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Great potential for Vietnam's pomelo export (Photo: tintucnongnghiep.com)
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Nguyen Thi Thu Thuy, Deputy Director of the Export Promotion Centre, said that Vietnamese pomelo is considered to have superior quality to other countries thanks to its moderate sweetness and suitability to consumers of many regions and markets together with a low pest risk, said the Vietnam News.
As pomelo has thick skin, it is easy to preserve for a long time after harvest, which makes it possible to transport by sea, according to the official.
Besides, agricultural products and pomelo in particular are subject to preferential tariffs under free trade agreements to which Vietnam is a member, hence the large potential for pomelo export to many markets.
Thuy pointed out that currently, Vietnamese pomelo is mainly exported in the form of fresh fruit with low added value. Pomelo can be processed into many different products such as fruit juice, essential oil and jam while the essence in pomelo peel could be used to produce many types of pharmaceuticals and foodstuffs.
The trade official said the US has allowed the official import of green-skinned pomelo from Vietnam, which is the seventh fresh fruit of Vietnam to receive permission to enter this market, after mango, longan, lychee, dragon fruit, rambutan and star apple.
Other goods such as coconut and durian have already been exported to the US but in frozen form.
After pomelo, the US is considering procedures to allow the import of Vietnamese coconuts.
Thuy cited statistics from the US Department of Agriculture that the US has huge demand for fruits, estimated at around 12 million tonnes per year while the US’ domestic production of fresh fruit met only about 70% of the demand. This is a big opportunity for Vietnamese fruits, including pomelo, she said.
According to Nguyen Manh Quyen, head of the Vietnam Trade Office’s branch in Houston, Texas, Vietnam’s export of fresh pomelo to the US remains modest.
Statistics showed that the US imported around 17 billion USD worth of pomelo in 2020 and 20 billion USD in 2021. In the first seven months of this year, the US’ pomelo import reached 14 billion USD, of which Vietnam accounted for around 1 billion USD.
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Great potential for Vietnam's pomelo export (Photo: moit.gov.vn)
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Quyen urged enterprises to pay attention to strictly comply with the guidance of the US Department of Agriculture and the US Food and Drug Administration when exporting fruit to the US.
Vietnamese pomelo also has the opportunity to expand in Indonesia and Hong Kong.
Vu Thi Thuy, from the trade office in Hong Kong, said that Hong Kong has high demand for fresh pomelo, spending 36.4 million USD to import pomelo last year, an year-on-year increase of 28.2%. Vietnam ranked second in exporting pomelo to Hong Kong with export revenue of 2.5 million USD, after Thailand with 7.8 million USD in 2021.
However, in the first seven months of this year, Vietnam’s export of pomelo to Hong Kong increased 133% against the same period last year to reach 2.53 million USD, becoming the largest pomelo exporter to Hong Kong./.
Yen Bai launches tours to conquer two of highest mountains in Vietnam
Tours to conquer Ta Xua and Ta Chi Nhu, two of the 15 highest mounts in Vietnam, have been were launched in Tram Tau district of northwestern Yen Bai province.
The activity was held on the occasion of Yen Bai’s receiving UNESCO certificate recognising the art of Xoe dance of Thai ethnic minority group as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity and Muong Lo Culture-Tourism Festival, according to the Vietnam News Agency.
The trekking tour on the 2,979m Ta Chi Nhu, the sixth highest mountain of Vietnam in Hoang Lien Son Range, lasts two days and one night. The first tour has drawn more than 20 climbers.
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Ta Chi Nhu, one of the 15 highest mounts in Vietnam (Photo: vnexpress.net)
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Along the 10-km path to the top of the mountain, tourists will have a chance to enjoy the spectacular beauty of cloud and mountains blending with the wind and sunlight, as well as a sea of purple Chi pau flower, a typical flower in the area that blossoms in mid-September.
Meanwhile, the journey to the top of the 2,875m Ta Xua will lead tourists to “heaven of cloud”. The best time to watch the sea of cloud around Ta Xua is from October to April of the following year.
300 pharmacists to be trained in first aid to help traffic accident victims
The Vietnam Red Cross and the Urgo Foundation of France on September 26 launched the program "First Aid Next Door" to provide first aid training for pharmacists at Pharmacity drugstores across the country.
