Notecards high quality

GIA LAI -- Bitter and earthy. Fit for instant brews only. Robusta coffee has a dire reputation, but a small group of farmers in Vietnam is trying to turn the bean's fortunes around as a warming world threatens the industry. As an interior designer in trendy Ho Chi Minh City, Tran Thi Bich Ngoc, 42, largely stayed clear of Vietnamese coffee, puzzling over why it didn't taste as good as cups from abroad. Now, nearly a decade later, she runs her own coffee farm -- "Mori" -- in the remote Central Highlands, cultivating robusta she believes can match the world's favourite bean, arabica, in quality and flavour. "My beans have a fruity, flowery smell, and they taste strong -- but in a gentle way," Ngoc told AFP at her farm close to the city of Pleiku, in the heart of the Vietnamese robusta region. "Vietnamese farmers need to know it is possible to make these beans taste good." 'Vicious circle of bad quality' Long scorned by giants such as Starbucks, robusta -- which has … [Read more...] about Vietnam’s robusta: the go-to coffee bean in a warmer world?

Although Vietnam reopened its door to international tourists over a year ago, small and medium lodging facilities in Ho Chi Minh City are still struggling to recover due to the small number of international visitors. Their largest source market is China while the number of guests from the northern neighbor remains modest, forcing many hotels to use their facilities for other purposes or stop leasing spaces. Shutdown, falling room occupancy In District 1, many hotels which used to be crowded with foreign travelers are now empty or have been replaced by other businesses. On Ly Tu Trong Street, a spacious hotel is being repurposed. The hotel is in a prime site, near Ben Thanh Market, Nguyen Hue Pedestrian Street, and Le Loi Boulevard, once favored by international tourists. Many 'House for Lease' signboards can also be seen along Bui Vien Walking Street and De Tham Street with many of them being hung in front of small, one- and two-star hotels. The director of a chain of … [Read more...] about Ho Chi Minh City hotels waiting for int’l guests

Masaaki Fujiwara made speech about Suntory development strategy through Mizuiku programme Can you please share Suntory Group's sustainability vision? A global leader in the beverage industry, Suntory Group offers a uniquely diverse portfolio of products from premium spirits, beer and wine to brewed teas, bottled water, carbonated soft drinks, ready-to-drink coffee and energy drinks, and health and wellness products. As a multifaceted consumer-oriented company, we are dedicated to realising our mission “To Create Harmony with People and Nature.” This means promoting a sustainable society where nourishing and enriching people’s lives and conserving the natural environment go hand in hand. To realise this ambition, we deeply respect the blessings of nature on which our products rely, and engage in a range of corporate social responsibility activities to promote responsible environmental management that ensures sustainable use of natural resources and a healthy natural … [Read more...] about Suntory Group deepens sustainable footprint in Vietnam

The fact that Asanzo only assembled products with components made by other companies but then labeled them as “Made-in Vietnam” is not an offense. The lack of specific criteria for “Made-in-Vietnam” products as well as for products assembled and then sold domestically means electronic firm Asanzo has not committed trade fraud, according to the conclusion the Anti-corruption, Economic crimes and Smuggling Department, aka C03, under the Ministry of Public Security. Electronic firm Asanzo is concluded not to commit trade fraud. As a result, the fact that Asanzo only assembled products with components made by other companies but then labeled them as “Made-in Vietnam”, “Manufactured in Vietnam”, or “Origin from Vietnam”, is not an offense, said C03. C03 requested the General Department of Vietnam Customs to check components and parts imported by Asanzo after they had been cleared by the customs authorities to ensure the firm’s compliance with laws on … [Read more...] about Vietnam electronic firm Asanzo not committed trade fraud

With a prime location nested by Tam Coc Wharf, Emeralda Resort Tam Coc stands out as a luxurious Tonkin Maison, showcasing traditional architecture with bold aesthetics and the sophistication of the ancient Tonkin aristocracy. Such buildings have high wooden ceilings carved with delicate patterns, and sturdy high pillars showing the status of the owner. Emeralda Resort Tam Coc is preparing to welcome guests in April Emeralda Resort Tam Coc is surrounded by majestic nature, embracing the panorama of Tam Coc, a part of the UNESCO heritage site – Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex; which promise to create wonderful emotions for visitors when they savour a tranquil vacation amidst the unique scenery of Ninh Binh. Emeralda Resort Tam Coc is divided into two island and peninsula areas with a system of 86 rooms including superior, deluxe, premium deluxe, and imperial rooms, which are designed in harmony and balance with furniture made entirely of wood, dotted with a hanging … [Read more...] about Emeralda Resort Tam Coc to welcome guests in April

