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| Illustrative image (Photo: VNA) |
Statistics showed that total agricultural production value went up 3.33% while the rate of forest coverage hit 42.02%. Along with this, over 73% of communes were recognised as new-style rural areas under criteria set by the government.
Eleven groups of goods raked in over 1 billion USD each, including coffee, rubber, rice, fruits and vegetables, cashew nuts, shrimp, tra fish and wooden furniture that earned more than 2 billion USD. Trade surplus of the sector was estimated at 8.5 billion USD, up 30% year-on-year.
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| Durian officially exported to China in 2022 (Photo: TTO) |
In the first 11 months of last year, Asia remained Vietnam’s biggest market with a market share of 44.7%, followed by America 27.4%, Europe 11.3%, the Pacific 1.7% and Africa 1.7%. The US was still the biggest importer of Vietnamese farm produce with a combined value of 12.3 billion USD, accounting for 25% of the market share. Coming next was China with roughly 9.3 billion USD and Japan 3.9 billion USD, equivalent to 18.9% and 7.9% of the market shares, respectively.
Deputy Director of the Vietnam Academy of Agricultural Sciences Dao The Anh expressed his belief that farm produce exports will continue thriving this year. He underlined the need to further diversify export markets, including China and rearrange production to meet market requirements for food safety and post-harvest packaging.
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan also called on businesses, associations and manufacturers to maintain their reputation in the market.
Mekong Delta rice farming to become a leading sector in agricultural production
Farmers in the Mekong Delta contribute over 50% of the country's rice production and 90% of rice exports. However, quality, efficiency, product competitiveness and income of rice farmers in the region remain low, reported Nhan Dan newspaper.
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| Mekong Delta rice farming to become a leading sector in agricultural production (Photo: VNA) |
To increase the rice value chain, adapt to climate change and protect the environment, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is developing a project on sustainable production of 1 million hectares specialising in high-quality rice cultivation in the Mekong Delta. The project is expected to shift rice farming to become a leading sector in agricultural production with a multi-valued approach.
This is also a programme to implement Resolution No. 13-NQ/TW dated April 2, 2022 of the Politburo on the direction of socio-economic development and assurance of national defence and security in the Mekong Delta to 2030, with a vision to 2045. It will contribute to the implementation of Vietnam's commitment at COP26, and demonstrate production growth and protect the environment.
Dang Kim Son, former Director of the Institute of Policy and Strategy for Agriculture and Rural Development, said with the goal to develop a project of this kind, rice production must be on a large scale to apply harmonious mechanisation and automation.
Vo Tong Xuan, Honorary Rector of Southern Can Tho University, said that Vietnam already has good rice varieties and it is important to pay attention to how to organise production to bring efficiency and ensure sustainable development.
He added that, to make the project work well, it is necessary to have mechanisms and policies in place, as that is how to help find markets and diversify products, thus improving the value of Vietnamese rice.
Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Tran Thanh Nam said that not only high-quality rice varieties, the region must ensure sustainable production processes, protect the ecological environment, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Besides, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development will work with localities in the Mekong Delta, industry associations, rice production and trading enterprises, and cooperatives to determine specific deployment production areas for rice production. This will encourage businesses, cooperatives and local authorities in the Mekong Delta to participate in the project implementation.
More activities welcome Lunar New Year overseas
The Vietnamese Embassy in Russia has freshly organised a get-together with musical performances, a lucky draw, and a firework display to celebrate the upcoming Lunar New Year Festival (Tet) – Vietnam’s biggest and longest annual traditional festival, reported Vietnam News Agency.
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| Ambassador Dang Minh Khoi speaks at the gathering in Russia. (Photo: VNA) |
Addressing the January 19 gathering of the embassy's staff and overseas Vietnamese (OV), Ambassador Dang Minh Khoi expressed his joy that in the face of many difficulties, the expatriate community in Russia has still made contributions to the development of economic and trade cooperation between the two countries.
He hoped efforts to promote bilateral trade in the past year will create momentum for growth in 2023.
President of the OV association in Russia Do Xuan Hoang said the close relationship between generations of diplomatic missions and the expatriate community remains unchanged despite many fluctuations in the community's life over the years.
Earlier, with a similar purpose, the Vietnamese Embassy in Venezuela on January 18 held an event to introduce the cultural charms of Tet, featuring photos on Vietnamese people and landscapes, musical performances, and traditional dishes.
Ambassador Le Viet Duyen took this occasion to highlight remarkable progress made in the two countries’ cooperation across fields in the past and thank the host nation’s competent agencies and international friends for their contributions to the ties.
Echoing the view, President of the Venezuela-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentarians Group Saúl Ortega highly appreciated the good results that the two countries have achieved in all spheres from politics, diplomacy, cooperation at international forums, to economy, society, people-to-people exchanges.
He also expressed admiration for the Vietnamese culture, country and people.
Winner of logo design contest marking Vietnam-Singapore diplomatic ties announced
The winner of the contest to design a commemorative logo for the 50th founding anniversary of Vietnam-Singapore diplomatic ties and the 10th anniversary of strategic partnership was honoured at an award ceremony held in both face-to-face and online forms in Hanoi on January 19, reported Vietnam News Agency.
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| The logo designed by Le Thanh Hong - the student at Singapore Polytechnic (Photo: The organising board) |
Co-hosted by the Vietnam - Singapore Friendship Association under the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO) and the Singaporean Embassy in Vietnam, this was an opening event for a series of activities to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the diplomatic relations, and 10 years of the strategic partnership between the two countries.
The contest was initiated by the Vietnamese Students' Association in Singapore and the Singapore Global Network (SGN) in October last year for Vietnamese students studying from the high school to doctoral (PhD) levels in Singapore.
The first prize went to Le Thanh Hong, a student at Singapore Polytechnic.
Addressing the event, Singaporean Ambassador to Vietnam Jaya Ratnam emphasised that the strong economic relations between the two nations are the foundation of the bilateral relations.
He also highlighted the exchange relationships in terms of tourism, education and culture between Vietnam and Singapore, saying that Singapore always welcomes Vietnamese students to study and research at its educational institutions.
The organising board has received many creative and original entries, which reflect the spirit of the fruitful relationship between the two countries, he said, adding that the selected logo will be used by the Embassy of Singapore in Hanoi, the Vietnamese Embassy in Singapore, SGN and their partners in events celebrating the 50th anniversary of relations between the two nations in 2023./.