A music performance at the opening ceremony of the Vietnam Culture Week. (Photo: VNA) Vientiane (VNA) – A Vietnam Culture Week 2019 was kicked off at the Lao National Cultural Hall in Vientiane, Laos on December 5, with an art show featuring folk dances and music performed by artists of the Vietnam National Music, Song and Dance Theatre. The event is co-held by Vietnam’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and Laos’ Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism. Addressing the opening ceremony, Vietnamese Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Ngoc Thien said the Vietnam Culture Week 2019 is an important cultural exchange event aiming to further strengthen the Vietnam – Laos relations and translate the two countries’ cultural and tourism cooperation into reality. He expected that the event will mark another milestone in the bilateral ties. Lao Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism Kikeo Khaykhamphithouse, for his part, … [Read more...] about Vietnam Culture Week kicks off in Laos
Pune fashion week
American singer Kacey Musgraves angers Vietnam fans for wearing pants-less ‘ao dai’
Kacey Musgraves, a six-time Grammy winner, has come under criticism in Vietnam after videos surfaced of her performance in the United States last week in which the singer was filmed wearing the ‘ao dai,' Vietnam’s traditional long gown, without its long trousers. The controversial performance took place during a concert in Dallas, Texas last Thursday night. Musgraves performed in front of thousands wearing a yellow ao dai, but opted to do without the flared bottoms that go with the traditional gown, exposing her legs and undergarments. American singer Kacey Musgraves performs at a concert in Dallas, Texas wearing the Vietnamese long gown ‘ao dai’ without trousers. Video: YouTube The fashion faux pas has drawn criticism from Vietnamese celebrities and netizens after fan-recorded videos of the performance emerged on social media. “Before you put on the traditional attire of any country, the least you can do is look up information on how local people … [Read more...] about American singer Kacey Musgraves angers Vietnam fans for wearing pants-less ‘ao dai’
VN coffee sector to expand intensive processing to add value
Vietnam has set itself a target of increasing the ratio of processed coffee from the current 10 per cent to 30-40 per cent by 2030 to add value, the Viet Nam Coffee Week heard in HCM City on Wednesday. Speaking at the conference, Dr Nguyen Do Anh Tuan, director general of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development’s international cooperation department, said Viet Nam is the world’s second largest coffee exporter and tops in robusta production and export, with about 1.5 million tonnes of coffee exported each year, fetching a revenue of US$3.5 billion. But the exports remain in the form of unprocessed beans with little value addition, he said. To improve this situation and develop the industry in a sustainable manner, the sector plans comprehensive measures such as expanding processing, building brands for its products and strengthening linkages in the value chain, he said. Luong Van Tu, chairman of the Viet Nam Coffee and Cocoa Association, said coffee exports in the … [Read more...] about VN coffee sector to expand intensive processing to add value
Experts talk ways to add value to Vietnamese coffee
Illustrative image (Photo: VNA) HCM City (VNA) – Vietnam’s coffee sector needs to have strategies to improve material quality and step up intensive processing to increase export value and incomes for farmers as well as develop Vietnamese coffee brand, said experts at the Vietnam Coffee Week in HCM City on December 4. Vietnam has set itself a target of increasing the ratio of processed coffee from the current 10 percent to 30-40 percent by 2030 to add value. Dr Nguyen Do Anh Tuan, director general of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development’s international cooperation department, said Vietnam is the world’s second largest coffee exporter and tops in robusta production and export, with about 1.5 million tonnes of coffee exported each year, fetching 3.5 billion USD. But the exports remain in the form of unprocessed beans with little value addition, he said. To improve this situation and develop the industry in a sustainable manner, the sector … [Read more...] about Experts talk ways to add value to Vietnamese coffee
Asia Coffee-Sluggish trade in Vietnam on low prices, Indonesia quiet
Asia’s top coffee exporters saw sluggish trade this week, with the bean market in Vietnam slowing on falling prices while Indonesia’s main harvest ended and stocks receded, traders said on Thursday. Farmers in the Central Highlands, Vietnam’s largest coffee-growing area, sold coffee at 32,300-32,500 dong ($1.39-$1.40) per kg on Thursday, down from 33,000 dong last week. Domestic prices fell further this week following a decrease in global prices, traders said. January robusta coffee settled down $42, or 2.97%, at $1,370 per tonne on Wednesday. “Sales are slowing as farmers are complaining that prices are too low now,” said a trader based in the Central Highlands. “They are refraining from selling beans as current prices are just slightly higher than the production cost,” he added. Vietnam’s coffee exports in the first 11 months of 2019 fell 14.6%, from a year earlier, to about 1.47 million tonnes, official data shows. Traders in Vietnam … [Read more...] about Asia Coffee-Sluggish trade in Vietnam on low prices, Indonesia quiet