A cross-functional team will be set up to work on improving the prospects of the local real estate market. Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has issued a document on solving real estate market problems and improving its prospects. An affordable housing project in Dong Anh District's Thang Long Industrial Park. Photo: Pham Hung/The Hanoi Times The document, numbered 178/TTg-CN, aligns with Resolution 33/NQ-CP dated March 11, 2023, which provides solutions to develop a healthy, transparent, and sustainable real estate sector. Under the latest document, the Ministry of Construction, the Ministry of Treasury, the State Bank of Vietnam, and related agencies will set up a working group and work with developers to resolve existing problems and increase confidence in the property market. The Prime Minister has asked the Ministry of Construction to finalize the plan to build one million affordable houses for low-income buyers and workers in industrial parks in … [Read more...] about New regulation in place to boost Vietnam’s real estate market

Illustrative image (Photo: French Embassy in Vietnam) Hanoi (VNA) – The largest French cuisine festival in Vietnam “Balade en France” (Walk in France) will return to Hanoi on April 14-16, following the success of the 2018 and 2020 editions, the French Embassy announced on March 28. Ambassador Nicolas Warnery said that the festival, to be held at Ly Thai To Square and the pedestrian area around Hoan Kiem Lake at the heart of the capital city, is one among important events in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the France-Vietnam diplomatic relations. Agri-Food Counsellor at the French embassy Marion Chaminade said that the embassy hopes the event will contribute to connecting and promoting French culture, cuisine, arts and human. French Ambassador to Vietnam Nicolas Warnery (left). (Photo: VNA) The event will gather a bevy of French restaurants, importers and brands such as Paysan Breton, Metropole, Red Apron, Marou, Saint Honoré, La … [Read more...] about Largest French cuisine festival in Vietnam comes to Hanoi in April

Vietnam’s stock market system has been improved in recent times through more transparent management, Photo: Le Toan At a seminar in March on the strategy for development of Vietnam’s securities market for this decade, Shimizu Akira, chief representative of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in Vietnam said it is urgent to improve the fairness and transparency of the domestic market for Vietnam’s stock sector to become a more attractive and efficient capital mobilisation channel. “The Vietnamese government has made strides and implemented swift remedies to the issue, including on the revised Law on Securities and launching the Vietnam Stock Exchange,” Akira said. Based on the proposal of the Vietnamese government, JICA has implemented a technical cooperation project to strengthen the capacity of the State Securities Commission (SSC) and the three stock exchanges through providing practical knowledge and know-how on the regulatory activities in Japan and other … [Read more...] about Hurdles still to climb for stock market gain

In the first two games played by the Vietnam U23 team in the Doha Cup, Vietnam lost 0-3 to Iraq and 0-4 to UAE. Darby believes that these two games did not say anything about Vietnam, because the opponents were much stronger. "First we need to look at the opponent and their quality," Darby said. "If Vietnam played against Laos or Singapore and won easily, would we say that they are a good team?" The U23 teams of Iraq and UAE competed in the Olympics before while Vietnam have not. Vietnam also stand lower on the FIFA rankings than these two teams. The poor result of U23 Vietnam attracted attention from the international media. Chinese news site Sohu wrote: "At least U23 China did better than Vietnam. The team scored a goal in the second game of Doha Cup last year and kept a bit of pride." However, Darby said Vietnamese fans should be patient with Troussier. "Troussier or any other coach deserves time and most of all support," Darby added. In the first two matches under … [Read more...] about Coach Troussier needs more time with Vietnam: football pundit

A kilogram of husked local Vietnamese Musang King ranges from VND500,000-850,000 per kilogram, equivalent to VND1.5-1.8 million per kilogram (husk removed). The price has increased 10% over the a year ago. Malaysia’s Musang King is considered the "best durian in the world" and is currently grown by Vietnamese farmers in the Central Highlands and the Mekong Delta. The fruit regularly sells out at local markets, and buyers have to wait between two weeks and a month to receive their stocks. Oanh, a durian connoisseur in Ho Chi Minh City, said Musang King durian flesh is fragrant, supple and fat. "I have to pay deposits a month in advance to receive the goods." A fruit shop in Hanoi also reported that it had just sold 10 unhusked Musang Kings for VND700,000 per kg (2-4 kg per fruit). "Since it is a fallen fruit, and is shipped by air, the quality is high. No matter how many we have, customers buy them all," the store manager said. Explaining the high price of Vietnam-grown … [Read more...] about Vietnam-grown Musang King durian more expensive than imports