Inside one of the country's biggest rice warehouses Ms. Tran Le Dung, First Secretary in charge of the Vietnam Trade Office in Malaysia, said that soil in Malaysia is not suitable for rice cultivation; thus, the country's agriculture focuses on oil palm and rubber trees while its rice self-sufficiency can only meet about 60 percent of domestic demand. Therefore, every year Malaysia has to import from 900,000 to 1 million tons of rice to meet domestic demand and its reserve. The country often imports long white rice, which is very popularly grown in Vietnam. However, it is not easy for Vietnamese enterprises to export rice to this market. The Malaysian government has assigned Padiberasnasional Berhad Group (Bernas Berhad) to be the exclusive importer of the long white rice to meet the domestic demand. Accordingly, Vietnamese export companies that want to export rice there must sign a contract with Bernas Berhad. Currently, the Vietnam Southern Food Corporation is signing … [Read more...] about Vietnamese rice grain struggling to find position in rice export
Vietnam rice paper
Bac Lieu expands growing rice to organic standards
Shrimp-rice fields grown to organic standards in Bac Lieu Province. — VNA/VNS Bac Lieu (VNS/VNA) - The Mekong Delta province of Bac Lieu is expanding the use of organic fertilisers in rice cultivation to improve farmer’s incomes and protect the environment. In the last winter-spring rice crop, Phuoc Long district’s Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Development launched a pilot programme for increasing the use of organic fertilisers and reducing the use of chemicals on a total area of 110ha, with 60 farmers involved. Pham Van Cau, one of the farmers, said: “The prices of inputs, especially fertilisers, have shot up, and so the use of organic fertilisers helps farmers reduce costs while rice plants still have high yields and quality.” He grew 2ha of Dai Thom 8, a speciality rice variety, and got nearly 10 tonnes per hectare, and earned more than 300 million VND (13,000 USD), he said. Organic fertilisers cost less than chemical fertilisers, and farmers in fact can … [Read more...] about Bac Lieu expands growing rice to organic standards
Heavy rain triggered flooding causes traffic snarl-ups in Northern Vietnam
Rice field in Vinh Phuc is submerged in rainwater According to the authority’s update to 5 pm, a huge landslide swept away 37 homes on the day in northern provinces including Tuyen Quang, Ha Giang, Thai Nguyen, Hoa Binh, and Phu Tho due to landslides triggered by heavy rain. After a day of heavy rain, 956ha of rice, and crops, 11ha of aquatic products were damaged due to flooding, and 20 cattle and 775 poultry died. In addition, nearly 3,000 cubic meters of soil and rock collapsed on roads. The suburban area in Hanoi’s west was heavily flooded due to continuous rains, and cloudy sky around high-rise buildings. Soldiers help to remove cattle for residents A man with a fish bag The flooded area is concentrated on both sides of the road to gather Thang Long Boulevard, especially the tunnels under Thang Long Boulevard in Hoai Duc and Nam Tu Liem districts. Some other areas such as To Huu and Nguyen Trac streets, the National Highway 6 through Yen Nghia Ward in Ha … [Read more...] about Heavy rain triggered flooding causes traffic snarl-ups in Northern Vietnam
SEA Games attendees enjoy native cuisine, Vietnamese staples
At the 31st SEA Games, the men's football teams in Group B - Malaysia, Laos, Thailand, Singapore and Cambodia – stayed at the Nam Cuong hotel in Nam Dinh Province, just two km from the Thien Truong Stadium. The hotel's kitchen had to serve the five teams with special nutritional requirements keeping in mind their religious faiths and preferences. Nguyen Van Chien, the hotel's manager, said that the three main meals for the teams were served as a buffet of 60-70 dishes. For example, the Indonesian team wanted masala fried eggs, which the team leader said suited the nutritional needs of the players. Some of the Indonesian players were Muslims who don’t eat pork, so their meals had to be adjusted accordingly. For the Thai team, the hotel’s chefs served stir-fried noodles with special spices. Before the meal, the Thai team sent a player to the kitchen to provide guidance and instructions. Chef Dong Van Quang said that the Thai players ate food that was quite salty and had more … [Read more...] about SEA Games attendees enjoy native cuisine, Vietnamese staples
Growth target of 6.5 percent remains big challenge: Deputy PM
Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh addresses the 15th NA's third session on May 23. (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – The targets set for 2022, including the growth target of 6-6.5 percent, remain a huge challenge given the domestic and international situation, Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh said at the third session of the 15th National Assembly in Hanoi on May 23. The Deputy PM reported that the macro economy has been maintained, major economic balances ensured, and inflation brought under control, with the consumer price index ( CPI ) in the first four months of this year up 2.1 percent. The monetary market and interest rates have also remained stable, he said, adding that the credit balance by the end of April has increased by 7.18 percent compared to late 2021. In the four-month period, State budget revenue hit 657.4 trillion VND (28.37 billion USD), equivalent to 46.6 percent of the estimate and up 15.4 percent year-on-year. Export turnover reached 122.4 … [Read more...] about Growth target of 6.5 percent remains big challenge: Deputy PM
North provinces flooded, traffic snarled up
Rice field in Vinh Phuc is submerged in rainwater According to the authority’s update to 5 pm, a huge landslide swept away 37 homes on the day in northern provinces including Tuyen Quang, Ha Giang, Thai Nguyen, Hoa Binh, and Phu Tho due to landslides triggered by heavy rain. After a day of heavy rain, 956ha of rice, and crops, 11ha of aquatic products were damaged due to flooding, and 20 cattle and 775 poultry died. In addition, nearly 3,000 cubic meters of soil and rock collapsed on roads. The suburban area in Hanoi’s west was heavily flooded due to continuous rains, and cloudy sky around high-rise buildings. Soldiers help to remove cattle for residents A man with a fish bag The flooded area is concentrated on both sides of the road to gather Thang Long Boulevard, especially the tunnels under Thang Long Boulevard in Hoai Duc and Nam Tu Liem districts. Some other areas such as To Huu and Nguyen Trac streets, the National Highway 6 through Yen Nghia Ward in Ha … [Read more...] about North provinces flooded, traffic snarled up
Farmers escape poverty through forest work
A farmer harvests honey in Vân Khánh Tây Commune, An Minh District, in the southern province of Kiên Giang. — VNA/VNS Photo Lê Sen KIÊN GIANG — Residents in Vân Khánh Tây Commune are gradually escaping poverty, thanks to their local cajuput forest. As well as participating in forest management and protection in An Minh District, Kiên Giang Province, residents have been taking advantage of the cajuput forest to raise honeybees and catch fish for economic development. According to Huỳnh Văn Tâm, chairman of the Vân Khánh Tây Commune, the commune has more than 4,200ha, of which 1,380ha are protective forest, and the remaining is used for raising shrimps, crabs and growing rice. Previously, the Vân Khánh Tây coastal commune was very poor due to high tides and rising seawater. In the rainy season, dykes broke and seawater damaged crops and the farming areas. About 22 per cent of local residents were part of poor households. Since the forest was assigned to the VRG Kiên Giang MDF … [Read more...] about Farmers escape poverty through forest work
Agro-product providers and exporters defy impact of sharp increase in fertiliser prices
Agro-product providers and exporters defy the impact of a sharp increase in fertiliser prices Since early this year, fertiliser prices consecutively broke records with the latest price between VND16-18 million ($700-780) per tonne – the highest level in the past 50 years, according to the Department of Plant Protection under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD). The selling price of URE Ninh Binh and Ha Bac climbed to VND17.5 million ($760) per tonne, while diammonium phosphate fertiliser registered the biggest rise to reach VND22 million ($950) per tonne. An MARD report showed that in 2021, Vietnam imported 5.1 million tonnes of fertilisers, and in the first four months of 2022, the figure was over 880,000 tonnes. Nguyen Tri Ngoc, vice chairman of the Vietnam Fertiliser Association said, “The fertiliser price hike is attributed to the inadequate supply of these products because of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Russia and Belarus make up nearly half of the … [Read more...] about Agro-product providers and exporters defy impact of sharp increase in fertiliser prices
Tourism week to promote Ninh Binh’s beauty
Visitors to the tourism week entitled “The Yellow Colour of Tam Coc - Trang An” will have the chance to experience Tam Coc’s cuisine, take part in a photography tour, and enjoy stellar art performances, among other activities. Tam Coc - Bich Dong tourism site, which has one of the most scenic rice fields in Vietnam, a romantic waterway, and karst mountains. The site is host to eco-tourism, spiritual tourism, and culture and community-based tourism. Besides its aesthetics and geological value, Tam Coc - Bich Dong has a lot of cultural values as well. It guards the history of Hoa Lu, which was chosen as the site of the capital by various emperors during the Dinh, early Le, and the beginning of the Ly reigns between 968-1009 and was inhabited by humans thousands of years ago./. VNA … [Read more...] about Tourism week to promote Ninh Binh’s beauty