Day: May 9, 2022

Vietnam earned 3.57 billion USD from aquatic exports in the first four months of 2022, posting a year-on-year increase of 43.7 percent, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

In April alone, the export value was 1.05 billion USD.

The US, Japan and China were the three leading import markets in the first quarter, accounting for 49.5 percent of total aquatic export value.

Of note, export values in all markets saw expansion, and revenue from China doubled.

Exports of tra (pangasius) fish were estimated at 263 million USD in April, bringing the four-month figure to 894 million USD, up 89.4 percent against the same period last year.

Meanwhile, shrimp exports expanded 38.6 percent year-on-year to nearly 1.34 billion USD after adding 385 million USD in April.

According to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), demand in import markets is pointing towards a robust recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic, and Vietnamese firms have seized opportunities to bolster exports and seal high-value contracts.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

A total of 2,175 new cases of COVID-19 were reported in Vietnam in the past 24 hours to 4pm on May 9, according to the Ministry of Health.

Hanoi continued to record the highest number of infections with 601 cases, followed by Quang Ninh with 116 and Phu Tho with 113.

The national tally reached 10,678,359.

A total of 1,574 COVID-19 patients were given the all clear on May 9, bringing the number of recoveries so far to 9,322,165.

One COVID-19 death was reported on the day, bringing the death toll to 43,057.

By May 8, the country had injected 215,743,796 doses of COVID-19 vaccines, including 1,855,262 first shots for children from 5 to 11 years old.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The “Sparkling Night” concert performed by the Vietnam National Opera and Ballet (VNOB) will be held at the Hanoi Opera House on the evenings of May 14 and 15.

Inspired by love and romance from the dance of fairies, the emotional chase of lovers, and love-induced sadness, the musical event gathers leading Vietnamese opera singers such as Huy Duc, Dao To Loan, Trinh Thanh Binh, Tran Trang, and Bui Trang.

Under the lead of Conductor Dong Quang Vinh, the concert also sees the participation of the VNOB’s orchestra and choir as well as the international choir Hanoi Voices.

The show consists of two parts, namely ‘Overture A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ and ‘World Famous Romances and Aria’.

Artistic Director Phan Manh Duc said it is expected to mark an engaging and quality return, serving the audience’s demand.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

A photo exhibition themed “Khat vong chien thang” (Aspirations for victory) opened at the National Convention Centre in Hanoi on May 9 as part of activities to welcome the upcoming 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 31).

Jointly organised by the information and communications sub-committee for SEA Games 31 and Vietnam News Agency (VNA), the event features 500 photos selected from thousands of those archived at the VNA which spotlight outstanding Vietnamese athletes through nine editions of the regional event, from SEA Games 22 in 2003 to SEA Games 30 in 2019.

The photos clearly depict the bravery, confidence and determination of athletes who tried their best to make outstanding achievements, contributing to improving the position of Vietnam’s sports in the regional and international arenas.

The most recent series highlighting SEA Games 30 held in the Philippines in 2019, where Vietnam surpassed expectations by finishing second overall with 98 gold, 85 silver and 105 bronze medals, just behind the Philippines. At the event, for the first time, Vietnam won gold in the men’s football.

The photos aim to introduce Vietnam – a country that has been constantly developing with the desire to conquer new heights in sports, to regional and international friends.

SEA Games 31, themed “For a Stronger Southeast Asia”, will be held in Hanoi and 11 nearby cities and provinces from May 12 to 23.

Featuring 40 sports, SEA Games 31 is expected to attract around 10,000 participants. The biennial event was initially slated for late 2021 but delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Vietnam has registered 965 athletes, including 534 men and 431 women, who are set to compete in all 40 sports at the Games, striving to win 140 gold, 77 silver and 71 bronze medals and secure the top place.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Thailand’s U23 men’s squad earned three points after a comfortable 5-0 victory over Singapore in the second match of Group B at the ongoing SEA Games 31 on May 9 night.

Thailand had most of the chances in the first 45 minutes, none of which found the net. The team scored the first goal in the last minute of the first half from the penalty spot.

The Thai players made the second goal just a few minutes into the second half, and continued raising the differences at the 51st, 67th and 81st minutes of the game.

