close to the … [Read more...]

The photos capture life and natural landscapes in each locality, such as coffee and elephant race festivals in Dak Lak, Dray Sap waterfall in Dak Nong, the Han River in Da Nang, and Central Highlands gong festivals. The exhibition will run until May 19. The central region, which boasts numerous world heritage sites, beautiful beaches and classy resorts, has made a name for itself as “the central heritage road” or “the East-West Economic Corridor”. It is home to many popular destinations, including Da Nang City dubbed the “gateway” linking the world heritage sites of My Son Sanctuary and the Ancient Town of Hoi An in Quang Nam province with the imperial city of Hue. The Central Highlands comprises five provinces of Dak Lak, Dak Nong, Lam Dong, Gia Lai and Kon Tum, and is a land of imposing mountains and forests. The region is home to many ethnic minorities with varied customs and lifestyles. The region’s gong culture was recognised as a … [Read more...]

The move is part of efforts to designate the region as a key coffee growing area that is adaptable to climate change and developing sustainably. By 2020 it is expected that Dak Lak province will have 190,000ha of coffee, 150,000ha in Lam Dong, 115,000ha in Dak Nong, and 75,000ha in Gia Lai, making a total of 530,000ha. Based on the planning, the provinces will review and cut down areas that are inefficient and unsuitable for sustainable development. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development told the localities to study coffee varieties which have high productivity and quality and are resistant to insects and adaptive to climate change. In the short term, the localities were asked to use new varieties with high productivity from 4.2 tonnes to 7 tonnes of beans per hectare to maintain the region’s total output of 1.3 million tonnes despite the shrinking area. … [Read more...]

The planting of Macadamia trees is expected to help the Central Highlands provinces in general and Dak Lak province in particular to reduce poverty. browser not support iframe.However, experts say further studies on land, climate, seedlings and cultivation techniques should be carried out before the tree is put into large-scale cultivation in the region. Macadamia trees made first appearance in Vietnam in the 1990s, but farmers in the Central Highlands only started cultivating them in 2000. Now they have around 2,300 ha of macadamia trees, accounting for 64 percent of the country’s total crop area, with Lam Dong, Dak Nong and Dak Lak being the main growing areas. Last year the region produced nearly 250 tonnes of fresh macadamia nuts, accounting for over 90 percent of the country’s output. Experts say since it is a relatively new species, further studies should be conducted to ensure efficiency and reduce risks. VNA … [Read more...]

Viet Nam News HÀ NỘI - Yoeun Phi Yuth of Cambodia won the second stage of the Return to Countryside An Giang cycling tournament yesterday. Yuth came first with a time of 2hr 53.07min on the 120km stage from Gia Nghĩa Town of Đắk Nông Province to Đồng Xoài Town of Bình Phước Province. He was followed by Trần Nguyễn Duy Nhân of Military Zone 7 and stage one winner Quàng Văn Cường of Gạo Hạt Ngọc Trời An Giang. Cường remains the tour's leader after two stages, clocking 3:42.17. Yuth keeps the green jersey as the best cyclist. Cambodia top the team ranking. Premium Cycling Vĩnh Long and Military Zone 7 stand second and third, respectively. The third stage is on 120km from Thủ Dầu Một City, Bình Dương Province, to Kiến Tường Town of Long An Province. - VNS … [Read more...]

Viet Nam News HÀ NỘI - Quàng Văn Cường won the first stage of the cycling tournament "Return to the Countryside An Giang" on May 10. Cường of the Gạo Hạt Ngọc Trời An Giang crew finished the 38km stage around Nguyễn Tất Thành Street in Buôn Ma Thuột City, Đắk Lắk Province, in a time of 49min 27sec and secured the yellow jersey. Nguyễn Minh Luận of Premium Cycling Vĩnh Long passed Yoeun Phi Yuth from the Cambodian national youth team in the last second to finish in second place. The second stage of 110km is from Gia Nghĩa Town of Đắk Nông Province to Đồng Xoài Town of Bình Phước. The annual tournament has nearly 100 international and local athletes vying for a total bonus of VNĐ450 million (US$20,000). It will close on May 19 after 11 stages in Long Xuyên City, An Giang Province. - VNS … [Read more...]

VietNamNet Bridge – A lightning strike killed three people in the central province of Quang Binh while they were working in an open cemetery on Wednesday afternoon. Tran Van Dieu, Tran Van Thien, Tran Xuan Vinh and two others were digging a hole in the ground to bury their relative at the cemetery in the province’s Hung Trach Commune when it began to thunder. A flash of lightning struck right at the spot, killing Thien and Vinh instantly, while Dieu died on way to the local hospital. The others fainted and were hospitalised, with one suffering a critical backbone injury. Tran Van Dien, the commune’s deputy chairman, said the dead victims were members of a large family and the commune authorities had gathered a team of volunteers to assist the families. The hospitalised victims were also receiving support, he added. Experts have warned of fatal accidents from lightning during the summer and recommended rushing to homes or safe places when there are signs of thunder … [Read more...]

