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| A farmer harvest durian at a garden in Bu Dang district, Binh Phuoc province. (Photo: VNA) |
According to the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association (Vinafruit), exports in the first 11 months recorded substantial growth across various markets, with double-digit increases. The most significant growth was seen in exports to Thailand, the Republic of Korea, Germany, Canada, China, and the US.
Vinafruit General Secretary Dang Phuc Nguyen stated that based on the obtained results, Vietnam’s fruit and vegetable exports could reach a record of 7 billion USD or even 7.2 billion USD by the year-end, the highest figure so far.
China remains Vietnam's largest fruit importer, accounting for an estimated 4.6 billion USD or nearly 70% of Vietnam's total fruit export value. Nguyen emphasised China’s vast potential, with its 1.4 billion population and status as the world’s second-largest economy.
Vietnam enjoys logistical advantages when exporting to China. The proximity of Vietnamese border checkpoints to Chinese wholesale markets significantly reduces transport time and costs. Additionally, the closeness of seaports in both countries enhances the competitiveness of Vietnamese fruits. Trade agreements between the two nations further create favourable conditions for Vietnamese fruits to deepen its penetration into the Chinese market.
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| Son La exports mangoes to China. (Photo: VNA) |
However, Vietnam faces stiff competition from other countries such as Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, Cambodia, Australia, and South American nations like Chile, Peru, and Ecuador. To stay competitive, Vietnamese farmers and exporters must meet stringent requirements, including certified planting area codes and registered processing and packaging facilities, as mandated by China’s General Administration of Customs (GACC).
Although the US is not among Vietnam’s top fruit importers, it offers significant advantages due to the lack of domestic production of many tropical fruits.
Alexis M. Taylor, US Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs at the Department of Agriculture (USDA), encouraged Vietnamese businesses to establish presence in the US market to better understand consumer preferences. She highlighted the potential for complementary trade, given that many Vietnamese fruits are unavailable in the US. Taylor suggested focusing on regions or communities with large Vietnamese-American populations as entry points into the market.
Currently, eight types of Vietnamese fresh fruits are exported to the US, including dragon fruit, mango, longan, lychee, rambutan, star apple, pomelo, and coconut. In August 2024, Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) reached an agreement with the USDA to introduce passion fruit to the US market.
Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Hoang Trung described the US as a vital market for Vietnam’s high-quality tropical agricultural products. He expressed his optimism that passion fruit would soon be available to US consumers.
11-month state budget revenue up 16.1%, exceeds target
The state budget revenue topped 1.8 quadrillion VND (71 billion USD) in the first 11 months of this year, equivalent to 106.3% of this year's target and up 16.1% from the same period in 2023, reported Vietnam News Agency according to statistics from the Ministry of Finance.
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| The 11-month state budget revenue is 6.3% higher than this year's target. (Photo: VNA) |
Breaking down the number, revenue contributions to the central budget reached approximately 110.1% while local budget collection stood at around 102.5% of the respective targets.
On the expenditure side, the state budget used 73.6% of its spending target for 2024, which represents a 4.7% increase from a year earlier.
A portion of this expenditure came from the 2024 contingency fund, amounting to 24.7 trillion VND. It was directed toward critical national defence and security tasks, support for localities with urgent missions, epidemic prevention and control, and production restoration following natural disasters and epidemics.
In addition to financial support, the ministry allocated 16,780 tonnes of rice from the national reserves to help localities recover from natural disasters.
With the year drawing to a close, Finance Minister Nguyen Van Thang has urged agencies and units to strive for the highest possible revenue collection, thus meeting the expectations of Party and State leaders.
Central Highlands localities focus on housing support for low-income families
The Central Highlands provinces of Gia Lai and Dak Nong are prioritising efforts to do away with substandard housing, striving to provide impoverished and near-poor households with secure and stable living conditions in 2025, reported Vietnam News Agency.
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| Leaders of Gia Lai province present financial housing support to a poor household in Ia O commune, Ia Grai district, in June 2024. (Source: Gia Lai Newspaper) |
In response to the nationwide programme on the elimination of makeshift and dilapidated housing by 2025, Gia Lai plans to support the construction and renovation of 8,178 homes across the province.
Accordingly, each household will receive 60 million VND (2,362 USD) to build new homes or 30 million VND for renovations, excluding social welfare policy beneficiaries who are unable to contribute financially. The houses will be built on land free of disputes, with designs following standardised templates, ensuring technical, quality, and cultural appropriateness for the local context.
Meanwhile, Dak Nong has established a 26-member steering committee led by provincial Party Committee Secretary Ngo Thanh Danh to oversee the work and devise strategies to meet the province's goal of removing makeshift housing by December 31, 2025.
As part of the 2021–2025 national programmes on sustainable poverty reduction and socio-economic development in mountainous and ethnic minority-inhabited areas, the province has supported the construction and renovation of nearly 400 houses for disadvantaged families. Dak Nong currently identifies over 500 others in need of such assistance, but progress has been delayed due to various challenges.
Up to 5,000 extra train tickets provided for Tet holidays
The Railway Transport Joint Stock Company will operate an additional 11 trains with 5,000 extra seats to meet the high travel demand during the upcoming Lunar New Year (Tet) holidays 2025, reported Vietnam News Agency.
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| A train ticket counter at Hanoi Station (Photo: VNA) |
These services will connect Saigon Station in Ho Chi Minh City with Quang Ngai, Hanoi, and other destinations.
The expanded schedule includes additional trains running between Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi on select dates in January, with extra services also operating between Ho Chi Minh City and Quang Ngai. Ticket sales for the Tet period, which began in October, have reportedly reached over 137,000, with a significant proportion purchased online.
Ticket availability varies depending on the travel date. While pre-Tet journeys before January 21 have tickets for all destinations, peak dates from January 22-26 show limited availability for popular destinations such as Phan Thiet and Nha Trang. After Tet, from January 29 to February 16, tickets are more widely available.
Regional train services are also being maintained during this period. Routes such as Hanoi–Vinh and Hanoi–Lao Cai are offering consistent schedules, with ticket sales for these services open throughout January and February.
Promotional discounts are being provided to make travel more affordable. Discounts are available for social policy beneficiaries, loyalty programme members, and students, with reductions ranging from 10% to 20% for the latter group.
Additional savings include a 3% discount for long-distance journeys starting in Ho Chi Minh City on January 27 and a 5% discount for return tickets.
These measures are expected to alleviate travel pressures during one of the busiest times of the year while making train travel more accessible for various passenger groups./.