Ba Na Hills golf resort (Photo: CPV)

The first place mentioned in the list was Ba Na Hills of Da Nang. Tipping out at 7,858 yards, Ba Na Hills bucks and rolls along the base of mountains and is situated 30 minutes from the coastal city of Da Nang where golf has boomed over recent years.

The resort feels like a place apart as well, boasting a tranquil atmosphere that stands in a contrast to the typical hustle and bustle found in Da Nang. If the course feels too crowded for golfers by day, then players should wait until after sunset as Ba Na Hills is equipped with lights, meaning they can play at night, the article wrote.

US magazine GOLF also highlighted the Bluffs Grand Ho Tram Strip in Ba Ria-Vung Tau province. The course, which is Norman’s second design in the nation, is the first golf resort in the country to be integrated with a casino, which sits a shuttle-ride away on a bustling beach-side strip.

FLC Ha Long Bay GC & Luxury Resort in Ha Long City is one of 11 best golf resorts in Asia. (Photo courtesy of FLC Ha Long Bay GC & Luxury Resort)

FLC Ha Long Bay GC & Luxury Resort in Ha Long City was also recommended as another golf resort from the country to feature in the Asian 2024 to 2025 list. The course is something of a spectacle, too, winding through verdant, pine-studded terrain with an inventive routing that features four par-3s in a five-hole stretch and water views on all 18 holes.

The publication introduced Laguna Golf Lang Co in Thua Thien-Hue province as the final golf destination of Vietnam in the list. Completed in 2013, Laguna Golf Lang Co is the centerpiece of a sprawling resort complex in Central Vietnam, tucked between steep mountains and white sand beaches. It’s characterised largely by rolling sand dunes, natural streams, and warm breezes along the East Sea.

Rounding off the list were Banyan Tree and Chiangmai Highland Golf & Spa Resort in Thailand, Mission Hills Haikou and Mission Hills Resort in China, Ria Bintan GC in Indonesia, South Cape Owners Club in the Republic of Korea, and Vattanac Golf Resort in Cambodia.

Missosology picks local contestant among Top 5 at Miss International 2023

Missosology, the world’s leading publication on beauty pageants, has selected Vietnamese representative Phuong Nhi as the second runner-up in its first hot picks for the upcoming 61st Miss International contest.

Elsewhere, Sofía Osío of Colombia was named as the favourite to be crowned Miss International 2023, with Camila Díaz Daneri of Peru expected to be picked for the first runner-up title.

The other beauties to make the list include contestants from the Cote D'ivoire and Thailand, both of whom are anticipated to make the pageant’s leading five contestants.

Missosology picks local contestant among Top 5 at Miss International 2023 (Photo: VOV)

Phuong Nhi stands at 1.70 metres tall and measures 80-57-88. Hailing from the central province of Thanh Hoa, the 21-year-old beauty first rose to prominence by winning the second runner-up title at Miss World Vietnam 2022, thereby meeting the criteria to compete in the 2023 Miss International pageant.

The global pageant is scheduled to be held in Tokyo in Japan this October with the grand finale taking place on October 26. So far, a total of 52 contestants worldwide have been confirmed as competing for the crown, with the 2022 crown going to Jasmin Selberg from Germany.

First launched back in 1960, Miss International makes up one of the Big Four international beauty competitions, alongside Miss World, Miss Universe, and Miss Earth. This year marks the 61st edition of the pageant.

In previous competitions, Vietnamese representatives have won high prizes, including Pham Hong Thuy Van who finished as the third runner-up back in 2015, in addition to Tuong San who was among the Top 8 in the 2019 version of the pageant.

Vietnam’s organic exports reach 335 million USD

Vietnam’s annual organic exports are estimated at 335 million USD, which is much lower than its potential in organic agriculture development, said the Nhan Dan newspaper.

The figure was released at an event on September 19 to kick off activities in response to the Vietnam Organic Day jointly held by the Vietnam Organic Agriculture Association (VOAA) and the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

According to VOAA Chairman Ha Phuc Mich, the area of organic farming in Vietnam is estimated at 119,100 hectares, accounting for 0.5% of total agricultural land.

Vietnam has set a target to raise the proportion of organic farming land to 2.5-3% by 2030 and the value of organic products by 1.5-1.8 times that of ordinary agricultural products.

Organic products on display at the event (Photo: NDO)

Currently, Vietnam has more than 7,300 farmers engaged in organic farming and 60 distributors and exporters of organic products. Vietnam ranks 3rd in ASEAN and 7th in Asia in terms of organic land.

However, such results have remained modest compared to the country’s potential. Vietnam’s organic exports are estimated at 335 million USD, while the global organic value was 183 billion USD in 2022.

Furthermore, the link between farmers and enterprises is weak while the production costs of organic farming are much higher than conventional agriculture.

Therefore, enterprises must share the input costs, provide technical support and ensure the sale of organic products to help farmers overcome the above challenges.

In the future, the VOAA will step up assistance, training, consultation, connectivity and communication to create a sustainable organic community and enhance the trust of consumers.

US is largest market for Vietnamese seafood

The United States is Vietnam’s largest seafood export market in the first eight months of the year, with turnover reaching US$1.01 billion, an annual decline of 37%, Radio the Voice of Vietnam quoted the figures of the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP).

China and Hong Kong (China) ranked second with combined turnover reaching US$984 million, down 17%, followed by Japan with US$973 million, down 13%.

Most notably, the past decade has seen the US continue to be one of the country’s largest export markets for the two main products - shrimp and tuna.

In the 2013 - 2022 period, Vietnamese shrimp exports to this market fluctuated at between US$638 million and US$1 billion.

US is largest market for Vietnamese seafood - Photo for illustration (Photo: VOV)

In particular, shrimp exports to the US witnessed a record high of US$1.06 billion in 2014. In 2021, for the second time in 10 years, shrimp export turnover to this market also hit US$1.04 billion.

From the beginning of this year to August 15, shrimp exports to the US decreased by 30% to US$405 million.

Meanwhile, tuna exports to the US between 2013 and 2022 increased by US$187 million to US$487 million.

Tuna exports to the US in 2017 - 2019 grew continuously, climbing from US$226 million to US$316 million.

However, due to the impact of the pandemic, the figure fell to US$280 million in 2020 before rebounding in 2021 to US$338 million and US$487 million last year.

This year, amid difficulties in the global economy coupled with a decline in export prices, tuna export turnover to the US recorded a decrease of 49% to more than US$171 million.

VASEP statistics indicated that,Vietnam's seafood export turnover in the first eight months of the year dropped 25% to US$5.8 billion.