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| Vietnam’s forestry exports up 47% in first two months (Photo: VTV) |
The sector enjoyed a trade surplus of about 2.46 billion USD in the period.
This year, the agriculture sector is striving for 15.2 billion USD in forestry exports, of which 14.2 billion USD will come from the export of wood and wood products, up 6% year-on-year.
To that end, the industry will strictly control and manage imported wood, ensure wood is of legal origin before processing, and encourage the use of raw wood sources from domestically grown forests.
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| Forestry exports reached 2.68 billion USD in the first two months (Photo: vneconomy.vn) |
In addition, it will promote trade promotion activities, develop markets in new potential regions, and organise international fairs, while encouraging wood processing and exporting enterprises to link with forest growers in production chains.
Vietnamese businesses join vegetarian food fair in Hong Kong
Vietnamese businesses joined some 300 exhibitors at the 10th Vegetarian Food Asia (VFA) that took place in China’s Hong Kong from March 8-10 to promote vegetarian and green lifestyles in Asia, according to Vietnam News Agency.
A wide range of Vietnamese organic products were on the showcase at the fair for the first time.
According to Deputy Director of Cau Ke Tra Vinh Wax Coconut Processing Company Limited (VICOSAP) Lam Ngoc Tu, she brought to the fair 10 lines of wax coconut products, which were exported to the US, the UK, Japan, and China’s Taiwan and Hong Kong, so as to seek more vegetarian consumers.
Other Vietnamese products such as coffee, cashew nut, noodle and dried fruits also won the interest of Hong Kong customers.
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| VICOSAP products attract the attention of Hong Kong consumers. (Photo: VNA) |
Chief Representative of Guangdong Import-Export Association in Vietnam Kelvin Chau said that he took Vietnamese firms to the fair so that they could have opportunities to access the Hong Kong market, and through which to enter the Chinese market.
Organised for the first time in 2015, the VFA has become the largest and most comprehensive showcase of vegetarian and eco-friendly living in Hong Kong. It has drawn the participation of companies from many countries worldwide, including China, China’s Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey and Vietnam.
At this year event, vegetarian, vegan and plant-friendly guests had the chance to explore the latest vegetarian movements in Asia with various seminars and workshops. It also offered an opportunity for producers and businesses to promote connectivity so as to launch naturally organic products to the market to meet increasing demand of the consumers.
Classical Music Festival opens in Da Lat city
More than 100 artists are performing at the Vietnam Classical Music Festival which opened in the UNESCO Creative Music City of Da Lat, the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong on March 10, said the Vietnam News Agency.
The week-long festival gathers renowned Vietnamese and international music troupes and artists such as Song Hong Ensemble, Schubert in a Mug and pianists Nguyen Duc Anh, Liao Hsin-Chiao (from China’s Taiwan) and Tim Allhoff (from Germany).
A live concert staged by musicians from the Hanoi and Da Lat brass communities kicked off the festival, attracting a large number of festival-goers.
The same day, a painting exhibition featuring a collection of original paintings of 12 zodiac signs by late artist Nguyen Tu Nghiem, one of the most influential painters in the 20th-century Vietnam, was organised at Ana Mandara Villas Dalat Resort & Spa. Meanwhile, an opera concert is scheduled at the Lam Dong Youth Centre (called “Pho ben doi” (hillside street).
Other fascinating performances in the framework of the festival include those by Song HongTrio in the Flower Town, a sunset concert and Beethoven’s A Portrait piano solo.
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| Visitors to Da Lat city (Photo: VNA) |
Da Lat was recognised as a UNESCO Creative Music City last October. The organisation of the classical music festival will promote the city's actions to preserve and develop different music genres.
In Vietnam, Hanoi was the first city to join the UNESCO Creative Cities Network in 2019.
UNESCO launched the Creative Cities Network in 2004 to promote cooperation among cities that recognise creativity as a significant factor of their development. The network recognises seven factors – craft and folk arts, media, film, design, gastronomy, literature, and music – as creative fields.
Japan Vietnam Festival tightens bilateral friendship, cooperation
The 9th Japan Vietnam Festival, themed “Hold hands together - From now on”, was held in Ho Chi Minh City on March 9-10, starting a series of cultural, sport, trade and tourism activities between the two countries, the Vietnam News Agency reported.
The festival is the largest annual cultural exchange event with the participation of businesses from Vietnam and Japan, said Sugano Yuichi, chief representative of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in Vietnam, a sponsor of the festival.
This year’s theme means that after 50 years of building close diplomatic ties, both countries will continue to work together to develop further, he said.
The event also hosted the largest number of booths ever, with over 150 booths showcasing and selling food, consumer goods, tourism products, local specialties, educational programmes, and healthcare products.
There were also booths featuring Vietnamese and Japanese poetry, Japanese tea ceremonies, traditional Japanese folk games, and sports, as well as Gashapon vending machine-dispensed toys for children.
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| Cuisine booths attract visitors (Photo: VNA) |
Festival-goers could also engage in music and dance shows performed by Japanese artists, such as BallistikBoyz and PsychicFever, and Vietnamese singers, such as My My and Tang Duy Tan.
Cosplay activities, the re-creation of the Bon Odori and Awa Odori dance festivals, traditional Vietnamese Ao dai (long dress) shows, and other thrilling performances were also part of the event.
“That Japanese culture and products are greatly endorsed by Vietnamese people, and vice versa, proves that this cooperation is getting stronger than ever,” said Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida while addressing the opening ceremony via video.
Hosting around 500,000 visitors last year, the event is expected to continue being a great way to connect people from both countries, he said.
Vietnam’s Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang said that following last year's success, the festival continues to be a bridge strengthening the friendship and mutual trust between the two countries, boosting trade promotion, as well as promoting multifaceted cooperation and exchange./.