In the first phase of the program, the Red Cross will provide intensive first aid training for 300 Vietnamese pharmacists at Pharmacity drugstores by the end of 2022, said the SGGP newspaper.
Upon completion, pharmacists will be issued a certificate of identification by the Red Cross to be able to apply first aid knowledge and expertise to serve people right at pharmacies. The Urgo Foundation will sponsor first aid kits for the program.
According to Tran Van Tuan, Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Red Cross Society, improving the quality of first aid and first aid is identified as an important solution, contributing to reducing human losses in traffic accidents.
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First aid training provided for pharmacists (Photo: suckhoedoisong.vn)
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Currently, roughly 170,000 to 200,000 people receive first aid training by the Red Cross each year to give medical aid to injuries in the country. Vietnam's population has reached 99 million. Continued training should be made to increase the number of people with medical first aid skills and opening more rescue sites across the country is necessary as this will contribute to healthcare coverage for the health of people in the country.
According to Mr. Pascal B. Auzière, representative of Urgo Foundation, pharmacists are experts who have specialized knowledge in medical and public health to serve treatment. Pharmacists are trained in first aid skills to bring first aid services closer to everyone.
Mr. Pascal B. Auzière emphasized that the success of the First Aid Next Door program is directly measured by the number of people who will access first aid in 63 provinces and cities of Vietnam, so providing training to shop assistants who work for more than 1,000 Pharmacity pharmacies across the country will make it easier for the program to achieve its goals. It is expected that the program will combine with more drugstore systems in Vietnam in the future.
According to statistics from the Ministry of Health, Vietnam is considered one of the countries with a high rate of death from injury in the world. In 2018, there were 1,226,704 accidents and injuries, including 9,745 deaths. Death from traffic accidents is the leading cause, accounting for 47.91 percent, followed by drowning 12.31 percent and other accidents.
Central localities take urgent measures to prepare for arrival of typhoon Noru
Amid threats of super storm Noru, the Central localities urgently mobilize officers, soldiers and means of rescuing, call for ships still operating at sea to promptly move to the shore and give temporary instructions for ship owners and fishermen to take shelter now, review unsafe places in the border areas to grasp the current situation to help residents strengthen their houses against possible damage and powerful winds and proactively evacuate residents in dangerous areas.
As for the people evacuation in the affected areas, Thua Thien - Hue Province planned to take 74,816 households with a total of 276,113 people living in areas with huge natural hazards such as storm, flooding, erosion and landslide to safe shelters, reported by the SGGP newspaper.
The Police of Thua Thien- Hue Province also proactively propagandized local people to prepare foods and medicines, and performed a priority evacuation plan for the elderly and children.
This morning, the Office of Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control, Search and Rescue of Thua Thien- Hue Province provided 300 plastic storage tanks with 220 litters for each one to the localities of Quang Thai, Quang Phu of Quang Dien District and Huong Xuan District of Huong Tra town to store water.
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Border guards in Quang Nam help local people reinforce their house
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On Monday morning, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development and Deputy Standing Head of the National Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control Le Minh Hoan led a working delegation to pay a visit to check works dealing with storm Noru in the province of Quang Ngai.
The minister came to the boat anchorage ports of Tinh Hoa, Ly Son, My A, Sa Huynh and Tinh Ky for checking before the arrival of typhoon Noru.
As of 8 a.m. on September 26, Quang Ngai Province reported that 511 ships along with 5,319 workers have been operating in the seas. All of the above vessels received information about the intensity and path of the supper storm as well as detailed instructions to move out of the dangerous zones. As for 87 ships along with 684 laborers working in the Paracel Islands, they are currently moving to shore and to the south to avoid the storm. Around 5,133 ships reportedly anchored at the wharves.
This morning, at a conference on typhoon Noru, the People’s Committee of Da Nang City directed the Education and Training Department to allow students, and pupils a half-day absence from schools, starting this afternoon, to ensure safety for life.
Additionally, the People’s Committee of Da Nang City also directed the operation suspension of traditional markets, and required factories in Da Nang City to allow their employees to take a half- day off from noon of September 27./.