Photo for illustration (Source: baogialai.com.vn)
Despite enduring an overall decline of 25% in pepper output, the country continues to maintain its dominant position as part of the global pepper industry, accounting for over 60% of global pepper exports.
During the 11-month period, the nation grossed US$867.2 million from exporting 245,975 tonnes of pepper, a drop of 7% in volume, but up 43.8% in turnover against the same period from last year.
The United States remains the largest import market for Vietnamese peppers, reaching 55,602 tonnes throughout the reviewed period, up 9.6%, followed by China, India, Pakistan, Egypt, Germany, the Netherlands, the UK, France, Russia, Spain, and Canada.
Most notably, Vietnamese pepper exports increased by 4.9% in the European region with Germany taking the lead, followed by the Netherlands, the UK, and France.
In contrast, exports to the Asian region experienced a downward trajectory of 14.5%, while exports to the African region also endured a drop of 28.8%.
According to the forecast made by the International Pepper Community (IPC), the average global pepper price during the first 11 months of the year was estimated to stand at US$4,346 per tonne for black peppers and US$6,490 per tonne for white peppers, a year-on-year increase of 4%, with this trend set to continue increasing slightly ahead in 2022.
The Vietnam Pepper Association advised enterprises and production households to build sustainable organic pepper growing areas as soon as possible, as well as applying Global GAP, Viet GAP, and IPC GAP standards in production and processing.
The association also stressed the necessity of ensuring food hygiene and safety standards, whilst also dealing with issues related to pesticide and chemical residues in pepper in a bid to improve overall product quality, while diversifying pepper products to expand to high end markets such as the US and Europe.
Vietnam records 14 more Omicron variant infections
Fourteen people arriving in Vietnam's central Quang Nam province from the Republic of Korea (RoK) and the US have been confirmed to be infected with Omicron variant of the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2.
The provincial Department of Health announced on December 31 morning that the infected passengers landed at Da Nang International Airport in neighbouring Da Nang city on four different flights, said the Vietnam News Agency.
Photo for illustration (Source: VTV)
All the patients are Vietnamese nationals and they had got two or three vaccine shots against COVID-19. Of them, eight were on flight VN99 from the US and three on flight VN417 from the RoK, which landed on December 24. Meanwhile, two persons were on flight VN417 from the RoK and another on flight QH9451 from the RoK, which landed on December 23 and 21, respectively.
Vietnam detected the first infection of Omicron variant on December 28. The patient returned from the UK on December 19 and was immediately quarantined at Hospital 108 after his arrival.
The Omicron variant was first detected in South Africa in late November, and labeled a “variant of concern” by the World Health Organization (WHO).
US magazine names Phong Nha – Ke Bang among places to visit in 2022
Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park in the central province of Quang Binh has been listed among the 39 best destinations to visit in 2022 by the US's AFAR Magazine.
According to AFAR, it’s easier than ever to dive deep into the gigantic caves of this UNESCO World Heritage site. The Phong Nha–Ke Bang National Park, a geologically notable site in central Vietnam, has tempted daredevils since 2013, when Son Doong, the biggest cave on the planet (large enough to hold a Boeing 747), opened for multi-day tours.
Photo for illustration (Source: nld.com.vn)
The magazine highlighted that on the new Hang Ba tour (still in development), the guides will lead spelunkers through upwards of five caves with gigantic limestone chambers and dangling stalactites. When cavers aren’t crawling, swimming, or paddleboarding, they’ll be camping and trekking through jungles, reported the Vietnam News Agency.
The magazine quoted expert Howard Limbert, who led the expedition team that discovered the caves in the early 1990s, as saying he has wanted to design this tour for ages. Back when first discovered, it took 15 hours to reach the cave cluster from Phong Nha village. Thanks to a new road, it only takes around five to six hours.
Limbert also said collective efforts to protect the caves (his team has mapped more than 500 in Vietnam) and hire people from the community have reduced the rate of illegal logging and instilled conservationist attitudes.
Phong Nha-Ke Bang can serve as a model for other protected areas in Vietnam, including the newly recognised biosphere reserves in Nui Chua and Kon Ha Nung, according to Limbert.
In addition to Phong Nha – Ke Bang, AFAR introduced many other attractive destinations, including Russian River Valley (California), Chicago (Illinois), Métis Crossing (Alberta, Canada), Arica and Parinacota (Chile), Bermuda, and Mérida (Yucatan, Mexico).
Vietnam exports over 4,000 tonnes of rice to Europe
It completed the export of final batch of rice this year to Europe, including 4,170 tonnes of jasmine and white rice, the Vietnam News Agency quoted the figure of Loc Troi Group (LTG).
It was also the first batch shipped in the form of bulk carrier to save transport cost amid the pandemic.
LTG is now the only agri-business capable of farming rice on a large scale of at least 1,000ha via cooperatives with the instruction of agricultural engineers and optimal farming process from seed selection to harvest and transport, ensuring the supply of 1 million tonnes of rice to the market each year.
Photo for illustration (Source: mard.gov.vn)
This year, LTG shipped over 80,000 tonnes of rice to the EU, the UK, Africa, Australia, the Middle East and Asia, earning over 1 trillion VND (43.47 million USD), or nearly 24 percent of the group's total revenue.
In September 2020, it was chosen by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to export the first batch of jasmine rice to Europe under the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement. The company also informed that it recently had new partners in Sweden and Germany this year.
Its rice export rose by four-fold in both volume and value compared to last year.
In the first nine month of this year, the group’s total revenue topped 7.1 trillion VND, up 79 percent annually. The after-tax profit was estimated at 262 billion VND, or 66 percent of the yearly plan.
HCM City remains Vietnamese travellers’ favourite destination for New Year celebration
Ho Chi Minh City remains a top favourite destination of Vietnamese tourists during the New Year holiday for the second consecutive year, the Vietnam News Agency quoted data from digital travel platform Agoda.
Agoda said that travellers are looking for new experiences to celebrate the start of 2022. Famous cities remain hot destinations but the travel trend to 'escape' to more off-beat nature or beach destinations dominates this year's New Year's Eve plans.
Photo for illustration (Source: moit.gov.vn)
Tourists in Vietnam are choosing 4-5 star venues to welcome the New Year, as they opt for ‘staycation’ due to impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the travel platform added.
Sa Pa in the northern province of Lao Cai leapt to the second place this year from the seventh in the 2020’s ranking. Da Lat in the Central Highland province of Lam Dong was down one spot to the third place this year, followed by the capital city of Hanoi.
Phu Quoc island of the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang occupied the fifth place thanks to its pilot programme to welcome foreign visitors back, followed by Nha Trang beach city in the south central coastal province of Khanh Hoa.
The northern province of Ninh Binh, home to various tourist attractions like Hoa Lu Ancient Capital and Trang An landscape complex, was named in the list for the first time this year, ranking 10th./.