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| Vietnamese durian (Photo: CPV) |
According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), the overseas shipments of Vietnamese durian brought home approximately 1.7 billion USD between January and July.
Dang Phuc Nguyen, General Secretary of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association (Vinafruit), noted that farmers in Mekong Delta provinces such as Tien Giang and Vinh Long have ramped up off-season durian production, significantly boosting output during this seven-month period. Currently, around 50-60% of growing areas in the region are focusing on off-season production.
In addition, unfavourable weather conditions have caused a sharp decline in Thailand’s durian output, creating further opportunities for Vietnam in the market, Nguyen added.
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| A farmer from the Mekong Delta province of Tieng Giang introduces his durian to a client. (Photo: sggp.org.vn) |
Meanwhile, a substantial volume of durian, particularly from the Central Highlands, will be exported in the remaining months of the year. Data from the MARD’s Department of Crop Production shows that Vietnam now has around 150,000 hectares of the tropical fruit, with more than 75,000 hectares located in the Central Highlands.
Durian is currently grown in the Mekong Delta, southeast, central coastal, and Central Highlands regions. The delta harvests its main crop from April to August, the central coast from April to June, the southeastern region from May to July, and the Central Highlands from July to November.
Ha Long to host first hot air balloon festival in early September
The skies over Ha Long city in the northern province of Quang Ninh will be full of hot air balloons during its first-ever festival in early September to mark 79 years of National Day of Vietnam (1945-2024), and 30 years of Ha Long Bay’s World Heritage site recognition by UNESCO (1994-2024), said Radio the Voice of Vietnam.
The festival, due to take place on September 1-2 at Square October 30 and Dai Duong Park beach, will feature hot air balloon flying and touring, alongside a light show, music, dance, and art activities.
Notably, hot-air balloons of various designs will go on display at Square 30/10 on the evening of September 2.
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| Ha Long to host first hot air balloon festival in early September - Photo for illustration. (Source: VOV) |
The event is expected to promote Ha Long city as a destination with typical culture, friendly people, and great potential and advantages for tourism development, according to the administration of Quang Ninh province in their role as organisers.
Ha Long Bay was first listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994, in recognition of its outstanding, universal aesthetic value. In 2000, the World Heritage Committee additionally recognized Ha Long Bay for its outstanding geological and geomorphological value.
In 2012, the New 7 Wonders Foundation officially named Ha Long Bay as one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature. Ha Long Bay is also part of the Club of the Most Beautiful Bays of the World.
Vietnam's rice exports soar
Vietnam’s rice industry is experiencing a golden period, with exports projected to surpass 5 billion USD this year, fueled by robust global demand and stable prices, the Vietnam News Agency quoted the sayings of experts.
Between January and July, Vietnam shipped over 5.1 million tonnes of rice worth 3.2 billion USD aboard, up 25% in volume and 5.8% in value annually, reported the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
The Vietnam Food Association said the average export price of Vietnamese rice reached a record high of 636 USD per tonne, surpassing major competitors like Thailand, Pakistan, and India.
Traditional markets such as the Philippines, Indonesia, and China continue to be major buyers, while Vietnam is boldly venturing into new markets, including the Middle East, Africa, South America, the Republic of Korea and Japan.
The superior quality of Vietnamese rice, exemplified by the ST25 variety being twice named "World's Best Rice", is a key competitive advantage.
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| Vietnam's rice exports soar (Photo: VNA) |
The global rice market is facing a shortage of 7 million tonnes this year, with some countries imposing export restrictions and others building up reserves. This presents Vietnam with both significant opportunities and challenges.
In this setting, the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) has urged rice exporters to closely monitor market fluctuations and exercise caution in pricing to maintain Vietnam's reputation for premium rice.
To address the complex issues facing the rice industry, the MoIT and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development have proposed establishing a national rice council to coordinate research, policymaking, and industry development.
The council, serving as an inter-sectoral coordinating body, aims to foster connections across the entire rice value chain, from production to export, and elevate the global brand of Vietnamese rice./.
Vietjet to add 25,000 seats for National Day holiday
Vietjet plans to add 25,000 seats, equivalent to 120 flights, during the National Day holiday (August 31 - September 3) to serve the travel demand expected to surge on both domestic and international routes, said the Vietnam News Agency.
Vietjet has opened ticket sales for many domestic routes to/from major tourist destinations such as Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Da Nang, Nha Trang, Phu Quoc, and Hue.
Passengers can book tickets early on the carrier’s website, vietjetair.com, or via the Vietjet Air mobile app, so as to select suitable flights with affordable prices for their holiday.
A representative of Vietjet said that as the number of passengers at airports is predicted to surge, the airline is increasing resources and personnel to assist passengers to handle procedures and provide professional services on modern aircraft.
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| An aircraft of Vietjet (Photo: VNA) |
Vietjet is offering promotional tickets starting from 0 VND (excluding tax and fee) during the daily “golden hours” from 12:00 to 14:00. Additionally, it is offering free checked baggage on Eco-tickets and a 30% discount on tickets for Business and SkyBoss class passengers (excluding tax and fee) on all domestic routes and international ones to Australia, India, Japan, the Republic of Korea, China, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Laos, and Cambodia, among others.
The firm recently welcomed the 200 millionth passenger. Between August and the year’s end, it plans to add 10 new aircraft to its fleet, most of which are the modern A321neo ACF, to serve the flight network expansion and meet the growing air travel demand.
Vietjet is a fully-fledged member of International Air Transport Association (IATA) and holds the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) certificate. The private carrier has been awarded the highest ranking for safety with 7 stars by the world’s only safety and product rating website airlineratings.com, and listed as one of the world's 50 best airlines for healthy financing and operations by Airfinance Journal in many consecutive years. It has also been named as the best low-cost carrier by renowned organisations such as Skytrax, CAPA, Airline Ratings, and many others./.