Increased e orts to conserve areas such as rain forests are necessary in order to

Rapid economic development often results in serious impacts on forests, evidenced by the alarming deforestation in Phu Quoc City in the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang having plunged the city’s forests into a state of emergency. Forests are regarded as the living soul of residents on the 'pearl island.' However, the woods full of stone stakes and steel wires are disappointing tourists. The situation is becoming truly alarming. Forests seem empty after one unguarded night Deforestation and land encroachment in Phu Quoc City in mid-June 2022 were no longer overt and rampant, but it did not mean that forests stopped 'bleeding.' On the main path from Ham Ninh Commune to Thom Beach, people could easily see excavated mountainsides and forest land areas occupied with concrete stakes, zinc-coated barbed wire fences, and even well-built constructions. “Some gangs secretly encroached and built fences," complained N.X.T., a forest ranger. “During the forest land invasion … [Read more...] about Phu Quoc forests in state of emergency

Rice harvesting in Vũ Thư District of Thái Bình Province. — VNA/VNS Photo Thế Duyệt THÁI BÌNH­ — Thái Bình Province, dubbed the 'hometown of rice', has many advantages in rice production thanks to the natural conditions, climate, irrigation infrastructure and high level of intensive farming. However, large-scale production and building a Thái Bình rice brand for export are still facing many difficulties. Production is not currently commensurate with the inherent potential. Currently, the province is the locality with the second-largest cultivated rice area in the Red (Hồng) River Delta region, with an area of nearly 150,000 hectares with an output of over 1 million tonnes per year. Instead of using the traditional farming methods, Thái Bình farmers have boldly applied scientific and technical advances in production to free up labour and improve productivity. In recent years, the local farmers have been growing high-quality rice varieties with an average planting area of … [Read more...] about ‘Rice hometown’ Thái Bình Province strives to enhance rice quality, branding

Tan Phu Plastic Company produces safe products to serve the local market. The "Zero Covid" policy of China means many Vietnamese producers lack input materials. (Photo courtesy of the firm) The worst sufferers were the electronics, wood, textiles, and footwear industries. According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT), China was an important market for the export and import activities of Vietnam as it provides the majority of input materials for Vietnam's production, especially electronic components, machinery parts, fabrics and chemicals. MoIT said from 50 to 55 percent of raw materials and accessories for the textile, garment, and footwear industries originated from China. The country was currently implementing the "Zero Covid" strategy, which forced many factories there temporarily stop production to fight the pandemic. The import-export activities in the neighboring country were affected a lot by the shortage of containers at ports. Phan Thi Thanh Xuan, Vice … [Read more...] about Local enterprises lack materials due to China’s ‘Zero Covid’ policy

Inside a wood production line of Truong Thanh Furniture Corporation. — Photo truongthanh.com As wood export turnover is rebounding with rising demand in the domestic market, the revenues of wood enterprises are expected to advance. However, skyrocketing prices of raw materials and logistics costs will weigh on these companies’ gross profit margin in 2022. VNDIRECT Securities Corporation (VNDIRECT) estimated that the total revenue of listed wood and wood products companies in the first quarter (Q1) of 2022 rose by 10.2 per cent year-on-year thanks to the recovery of wood producers in the south. After the social distancing order was lifted, most wood companies in the southern region resumed operations at 90 per cent capacity in the first quarter of 2022, while in the second half of 2021 it was only 60-65 per cent. The export wood enterprises achieved better business results in Q1 of 2022. Specifically, Truong Thanh Furniture Corporation (HoSE: TTF) and Phu Tai JSC (HoSE: PTB) … [Read more...] about Rising costs cast doubt on wood companies growth prospects

The compact format of AEON The Nine has an area of 1,000-5,000 square metres. These shops are in urban and residential areas, aiming to bring A eon's quality closer to customers AEON The Nine is the first store to be launched as a compact store by Aeon. The first store is located in an area of 1,200sq.m, with a food court and a supermarket. To meet the customers' needs for convenience in daily meals, the Delica food court offers a variety of ready-to-eat products, which are typical of AEON such as bread and cakes, coffee, sushi, and Japanese bento. With a spacious seating area, many young customers can also choose AEON The Nine as a place to work and study every day or meet friends on the weekend. The supermarket area in AEON The Nine has a full range of products from fresh flowers to fresh, dry, and frozen food. There are also healthcare and beauty products, as well as many other household products. There is also an area dedicated for mothers and babies with a … [Read more...] about AEON Vietnam launches new retail format in Hanoi

Vietnam will keep a close eye on the emergence of new strains. Vietnam has detected imported BA.5 Omicron sub-variant after conducting gene sequencing of newly confirmed patients' samples, according to Dr. Phan Trong Lan, director of the General Department of Preventive Medicine under the Ministry of Health (MoH). Lan underscored that initial research showed the Omicron sub-lineages BA.4 and BA.5 spread faster than the old sub-variants (BA.1 and BA.2). There has been no specific evidence of the new sub-variants’ virulence, but some studies indicated that there is an aggravation in the African region. However,  the director confirmed that Omicron sub-variant BA.2 still remains the dominant one in the country. “The emergence of new strains is inevitable as a result of border reopening and the new normal situation, in which precautionary protocols are relaxed,” Lan said. He added that the BA.5 sub-variant was first detected in South Africa in January. Since then, it has … [Read more...] about BA.5 Omicron sub-variant detected in Vietnam

Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Trần Hồng Hà gives a speech at the conference. — VNA/VNS Photo Tuấn Anh HÀ NỘI — The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment on Tuesday chaired a conference to discuss a national action plan for Việt Nam's circular economy. Speaking at the conference, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Trần Hồng Hà said that climate change, environmental pollution and natural ecosystem decline were crises for humanity today. Last month, the World Meteorological Organisation released four key indicators of climate change, including greenhouse gas concentrations, sea level rise, ocean heat and ocean acidification. The indicators set new records in 2021, showing that human activities are causing planetary-scale changes on land, in the oceans, and in the atmosphere, with serious and lasting consequences for sustainable development and ecosystems. “This is the consequence of the unsustainable model: resource extraction - production - … [Read more...] about National action plan for circular economy to be set up