Another was detected at four farms in Duc Xuyen commune, Krong No district, Dak Nong province on May 3, leading to 250 poultry and 1,800 ducks being destroyed. So far, Vietnam has discovered seven A/H5N1 outbreaks in 11 farms in five provinces of Cao Bang, Vinh Long, Quang Ninh, Dak Lak and Dak Nong in the last three weeks. The Department also warned of high risk of infection of new avian flu virus strains, such as A/H7N9, A/H5N2, and A/H5N8 to Vietnam via illegal transport of poultry, particularly in northern border provinces and other provinces prone to poultry smuggling. It urged localities to be proactive in preventing avian influenza and to strengthen their supervision to detect and handle outbreaks. … [Read more...]

The truck involved in a head-on collision with a sleeper bus killing 13 people in Vietnam's Central Highlands on Sunday has been found to have been speeding for 20 kilometers prior to impact. The truck involved in a head-on collision with a sleeper bus killing 13 people in Vietnam's Central Highlands on Sunday has been found to have been speeding for 20 kilometers prior to impact. The truck was moving at over 100 kilometers per hour, more than 20km per hour over the speed limit, for a distance of 20 kilometers before slamming into a sleeper bus in the opposite lane, according to data extracted from the truck's event data recorder. The accident occurred at 4:35 am on Sunday on the Ho Chi Minh Highway passing Chu Se Town in Chu Se District, Gia Lai Province in the Central Highlands region. Twelve people on the sleeper bus, including its driver and attendants, were killed instantly, while another passenger passed away later at the hospital, according to Mai Xuan Hai, director of Gia … [Read more...]

The Ministry of Education and Training organised a conference in HCMCity this week to review the 2005-2006 school year and work out key tasks for the new academic year. Participants spent much time discussing effective measures for the education sector to overcome shortcomings. Over the past years, the fight against negative phenomena in the education sector, particularly in exams and achievement figures, has been raised at many workshops and conferences. But no effective measures have been taken to remedy the situation. In several cases teachers bravely denounced the phenomena to suffer immediate retaliation and intimidation. In other cases, some educators and teachers compromised or ignored negative phenomena. The practice of giving bribes to enter top-notch schools or to fabricate higher graduate rates in exams was widespread among teachers, students and their parents. Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Thien Nhan pointed out the four major types of waste as a result of such … [Read more...]

The initiative on the Development Triangle was put forward by Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen at the first tripartite meeting of the three PMs in Vientiane, Laos, in 1999. The triangle was positioned in the border intersection of the three countries. During the second tripartite meeting in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, in January 2002, the triangle was identified covering Cambodia’s Ratanakiri and Stung Treng provinces, Laos’ Atopeu and Se Kong provinces and Vietnam’s Kon Tum, Gia Lai and Dak Lak provinces. While meeting in Siem Reap, Cambodia, in July 2004 for the third time, the three PMs agreed to expand the triangle to eight provinces after Vietnam’s Dak Lak province had been split into Dak Lak and Dak Nong provinces. On the sidelines of the 10th ASEAN summit in Vientiane in November 2004, the three PMs met and approved a master plan for building the Development Triangle and signed the Vientiane Declaration on the establishment of the Development Triangle … [Read more...]

However, in the face of new opportunities as well as difficulties and challenges, the new Government will have to work harder and manage well to promote the process of national industrialisation and modernisation. The new Government with five Deputy Prime Ministers and 22 cabinet members led by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung – one of inheritance from the previous government - can afford to meet the requirements for national renewal and international integration. In the context of the country’s drastic changes, cabinet members will go to extreme lengths to create favourable conditions for people and enterprises, to mobilise all resources aimed at achieving the set targets for high economic growth rate, progress in social equality, poverty reduction, cultural and educational development, healthcare, environmental protection and improvement while at the same time maintaining national defence and security, social and political stability with the aim of raising Vietnam’s … [Read more...]

From late 2007 until now, as the export price of coffee in the world market has increased remarkably, the purchasing price of coffee in the country has also risen, from VND30,000 to VND40,000 per kilo (even to VND42,000 per kilo in many places on March 5). Currently, it stays at VND31,000 -VND32,000. In recent times, the fluctuations in coffee prices have made farmers in the Central Highlands think that there will be a huge demand for coffee on the world market. Therefore, many families chopped down cashew and fruit trees and destroyed subsidiary crops to plant coffee trees. Nguyen Thi Van from La Der commune, La Grai district, Gia Lai province said that her family had only 2ha of land to grow subsidiary crops, but on the advice of officials from the district Economic Department, her family decided to plant rubber trees. However, this year as many farmers in her district have shifted to growing coffee, she also spent VND10 million buying seedlings to grow coffee instead of rubber … [Read more...]

