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Vietnam aims to collect 2 billion USD from pepper exports by 2025 (Photo: thuongtruong.com.vn)
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The ambitious target was unveiled at a conference held in Hanoi on April 21 seeking ways to help Vietnam become a sustainable supplier of both pepper and spices, said Radio the Voice of Vietnam.
In her speech, Hoang Thi Lien, president of the Vietnam Pepper Association, noted that Vietnam currently ranks first in pepper export proportion and export output, adding that there remains ample room for further development of pepper cultivation.
According to the official, the enforcement of free trade ageeements that Vietnam has signed with its partners has created comparative advantages for farm produce, including pepper and other spices, in the global market thanks to the country’s geographic location, climate and soil conditions.
However, she said the pepper sector is anticipated to endue numerous challenges due to geopolitical factors and stringent requirements set by importers, especially issues related to pesticide residues, as well as unpredictable developments of climate change.
She emphasised the need to strengthen connectivity among the State, enterprises, craft associations, and farmers, whilst simultaneously building a brand to improve the industry’s competitiveness and achieve the goal of sustainable development in the future.
The Vietnam Pepper Association reported Vietnam exported 76,727 tonnes of pepper worth US$235.9 million during the first quarter of the year, up 40.5% in volume but down 7.3% in value year on year.
Cambodia to start construction of an expressway connecting with Vietnam
Cambodia is scheduled to start construction of the Phnom Penh-Bavet Expressway close to Vietnam’s Moc Bai international border gate on June 7, 2023, Radio the Voice of Vietnam quoted the sayings of Cambodian Minister of Public Works and Transport Sun Chanthol.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen is expected to attend the groundbreaking ceremony, said Chanthol at an inauguration ceremony of a traffic project in Phnom Penh on April 21.
The US$1.6 billion expressway, the second of its kind in Cambodia, will have a total length of 138km and bridge across the Mekong River.
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Cambodia is to start construction of the Phnom Penh-Bavet Expressway close to Vietnam’s Moc Bai international border gate in June 2023. (Photo: Khmer Times)
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Chanthol revealed that Vietnam will also kick-start construction of the Ho Chi Minh City-Moc Bai expressway to connect with the Phnom Penh-Bavet expressway.
He expected that the two projects would be completed by the end of 2026 or early 2027 at the latest.
In 2022, Cambodia put into use its first expressway connecting the capital Phnom Penh and the port city of Preah Sihanouk. The 187km long and four-lane route had an investment cost of US$2 billion invested by a Chinese company in the form of build - operate - transfer (BOT) with an operating time of 50 years.
Ho Chi Minh City donates US$250,000 to Cuba after oil depot fire
Duong Anh Duc, vice chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee, handed over a token of gift worth US$250,000 to Raul Rodriguez Carricate, director of the Cuban Department of International Cooperation, to help Cuba deal with the impact of the recent massive blaze at an oil storage facility in Cuba’s Matanzas Industrial Park, said Radio the Voice of Vietnam.
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| Duong Anh Duc, vice chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee, hands over a token of gift worth US$250,000 to Raul Rodriguez Carricate, director of the Cuban Department of International Cooperation (Photo: plo.vn) |
The support was provided during sidelines activities as part of Chairman of the National Assembly Vuong Dinh Hue’s current official visit to Cuba, Argentina and Uruguay.
At the handover ceremony, Carricate expressed deep gratitude for Ho Chi Minh City’s gift, saying that the donation will be very practical to the local people of Matanzas.
Duc is also scheduled to represent the southern city’s leaders to present a statue of late President Ho Chi Minh to the Vietnamese Embassy in Argentina. He will also sign a letter of intent on a co-operation project between Ho Chi Minh City and Buenos Aires of Argentina and Montevideo of Uruguay, especially in the field of culture and education.
Phu Quoc tour price sees sudden fall, opportunities on offer
The price of tour to Phu Quoc island, a famous tourist destination described as a paradise in the southern province of Kien Giang, has fallen considerably ahead of the coming five-day break nationwide after staying high over the past days, according to Radio the Voice of Vietnam.
With the price of airfares declining over recent days, the tour price and tourism combos to Phu Quoc Island has dropped by 25% compared to two weeks ago, according to tour operators.
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Sao beach on Phu Quoc Island (Photo: kinhtedothi.vn)
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A representative of BestPrice Travel Company said air tickets from Hanoi to Phu Quoc from April 29 to May 2 had decreased slightly by between VND1 - 1.5 million for a round-trip flight.
Most notably, the price of a tourism combo for three days and two nights in Phu Quoc at a four-star standard resort is now hovering at around VND7.1 million per person
Tran Quoc Hung, a representative of travel platform Mustgo, attributed the decline in tour prices to Phu Quoc to the recent plunge in airfares, and added that airfares from Hanoi to Phu Quoc are likely to stand at only VND2 million for a round trip after the coming national holiday.
The move is expected to create opportunities for accommodation facilities in Phu Quoc such as the Best Western Premier Sonasea Phu Quoc, Sol By Melia, Radisson Blu Resort Phu Quoc, and Pullman Resort Phu Quoc to launch a number of discounts to attract visitors, said the travel executive.
At present, the hotel occupancy capacity on the pearl island during the national holiday period ranges between 60% and 70% for both three and four-star hotels and from 30% to 50% for the five-star segment.
Hung predicted that with a sharp decline in air ticket prices coupled with the removal of surcharged room rates, the hotel occupancy rate in Phu Quoc could reach between 70% and 80% soon.
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The Phu Quoc City (Photo: laodong.vn)
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Tran Thi Bao Thu, marketing and communications director of Vietluxtour, said that despite offering huge discounts, outbound tours are currently selling well compared to inbound tours due to the demand being pent-up for a long time during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In order to enhance the overall competitiveness for domestic destinations, Thu emphasised the need to devise synchronous strategies among tour operators, relevant ministries and agencies, as well as tourism promotion units.
Furthermore, travel firms are advised to design new products, offer them at a reasonable price, and formulate sightseeing programmes with diverse prices in order to provide tourists with a range of options that suits their needs, Thu added./.