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| New untouched caves are discovered in Lam Hoa commune of Tuyen Hoa district, Quang Binh province. (Photo courtesy of the British Royal Cave Association) |
According to Dinh Tien Dung, vice chairman of the Tuyen Hoa district administration, on March 24 an expedition of the British Royal Cave Association conducted a survey of limestone mountains in Lam Hoa commune where they discovered a pristine cave system.
Running for a total length of 3,349m, the caves also feature underground rivers which are completely pristine. They have duly been named Hung Tru 1, Hung Tru 2, Hung Tru 3, Hung Ka Vong 1, and Hung Ka Vong 2.
The British experts will continue to make use of boats and other support tools to delve further into the caves in the near future, Dung revealed.
British explorers have a history of helping to investigate many caves in Quang Binh province, known as the nation’s kingdom of caves.
Experts of the British Royal Cave Association found Son Doong cave in Quang Binh province through a local resident’s tip in 2009. The cave has since been accredited as the world’s largest and most beautiful natural cave by the World Records Union and the World Records Association.
Coffee exports to Netherlands enjoy three-digit growth
Vietnam exported 7,420 tonnes of coffee worth 18.77 million USD to the Netherlands in the first two months of the year, up 93.1% in volume and 105.7% in value year on year, VNA cited the data from the General Department of Vietnam Customs.
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| Illustrative photo (Source: VNA) |
The average export price of Vietnamese coffee to the market also rose by 5.7% to 2,517 USD per tonne from one year ago.
In February alone, the country shipped 4,100 tonnes of coffee for 10.11 million USD to the Netherlands, up 110.3% in volume and 136.6% in value compared to February 2022.
Last year, the major suppliers of coffee to the Netherlands were mainly from the intra-EU market, including Belgium, Germany, France, Finland, and Italy. Meanwhile, Dutch coffee imports from non-EU markets also enjoyed double-digit growth, with Vietnam becoming the second largest foreign supplier.
Experts have advised Vietnamese enterprises to boost coffee exports to the Netherlands which is considered the gateway into the European market.
They also recommended that Vietnamese firms study consumer demand, logistics services, and distribution systems to further penetrate the Dutch and European markets.
Significant efforts needed to realise 4.3-billion-USD shrimp exports
Amid difficulties in export markets, significant efforts are required for Vietnam to meet its goal of 4.3 billion USD in shrimp export revenue this year, VNA cited the saying of Truong Dinh Hoe, General Secretary of the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP).
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| Illustrative photo (Source: VNA) |
He attributed the obstacles to global fluctuations over armed conflicts, climate change, tightening food safety requirements by importing countries, and high inflation in the US.
Data from the Vietnam Directorate of Fisheries under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) showed the total brackish water shrimp farming area was 747,000 hectares last year, with total output exceeding 1 million tonnes, up 8.5% year-on-year.
Currently, the country houses 2,294 hectares of shrimp breeding area, which turned out 159.5 billion shrimplets in 2022, an annual increase of 10%.
This year, Vietnam aims to expand its shrimp farming area to 750,000 hectares for more than 1 million tonnes in output and 4.3 billion USD in export revenue.
Trinh Trung Phi, a technical director at the Vietnamese shrimp company Viet Uc, highlighted the importance of sustainable technological solutions in the growth of the sector.
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| At a conference on shrimp sector development held in Soc Trang at the beginning of March 2023. (Photo: VNA) |
MARD Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien said that in order to reach the target, shrimp farm communities should connect with each other and with associations engaging in the production chain to ensure the smooth operation of the whole chain. They should work to strengthen food safety inspection and thus enhance the quality of the products for domestic consumption and export.
In addition, it is necessary to strictly implement regulations in farming conditions, farming registration, and quality of animal feed, and improve the weather forecast accuracy to prevent risks for farmers, he said.
He advised businesses and farmers to build suitable plans and prepare conditions to become proactive in production amid extreme weather and environmental conditions such as drought, saltwater intrusion, and shrimp diseases, as well as a hike of input material costs. They should connect to each other in the production chain to cut costs while applying high production standards such as VietGAP, GlobalGAP, and ASC, he added.
Vietnam named in Agility’s top 10 Emerging Markets Logistics Index 2023
According to VNA, Vietnam has been ranked in the top 10 places in the 2023 Agility Emerging Markets Logistics Index compiled by Agility, one of the world’s top freight forwarding and contract logistics providers.
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| Part of Lach Huyen seaport in Hai Phong city (Photo: VNA) |
Vietnam is at the 10th place, up one spot compared to the previous year.
Among Southeast Asian countries, Vietnam are fourth, behind Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand.
Agility ranked 50 economies based on three factors which make them attractive to logistics providers, freight forwarders, shipping lines, air cargo carriers, and distributors. The factors include domestic logistics opportunities, international logistics opportunities, digital readiness, and business fundamentals.
According to details provided by Agility, Vietnam performed well in terms of international opportunities, duly ranking fourth globally with 6,03 points. The country came in 16th for domestic logistics opportunities, 19th in business fundamentals, and 15th for digital readiness.
China remained as the world's leading emerging logistics market followed by India and the UAE./.