The plan aims to ensure that all Vietnamese coffee products are produced in line with international quality standards and traded on an equal footing in the international market.The State budget, funds a major part of the total VND33,000 will be used to implement transport projects in central highland provinces and coffee growing areas in central and north-western regions. Investment will be poured into the building of reservoirs and canal systems to ensure that 75 percent and 100 percent of coffee growing areas will be irrigated by 2015 and by 2020, respectively. In addition, ODA funding worth VND13,075 billion will be spent on intensive farming for 200,000 hectares of coffee in some central highlands provinces including Dak Lak, Lam Dong, Gia Lai and Dak Nong and 6,000 hectares of tea and coffee in Lam Dong, Quang Tri, Thua Thien-Hue and Son La. Approximately VND18,585 billion from businesses and individuals will be used to purchase machines and processing equipment. The Head of … [Read more...]

The event was jointly chaired by Lao Minister of Planning and Investment Somdy Duongdy, Vietnamese Minister of Planning and Investment Bui Quang Vinh, and Cambodian Senior Minister of Trade Sun Chanthol. The ministers adopted recommendations of the Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) held a day earlier and showed their delight with the implementation progress of the CLV blueprint of the respective countries, saying these contributed to enhancing solidarity, traditional neighbourliness, stability and peace in the region and facilitating socio-economic development. They reviewed the implementation of a joint statement of the eighth CLV Summit held in November 2014 in Vientiane, especially the execution of the socio-economic development plan for the triangle area from 2010 to 2020. They also examined the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding on policies to draw investment to the area and debated orientations for cooperation in the near future with a view of developing the … [Read more...]

For one, the region, which consists of Lam Dong, Dak Lak, Kon Tum, Gia Lai and Dak Nong provinces, is home to many ethnic minorities, including the M’Nong, E De, Gie Trieng, J’rai and K’ho. When thinking of ethnic minorities in the region, one might evoke images of their more famous customs and traditions - their dresses, dances, epics, gong beating performances and festivals. Another typical feature of ethnic minority culture is the nha mo (grave houses), where the souls of the deceased rest according to the group’s ancient customs. After the burial, family members erect a hut on the new grave to provide shelter for the dead person under ground. The hut, covered with iron sheets, leaves or tiles, is usually stocked with the deceased person’s belongings, such as water bottles, hammocks, pots, gui (bamboo baskets) and even statues. Two or three years later, family members remove the maker-shift hut and build a new larger wooden house in a ritual called le … [Read more...]

The disasters strongly affected production and the life of people in 16 provinces, mainly those in the mountainous northern region and the central region. Nghe An province suffered the heaviest loss, at VND55.1 billion, making up 68 percent of the country’s total. However, the rate of hungry households in April dropped by 50.3 percent from the same period last year, thanks to the government’s social security measures and localities’ efforts to cope with the aftermath of natural calamities. Vietnam has 76,200 hungry households at a total of 344,700 members. Hunger is particularly found in the northern mountainous and midland regions, the north central region, the central coastal region and the Central Highlands, including Dak Nong province, which has the highest rates of hungry households and individuals. … [Read more...]

The Central Highland province of Dak Nong has handed over 1,051 houses to poor ethnic minority households to celebrate the Tet holiday. Each house covers between 40-50sq.m. and costs VND20-30 million, of which VND12 million was sourced from the State budget. Socio-political organisations, armed forces, businesses and philanthropists also raised billions of Vietnamese Dong to repair dilapidated houses for local people. So far Dak Nong has built 2,531 houses and repaired 2,728 others worth VND40 billion for the poor. This year it aims to build 690 houses for poor ethnic minority people. The Red Delta province of Hung Yen has presented 38,500 Tet gifts worth nearly VND6 billion to war invalids, martyrs’ relatives, sick soldiers and war veterans exposed to Agent Orange/Dioxin and imprisoned during the past wars of resistance. It also presented Tet gifts to 7 convalescent centres which are taking care of war veterans, sick soldiers and those rendering great services to the nation. … [Read more...]

Nguyen Huu Tho, general director of Saigontourist, says in 2010 the company intends to receive 2.1 million visitors and obtain a turnover of VND9,000 billion. In addition to promoting its trade mark, the company is pushing to increase the quality of its service and investment projects. Saigontourist is scrambling to attract domestic and foreign investors to carry out key construction projects in Ho Chi Minh City, including the Grand, the Majestic and the Saigontourist Tower hotels, and the Sai Gon Ecological Tourism Centre. The company is undertaking projects in Vinh Long, Rach Gia, Can Tho, Cam Ranh, Binh Chau, Quang Tri and Phu Tho and developing investment joint ventures in Quang Ngai and Dak Nong. The US and Japan are soon to become key markets for Saigontourist. In 2009, the company received over 2 million visitors, achieving a turnover of over VND8,200 billion and contributing over VND930 billion to the State budget. … [Read more...]