Illustrative image (Source: laodong.vn)
According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), with export revenues of 28.6 billion USD, up 26.7 percent year on year, and import turnover of 24.7 billion USD, the agriculture sector enjoyed a trade surplus of 3.9 billion USD in the first seven months of 2021.
Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Phung Duc Tien said that export revenues of major agricultural products hit 12.2 billion USD, a year-on-year rise of 15.1 percent, while earnings from forestry products rose 54 percent to about 10.2 billion USD, seafood up 12 percent to 4.9 billion USD and livestock increased 16 percent to 245 million USD.
Particularly, strong growth was seen in exports of product groups with revenues of over 2 billion USD, including rubber, wooden furniture and aquatic products, he said.
In order to complete the target of about 44 billion USD in exports of farm produce in 2021 in the context of COVID-19, MARD has coordinated closely with ministries, sectors and localities to roll out comprehensive measures to adjust production plans and crop structure to ensure the highest productivity.
At the same time, the sector will strengthen processing of the products and expand export markets, while working to remove trade and technical barriers for Vietnamese farm produce in foreign markets.
The ministry will foster connectivity among businesses, localities and Vietnamese representative offices abroad to increase exports of agricultural products, especially lychee and longan to the EU, UK, China and Japan, while making risk assessments of cassava residue for exporting to China.
Vietnam secures three golds at International Chemistry Olympiad
All Vietnamese candidates at the 53rd International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO 2021) won medals, which consisted of three gold and one silver medals, reported VNA.
The four Vietnamese students (Source: VNA)
According to the Ministry of Education and Training, the three gold medalists were 12th graders Nguyen Duy Anh and Nguyen Le Thao Anh of the Hanoi - Amsterdam High School for the Gifted and Pham Duc Nam Phuong from Hai Duong province’s Nguyen Trai High School for the Gifted.
The silver medal went to another 12th grader, Nguyen Hoang Duong of the Hanoi University of Science (HUS) High School for Gifted Students under the Hanoi National University.
The IChO 2021, virtually hosted by Japan from July 25 to August 2, attracted contestants from 79 countries and territories worldwide.
Overall, all 37 Vietnamese students have brought home medals from this year’s Olympiads in different spheres, including 12 gold, 13 silver, 10 bronze medals, and two certificates of merit.
India to deliver 1 mln COVID-19 Remdesivir doses to Vietnam
Some of big Indian pharmaceutical companies have agreed to provide Vietnam with approximately 1 million doses of Remdesivir, a broad-spectrum antiviral medication, for COVID-19 treatment, reported VOV.
Ambassador Pham Sanh Chau has held a working session with representatives of the Indian Ministry of Commerce and Industry to facilitate the export of Remdesivir to Vietnam. (Photo: MoIT)
The shipment is poised to arrive in Vietnam in a month’s time, according to the Vietnamese Trade Office in India.
The office said the commitment was made following days of negotiations between the Vietnamese Embassy’s taskforce on COVID-19 drugs and vaccines and major pharmaceutical companies of India such as Hetero, Dr. Reddy, Cipla, Jubilant, Mylan, Zydus and Cadila.
The taskforce has held working sessions with relevant agencies of the Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Indian Ministry of Commerce and Industry that pledged to create maximum conditions for businesses to complete export procedures.
India has banned the export of drugs for COVID-19 treatment due to the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus a couple of months ago. It then eased the measure on June 16 as the fresh outbreak was brought under control.
“The early purchase of necessary special drugs from India will hopefully help us soon control and defeat the COVID-19 pandemic," said Vietnamese Ambassador to India Pham Sanh Chau.
Earlier Vingroup, a leading multi-sectoral conglomerate in Vietnam, said it has reached a deal with its partner to purchase 500,000 vials of Remdesivir for COVID-19 treatment in Vietnam.
Remdesivir, a broad-spectrum antiviral drug much sought after worldwide, is manufactured by India’s Cipla Pharmaceutical Company with permission granted by US-based Gilead Sciences, the developer of the drug.
According to Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Truong Son, his ministry will soon license Remdesivir and include the medication in the COVID-19 treatment protocol in Vietnam.
Remdesivir is an antiviral drug licensed by the US Food and Drug Administration for COVID-19 treatment. The much-sought-after drug is used to treat COVID-19 patients with moderate and severe symptoms. More than 50 countries and territories worldwide have approved Remdesivir for COVID-19 treatment./.