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Vietnam expects to earn 1 billion USD from coconut product exports in 2023 (Photo: VNA)
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Cao Ba Dang Khoa, the association’s acting general secretary, said the country has risen to fourth place in Asia in terms of coconut exports.
Every part of the coconut tree - fruits, wood, leaves - has a use, he said.
The processing industry has developed some 200 products like candy, fibre, shell charcoal, oil, coconut milk, and carpet, besides fresh coconut.
It has invested in production technologies to make products of international quality and export to many markets including demanding ones, he said.
Firms exported coconut wood last year, and many businesses now report large export orders for it and coconut shell for making handicrafts, he said.
The association is coordinating with several industries and localities to organise activities to expand production capacity and build brands for coconut products, he said.
With proper marketing, coconut products would gain traction in international markets, he said.
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Products made from coconut (Photo: betrimex.com.vn)
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The association plans to set up offices in several provinces and cities, he said.
The industry faces challenges, including the lack of a standalone set of standards and rules for coconut varieties and wood origin traceability, he said.
Vietnam has 175,000 hectares under coconut, mainly in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta and the central coast, with the former accounting for nearly 80%./.
Luxurious cruise ship brings over 3,800 visitors to Vietnam
Spectrum of the Seas, one of the world's top ten most luxurious cruise ships, has docked at Tan Cang-Cai Mep port in the central province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau from February 26-27, said the Vietnam News Agency.
Besides 1,577 crewmembers and serving personnel, the ship carried more than 3,800 foreign tourists, most of them from the US, the UK, Australia, and Singapore, according to the province’s border guard force.
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Spectrum of the Seas, one of the world's top ten most luxurious cruise ships, has docked at Tan Cang-Cai Mep port in the central province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau.(Photo: VNA)
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Spectrum of the Seas is the 7th international cruise ship and the one that carried the largest number of tourists to make landfall in Ba Ria-Vung Tau province so far this year.
Right after the ship docked at the port, the tourists wen on tours to Ho Chi Minh City, My Tho city in the southern province of Tien Giang, and Ba Ria-Vung Tau.
Spectrum of the Seas belongs to the Quantum-Ultra line of ships manufactured by Meyer Werft (Germany) and was put into service at the beginning of 2019. The cruise is 347m long, nearly 63m high with 18 floors, a capacity of nearly 169,400 tonnes, and is rated the most modern ship in the world. This is the second time it made a Southeast Asian voyage and docked in Ba Ria-Vung Tau province after the first in 2019.
As planned, the cruise will leave the Tan Cang-Cai Mep port on February 27 evening to continue its journey to Thailand./.
Doctor honoured for contributions to blindness prevention in Asia-Pacific
Doctor Nguyen Viet Giap, Director of Ba Ria-Vung Tau Eye Hospital, has been honoured with the 2023 Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology (APAO) Outstanding Service in Prevention of Blindness Award, reported the Vietnam News Agency.
The award, the noblest in the field of ophthalmology in the region, was presented to the doctor along with 17 others at the 38th APAP Congress in Malaysia on February 25.
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At the award ceremony (Photo: VNA)
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Giap is the sixth member of the Vietnam Ophthalmological Society (VOS) to have received the honour since the association was set up more than 60 years ago.
According to VOS, with over 30 years of experience in ophthalmology, Giap has so far conducted more than 50 scientific research projects and raised valuable initiatives.
In the past decade alone, his initiatives have helped more than 114,000 elderly people access free medical checkups and treatment, and 17,500 others receive surgeries.
Thanks to his efforts, the rate of blindness among the residents over 50 years old in the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau dropped from 3.31% in 2007 to 1.69% in 2020.
More than 200,000 local students were also provided with free checkups and treatment, and some 15,000 poor students were presented with glasses.
In the nomination letter to the APAO Award Committee, VOS President Professor Ton Thi Kim Thanh described Giap as a dedicated, highly skilled doctor with many creative ideas and great contributions to ophthalmological examination and treatment activities and blindness prevention in the community.
Along with directly giving checkups and treatment to tens of thousands of patients, Giap has actively engaged in training activities. He has organised more than 200 training courses to over 2,500 medical staff in localities and schools, along with more than 10,000 consultations events on eye protection in the community./.
Vietnam wins two golds at ongoing Asian Jujitsu Championship 2023
Vietnamese athletes have secured two gold, one silver and four bronze medals at the ongoing Asian Jujitsu Championship 2023 in Thailand, according to the Vietnam News Agency.
Phung Thi Hue won the first gold medal for Vietnam. The reigning world champion had no problems advancing to the final where she defeated Saikamon Phiphaphon of the host nation to win the women's 45kg fighting category.
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Phung Thi Hue takes gold in the women's 45kg class at the Asian Jujitsu Championship.
(Photo: thethao.sggp.org.vn)
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The second gold medal was bagged by Le Duy Thanh in the men’s 94kg fighting category.
Meanwhile, Hoang Thi Nhat Que finished second in the women's 70kg fighting class. Le Thi My Hien took a bronze in the women's 48kg fighting and Dang Thi Huyen also earned a bronze in the women's 52kg fighting events.
In the performance pool, Vietnamese athletes bagged a bronze in the mixed doubles. They were behind to duos from Thailand and Cambodia.
Their teammates failed to make the top three in the men's doubles. Athletes from Thailand, Chinese Taipei and Cambodia secured gold, silver and bronze, respectively.
The championship will continue until February 28.
Vietnam has taken part in the Bangkok event with 35 athletes including world beach cup champions.
In the coming days, Hue will join in other women's disciplines while SEA Games winner Dao Hong Son will take charge of a title in the men's 56kg.
Organisers announced that more than 500 athletes from 30 countries and territories have registered for the tournament, a record number of participants.
At the 2022 championship in Bahrain, Vietnam finished fifth with five golds, three silvers and eight bronze medals./.