Thailand gained three points after two matches while Singapore got only one.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

A ninth-grade student from Hanoi won the first prize at the Universal Postal Union (UPU)’s 51st International Letter Writing Competition in Vietnam highlighting actions against climate change.

This year’s competition asks contestants to write a letter to someone influential urging he/she to take action against the climate crisis.

Deputy Minister of Information and Telecommunications Pham Anh Tuan, head of the organising board, said the contest was opened to students nationwide from November 2021 to March 2022, touching on a pressing topic. It was inspired by the 26th UN Climate Change (COP26) conference held in Glasgow, the UK last year, with many heads of state in attendance, Tuan said.

The theme provided an opportunity for students to speak about climate change, he said, adding that the organisers had received nearly 1 million letters written by students from 62 cities and provinces nationwide.

In his letter, Nguyen Binh Nguyen from Nguyen Tri Phuong Middle School, turns himself into a gust of wind to write to renowned pianist Dang Thai Son, sharing his idea of using music to inspire thoughts and actions on environmental protection.

His letter will be translated into French before being submitted to the UPU in Switzerland.

The organisers also awarded three second and five third prizes as well as 30 honourable mentions. There were two special prizes for contestants with disabilities.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

After Thailand’s government allowed the re-opening of the border with Cambodia from May 1, a number of associations and private companies in the tourism sector in Cambodia, Thailand as well as Vietnam have cooperated to plan to boost the flow of tourists again.

In early May, the Asia-Pacific Tourism Association (PATA) led by Thuon Sinan, President of the Association, travelled through the Cham Yeam International Border Crossing in Cambodia’s Koh Kong province to Thailand’s Trat province and to Bangkok to attend the Tourism and Trade Exchange Meeting between Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam from May 5-6, while a delegation of companies in Cambodia also travelled by air from Phnom Penh to Bangkok.

The purpose of this road trip is to study and understand the journey as well as to complete the paperwork at the border checkpoints on both the Cambodian and Thai sides.

Thuon Sinan said that the opening of the border between Cambodia and Thailand is very good for tourism, transport, trade, as well as other areas that are essential for the continuation of economic development between the two countries.

He said the flow of tourists by land would be even greater if the Thai side relaxed some conditions or documents because when he crossed the border, the requirements from the Thai side were still unstable, such as the conditions for driving a private car into Thailand and the problems that the Thai side requested the Cambodian side to conduct a rapid test on guests and passengers.

Visitors are returning to Cambodia after COVID-19, with the number of tourist arrivals to the world heritage Angkor Wat rocketing by 622 percent to 33,205 in the first four months of this year, generating about 1.35 million USD in revenue.

In April alone, 13,365 travellers visited the famous destination.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee of Dong Nai province Vo Van Phi received executives from the Netherlands’ De Heus Group and Vietnam’s Hung Nhon Group on May 9 to discuss opportunities in agriculture in the southern province.

Speaking to the potential investors, Phi outlined several priorities for the southern province in husbandry, including disaster management, environmental protection, and use of advanced technology to cut costs and improve competitiveness.

He asked the investors to make it possible for local farmers to benefit from husbandry projects, thus enabling them to enhance their expertise in the field.

Chairman and CEO of De Heus Koen De Heus said the group hopes to cooperate with Vietnamese companies and farmers to develop sustainably together.

He expected the group will be able to coordinate with the local administration to develop a proper strategy for the growth of hi-tech agriculture.

Dong Nai has competitive edges to expand agriculture, with over 350,000ha of land used for the sector, or 58.3 percent of its total area, mostly in the districts of Xuan Loc, Dinh Quan, Cam My, Thong Nhat and Trang Bom. More than 60 percent of the population lives off agriculture.

Large-scale projects account for some 90 percent of land for husbandry, while the remainder are for smallholders.

The province now leads the country’s pig and chicken farms. It earns more than 45 trillion VND (1.96 billion USD) from agriculture annually, contributing 10 percent to its GRDP.

Vice Chairman Phi said Dong Nai has formulated a plan for husbandry development by 2025, which emphasises the importance of environmental protection, animal health, slaughtering supervision and building value chains.

Source: Vietnam News Agency