Reap fruits

Property prices have been spiralling out of control since the establishment of Thu Duc city, Photo: Le Toan Nguyen Minh Tuan, a resident in Phuoc Long commune of the former District 9, was interested in a land plot in Dong Tang Long New Residential Area. However, this plot’s price has increased by more than 40 per cent compared to mid-2019 when Thu Duc city was yet in the pipeline. “The prices in this area have increased a lot; however, local landlords still predict that the prices will even further increase towards the end of the year. That is why buyers will certainly make a profit if they buy land plots right now,” Tuan told VIR. Prices in the area could sit anywhere at VND30-40 million ($1,300-1,750) per square metre depending on the location in 2019, but are now usually around VND50-70 million ($2,200-3,000) per sq.m. In Tam Da street in the former District 9, a 50-sq.m land plot is now quoted at $3,000 against the $1,750 at the end of 2020. This January, when Thu Duc city was officially established on an area spanning across the old districts 2, 9, and Thu Duc, apartment prices at the King Crown Infinity – a project developed by BCG Land located – soared to over VND95 million ($4,100) per sq.m – the highest valuation ever for an apartment in the area. A general trend of appreciation was also observed in land plots and houses in the area of the former District 9 with outstanding increases of 20-30 per cent compared to mid-2020. The most buoyant area was Truong Tho commune, the centre of Thu Duc city, where property prices are quoted at more than VND160 million ($7,000) per sq.m. This 500-hectare area is close to major transport facilities such as Metro line No.1 and Hanoi Expressway, and is planned to become a new residential area. According to Nguyen Huong, general director of Dai Phuc Land, the price increases in areas with good planning and improved infrastructure are nothing extraordinary. Mirae Asset Securities also ascribed the recent …

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With export turnover of $2.04 billion, the US surpassed China to become the largest consumer of Vietnamese agricultural products in the first two months of 2021. The latest report of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development shows that the total import and export turnover of agricultural, forestry and fishery products in the first two months of this year is estimated at nearly $11 billion, of which exports are estimated at $6.17 billion, an increase of 16.6% year on year. Imports are estimated at $4.8 billion, up 13.6%. The trade surplus is about $1.37 billion, up 28.4% over the same period of 2020. Export turnover of many key export agricultural products grew strongly during this time. For example, rubber export value reached about $516 million (up 9.9%); tea $29 million (up 11.1%); cashew nuts $442 million (up 21.5%), vegetables $610 million (up 14.6%); wood and wood products about $2.44 billion (up 51.0%); and rattan and bamboo products $128 million (up 43.0%). Notably, with export turnover of about $2.04 billion, an increase of 57.3% over the same period and accounting for more than 33% of market share, the US became the largest customer of Vietnamese agricultural products during this time. Following the US was China, with export revenue of $1.88 billion, up 57.9% over the same period last year and accounting for 30.53% market share. ASEAN ranked third with export turnover of $606 million, up 25.2%, accounting for 9.82%. In the coming time, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development will focus on trade promotion activities. Regarding export markets, it will focus on issues related to market regulations and technical barriers in free trade areas (FTAs) consistent with the development of the Covid-19 epidemic. The Ministry will also strive to increase exports of dragon fruit and passion fruit. In the domestic market, the Ministry will continue to monitor, collect and summarize information and data on prices, …

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The Cái Lớn sluice is being built in Kiên Giang Province.  VNA/VNS Photo Lê Sen HCM CITY — Saltwater intrusion in the Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta will continue to increase in March and April, according to the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorology Forecasting. The peak of saltwater intrusion will occur during high tide on March 12 -16, March 27 – April 1, April 9 – 14 and April 24 – 30. The delta, the country’s largest rice, fruit and seafood producer, is facing a higher than normal level of saltwater intrusion from the sea through river mouths in the ongoing dry season. However, it is not as severe as the level of the previous dry season. The delta’s provinces have dredged irrigation canals to store more water and upgraded and built dams and sluices to prevent saltwater intrusion and store fresh water. Nguyễn Thiện Pháp, head of the Tiền Giang Province’s Irrigation Sub-department, said the province has built eight dams to store fresh water for agricultural production and supply daily use water for 800,000 households. Farmers in Tiền Giang, the country’s largest fruit producer, have stored irrigation water in their orchard ditches for fruit and other crops. In Cà Mau Province, farmers have stored fresh water in containers and have switched to growing drought – resistant crops. The delta sowed the ongoing winter-spring rice one month earlier than normal to avoid a shortage of irrigation water at the end of the crop. Farmers are now harvesting the winter-spring rice and have had a bumper harvest. The harvest of the winter-spring rice is expected to be completed in May. Largest irrigation system Kiên Giang Province is speeding up the phase one construction of the Cái Lớn – Cái Bé irrigation system to serve agricultural production and local households. The irrigation system, which is the largest of its kind in the delta, connects the Cái Lớn River and the Cái Bé River and is expected to improve agriculture and aquaculture and …

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