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| A corner of Trang An Landscape Complex (Photo: laodong.vn) |
For those after an overseas holiday with built-in charm, serenity, scenery, shopping, great food, cultural splendour, and astonishing value, then Vietnam is a standout option, the newspaper wrote about the country.
These days guests can add relaxing to the list thanks to ever-improving transport systems, professional tour operations, and glossy resorts and hotels. Although gateway cities such as Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City are compelling enough, both represent churning whirlpools of entrepreneurial energy.
The Australian newspaper suggested visitors head out into the countryside in order to discover a tapestry of jade-green rice paddies and muddy villages against a backdrop of blue hills. Indeed, both northern and southern Vietnam are distinctly different experiences, with guests spending at least 10 days exploring either.
December is the beginning of the dry season in the south, therefore it is the prime time to explore the liquid landscape of the Mekong Delta. Along with the floating markets, the fecund bird life and the water meadows, visitors shouldn’t miss the staggeringly beautiful region around Chau Doc, located near the Cambodian border.
In Hanoi at this time of year guests can expect warm and sunny days with low levels of humidity, although nights can be chilly. The one area of the country off the agenda in this season is the northern hills, which are freezing in December, according to the author Michael Gebicki.
Other locations to feature the list include Nepal, Maldives, Cambodia, and India.
Quang Tri airport project launched
A ceremony was held in Dong Ha city in the central province of Quang Tri on December 15 to launch a project to build an airport in the province, according to the Vietnam News Agency.
The airport will be built in Gio Quang, Gio Hai, and Gio Mai communes of Gio Linh district on an area of 265ha, and with a total investment of 5.83 trillion VND (240 million USD).
Once operational, it will handle up to 5 million passengers and 25,500 tonnes of cargo per year.
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| Delegates launching Quang Tri airport project (Photo: VNA) |
A consortium comprising two companies is the investor for the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) project.
According to a decision by the provincial People’s Committee approving the selection of the investor, the project will be carried out under a Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) contract, with its preparation and construction expected to take two years. The contract implementation period (operation, toll collection, return of capital) is 47 years and 2 months.
It is one of the 33 airports in the Master Planning on airport development in the 2021-2030 period with a vision to 2050, approved by the Prime Minister in June.
Rice exports expected to hit 5 billion USD this year
Rice export volume and value during the first 11 months surpassed the figures of the entire 2022, and this year’s revenue is expected to reach 5 billion USD, the Vietnam News Agency qouted the saying of authorities.
In 2023, the rice farming area nationwide is 7.1 million ha with productivity estimated at 6.08 tonnes of unmilled rice per ha and total output at 43.1 million tonnes, up about 420,000 tonnes from last year.
Some 7.75 million tonnes of milled rice was exported during the first 11 months of this year to bring home an estimated 4.41 billion USD in revenue, respectively rising 16.2% and 36.3% year on year. Export prices averaged 568 USD per tonne during the period, up 17.3%, according to the Department of Quality, Processing and Market Development under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD).
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| About 7.1 million ha of rice was cultivated this year with productivity estimated at 6.08 tonnes of unmilled rice per ha. (Photo: VNA) |
The export volume has been kept at around 6 million tonnes and increased over years, with annual value continually topping 3 billion USD, statistics show.
At a workshop held in the Mekong Delta province of Hau Giang on December 13, MARD Deputy Minister Tran Thanh Nam said the rice sector plays a crucial role in the agriculture of Vietnam and many other countries in the region and the world.
Domestic and international rice markets will remain vibrant in the time ahead due to big import demand from China, Indonesia, the Philippines, the Middle East, and Africa, he forecast.
However, Nam noted, the growth in export volume will affect the stockpile in exporting countries while higher export prices will also lead to an increase in unmilled rice prices, which in turn will partly impact domestic prices of milled grains.
Pangasius exports likely to reach US$1.8 billion this year
Vietnamese pangasius exports are anticipated to reach about US$1.8 billion this year, equivalent to 75% from the same period last year, Radio the Voice of Vietnam qouted the information of a conference held in the Mekong Delta province of An Giang on December 15.
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| Pangasius exports likely to reach US$1.8 billion this year (Photo: VOV) |
According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the pangasius industry is facing numerous challenges due to declining demand and market shrinking globally.
The major importers of Vietnamese pangasius products such as China, the United States, and the EU have seen decreases of between 17% and 53%.
Experts said that the supply source of raw pangasius in the country in the third quarter of the year decreased and is forecast to continue to fall next year, leading to a shortage of materials for processing.
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| Pangasius processed for export (Photo: nhadautu.vn) |
They attributed the limited supply to high farming costs, a factor which has made farmers more hesitant to expand aquaculture areas, especially when exports recover slowly. However, they played down processors’ concerns, because pangasius farming is maintained while the quality is ensured.
Insiders underlined the need to strengthen chain linkages, inject additional investment, and actively boost market expansion in an attempt to swiftly remove hurdles faced by the local pangasisus industry./.