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| Vietnam's pepper export nears 500 million USD. (Photo: VNA) |
The average export price of black pepper is 4,197 USD per tonne and white pepper, 5,804 USD per tonne, up 754 USD and 849 USD respectively compared to the same period in 2023.
The US was the largest importer of the Vietnamese spice in the period with 30,466 tonnes, accounting for 26.6% of the total and up 44.4% year on year. Exports also skyrocketed in some markets such as Italy, Germany, and Russia with rises of 179%, 103.2% and 49.7%, respectively.
Vietnam has promoted pepper export to many traditional markets such as the US, India, Germany, the Netherlands, the Republic of Korea, and Egypt. Export to many markets increased sharply in both volume and value.
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| Vietnam’s black pepper (Photo: VOV) |
According to the Vietnam Pepper and Spice Association (VPSA), Vietnam's pepper production this year is estimated to decrease by 10% compared to last year, to only about 170,000 tonnes - the lowest in the past five years. Meanwhile, the supply from countries such as Brazil, Indonesia, India and even smaller producers like Malaysia and Sri Lanka is also declining.
Vietnam wins two gold medals at Senior World Muaythai Championships
The Vietnamese Muaythai team won two gold medals, seven silvers and nine bronzes, ranking 9th in the overall ranking at the 2024 Senior World Muaythai Championships which took place from May 31 - June 10 in Greece, said the Vietnam News Agency.
Huynh Ha Huu Hieu earned one gold medal after defeating Russian opponent Sofia Istratova in the women's elite 45kg final with a score of 2-1 after 3 rounds on June 9.
This is also the third time in her career that Hieu has won a gold medal at the world championships, following the victories in 2019 and 2021.
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| Vietnam wins two gold medals at Senior World Muaythai Championships (Photo: nld.com.vn) |
The other gold was pocketed by Tran Thi Tuyet Anh in the junior disciplines, the women's U23 75kg category after beating Salama Aljneibi of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) 3-0.
The silver medalists are Nguyen Doan Long, Le Hoang Duc, Hoang Thi Thu, Bui Hai Linh, Nguyen Thi Chieu, Mai Hoang Khanh and Hoang Dinh Manh in the U23 group.
Meanwhile, Ta Thi Kim Yen, Nguyen Thi Hien Luong, Nguyen Thi Huong, Duong Duc Bao, Le Hoang Duc, Han Thi Thuy, Nguyen Thi Chieu and Nguyen Hoang Minh brought home bronze medals in demonstration categories for the U23 group.
Miss Tourism Vietnam 2024 launched
The Miss Tourism Vietnam 2024 contest has been officially launched in order to seek beautiful girls who have the mission of promoting tourism, cultural heritage, landscape, and people of Vietnam to the world, according to Radio the Voice of Vietnam.
The contest is open to all women of Vietnamese nationality, aged between 18 and 28, who are single and have no children yet, heard a press conference held in Ho Chi Minh City on June 9.
Contestants who are at least 1.62m tall and have had no cosmetic surgery are eligible to enter the contest.
Top 60 contestants will be selected to go through to the semi-final round which is slated for July 6 in Sa Pa, one of the world’s 50 most beautiful towns, in northern Lao Cai province.
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| Top 3 finalists of Miss Tourism Vietnam 2024 will work as tourism ambassadors after the contest. (Photo courtesy of the organizers) |
Top 40 beauties will progress through the final round which is scheduled to take place in Cam Pha city of northern Quang Ninh province on July 20.
The winner will walk away with a cash prize of VND300 million. First and second runners-up will be awarded VND200 million and VND100 million, respectively.
Winners in sub-contests will be unveiled in the grand finale, including Miss Sea, Miss Talent, Miss Inspiration, Miss Fashion, Beauty with the Best Evening Dress, Beauty with the Best Face, Miss Ao Dai Vietnam, and Most Favourite Beauty.
Top 3 finalists of Miss Tourism Vietnam 2024 will work as tourism ambassadors as they will travel through 63 cities and provinces to promote local tourism potential.
Miss Tourism Vietnam was first held in 2008, and it had not been held until 2022 when the second edition took place. Since then it has been held every two years.
Coconut exports likely to exceed US$1 billion in the time ahead
The signing of the Protocol to officially export coconuts to China will help this product have the opportunity to surpass the US$1 billion mark in the near future, while also opening up "successful" opportunities for numerous key coconut localities, Radio the Voice of Vietnam quoted the information of insiders.
The Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) and the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC) have consented to soon finalize procedures regarding the signing of a protocol on plant quarantine requirements for Vietnamese fresh coconuts and frozen durians exported to China.
In particular, both sides initialed the conclusion of negotiations on the protocol regarding phytosanitary requirements for the export of fresh coconuts from Vietnam to China. This has opened the door for Vietnamese fresh coconuts to enter the vast market of 1.4 billion people.
Tran Van Duc, chairman of the Board of Directors of Ben Tre Coconut Investment Joint Stock Company, highlighted the huge demand for imported coconut of China which consumes about 2.6 billion fresh coconuts each year and 1.5 billion coconuts for processing, while the neighbouring country's coconut output only meets 10%.
According to Duc, local businesses have long wanted to bring products into the highly lucrative market. However, the company's coconut products cannot be exported as both nations do not have a protocol even though the company's products have made their foray into high-end markets such as Europe, the US, and the Middle East.
“Vietnam currently ranks 7th in coconut production worldwide. With the advantage of being close to China, if this market can be opened, coconut exports will make a breakthrough in the time ahead," Duc emphasized.
A number of Chinese partners have begun to contact him to learn about and visit his company's factories. Duc is also confident that his company has experience in exporting fresh coconuts to fastidious markets, therefore, it will not be too difficult to meet the requirements of raw material areas and packaging facilities from China.
Dang Huynh Uc My, chairwoman of Betrimex, said that Vietnam currently has more than 180,000 hectares of coconuts, with a large amount concentrated in the central coastal provinces and the Mekong Delta.
Notably, like the southern province of Ben Tre, coconut products have been shipped to nearly 100 countries and regions, including European, American and Middle Eastern markets, and coconuts account for more than 42.5% of the province's export revenue.
“Last year, coconuts were also identified as a key economic crop for the first time and exports reached US$1 billion. With abundant supply, when Vietnamese coconuts are officially exported to China, this product will have the opportunity to exceed the US$1 billion mark as a contribution to raising people's income and boosting domestic coconut production in a more professional and standardized manner,” My went on to say.
Huynh Tan Dat, head of the Plant Protection Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, said that over the past 2 years, the department has held an in-depth discussion with Chinese competent agencies on technical issues related to pest management, fruit quality and safety management measures, as well as product packaging.
According to him, the signing of the protocol on fresh coconuts is one of the innovations China creates for Vietnam. Successfully opening the market for each agricultural product also shows the trust of the international market in Vietnamese agricultural products, he added./.