Vietnamese export rice price continues to retain its top spot among regional rice exporters.
According to VOV, in terms of the global market, the Vietnamese export rice price continued to maintain its leading position among rice exporting countries. Accordingly, 5% broken rice surged from between US$12 to US$15 per tonne compared to the beginning of the year to US$415 per tonne, the highest level in more than three months thanks to growing demand and production advantages.
Along with traditional markets such as the Philippines, accounting for the largest proportion, China, Malaysia, the United States, African countries, and the Republic of Korea, the country's rice exports to Europe are expected to increase sharply this year thanks to support from the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA).
The nation therefore aims to boost restructuring for value promotion, sustainable development towards the goal of improving the quality, and the value of Vietnamese rice in the near future.
Hanoi enjoys positive economic growth in first quarter
The capital’s economic growth rate during the first quarter of the year showed signs of a remarkable improvement thanks to timely and effective solutions, demonstrating its resilience and development after suffering from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, reported VOV.
According to data detailed by the Hanoi Department of Planning and Investment, the opening quarter of the year saw Hanoi’s gross domestic product (GDP) expand by 5.83%, a figure 1.16 times higher than that of the whole country. In addition, it was in line with the capital’s growth scenario of between 5.7% and 6.2%.
Of the figure, services increased by 6.15%, industry - construction rose by 5.61%, and agriculture, forestry and fishery climbed by 3.39%. This represents a very important increase due to the recovery trend being seen across multiple sectors and fields.
Le Van Quan, deputy director of the Hanoi Department of Planning and Investment, said that early this year the capital had outlined an economic growth scenario for each quarter, each industry, and each field, before issuing a plan for economic recovery and development of the construction industry.
Photo for illustration (Source: chinhphu.vn)
These great efforts taken by competent agencies and enterprises in a bid to promote production and business, as well as flexibly responding to the pandemic, also helped ensure large balances, revenue, and expenditure.
During the first quarter of the year, Hanoi's total state budget revenue reached over VND102,000 billion, equaling 32.9% of the estimate, up more than 19% over the same period from last year. Indeed, the majority of the capital's key economic indicators also posted an increase.
Tran Thi Phuong Lan, acting director of the Hanoi Department of Industry and Trade, said that the city's primary focus on developing industries has been less affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Indeed, the capital has found adaptive solutions for pandemic-hit areas which has helped to give a fresh boost to production and business activities in the process of recovery and development.
With regard to the disbursement results of public investment capital throughout the reviewed period, the capital disbursed VND4,111 billion, duly meeting 8% of the plan, representing a rise of 26.7% on-year. Hanoi defined the annual plan for public investment disbursement as an important task aimed at boosting economic development in the context of the national economy being heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Furthermore, the Hanoi People's Committee has requested that departments, agencies, People's Committees of districts, towns, and investors mobilise all resources, improve the efficiency of public investment, and speed up the implementation of public investment projects on schedule from the start of the year.
Under the Socio-Economic Development and Recovery Program, Hanoi also aims to promote economic growth, innovative start-ups, and digital transformation in order to lay a foundation for sustainable development. This will be done while striving to fulfill the highest growth target of 8% and keep the urban unemployment rate at below 4%.
Another of the capital's focus is also on reducing costs, supporting cash flow, and facilitating activities of businesses, economic organisations, and citizens.
According to data detailed by the Hanoi Department of Planning and Investment, the opening quarter of the year saw Hanoi’s gross domestic product (GDP) expand by 5.83%, a figure 1.16 times higher than that of the whole country. In addition, it was in line with the capital’s growth scenario of between 5.7% and 6.2%.
Of the figure, services increased by 6.15%, industry - construction rose by 5.61%, and agriculture, forestry and fishery climbed by 3.39%. This represents a very important increase due to the recovery trend being seen across multiple sectors and fields.
Le Van Quan, deputy director of the Hanoi Department of Planning and Investment, said that early this year the capital had outlined an economic growth scenario for each quarter, each industry, and each field, before issuing a plan for economic recovery and development of the construction industry.
These great efforts taken by competent agencies and enterprises in a bid to promote production and business, as well as flexibly responding to the pandemic, also helped ensure large balances, revenue, and expenditure.
During the first quarter of the year, Hanoi's total state budget revenue reached over VND102,000 billion, equaling 32.9% of the estimate, up more than 19% over the same period from last year. Indeed, the majority of the capital's key economic indicators also posted an increase.
Tran Thi Phuong Lan, acting director of the Hanoi Department of Industry and Trade, said that the city's primary focus on developing industries has been less affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Indeed, the capital has found adaptive solutions for pandemic-hit areas which has helped to give a fresh boost to production and business activities in the process of recovery and development.
With regard to the disbursement results of public investment capital throughout the reviewed period, the capital disbursed VND4,111 billion, duly meeting 8% of the plan, representing a rise of 26.7% on-year. Hanoi defined the annual plan for public investment disbursement as an important task aimed at boosting economic development in the context of the national economy being heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Furthermore, the Hanoi People's Committee has requested that departments, agencies, People's Committees of districts, towns, and investors mobilise all resources, improve the efficiency of public investment, and speed up the implementation of public investment projects on schedule from the start of the year.
Under the Socio-Economic Development and Recovery Program, Hanoi also aims to promote economic growth, innovative start-ups, and digital transformation in order to lay a foundation for sustainable development. This will be done while striving to fulfill the highest growth target of from 7.5% to 8% and keep the urban unemployment rate at below 4%.
Another of the capital's focus is also on reducing costs, supporting cash flow, and facilitating activities of businesses, economic organisations, and citizens.
Proper solutions needed to tap into huge potential for exports to Iran
Thorough research in market connection will serve as a means of helping local businesses boost their export of key agricultural products to Iran in the near future, reported VOV.
Tea is one of Vietnam's key agricultural export products to the Iranian market.
Vietnam’s annual trade turnover with Iran stands at a modest level of over US$100 million in recent years.
Lam Thanh Hung Trading Co., Ltd, a Vietnamese enterprise that imports interior decoration products, Persian carpets, saffron, roses, functional foods from Iran for sale in the Vietnamese market. It also promotes the export of Vietnamese coffee, tea, cinnamon, anise, pepper, and apparel to the Iranian market.
Nguyen Thi Hien Giang, director of Lam Thanh Hung Trading Co., Ltd who has over eight years of experience living and working in Iran, said that the Middle Eastern country is not only a potential market for local goods, especially agricultural items, it also serve as the "gateway" for to penetrate the vast market.
Iran is the eighth largest cotton producer and ranks third in terms of grape production globally.
Most notably, many Vietnamese enterprises import saffron, a very famous Iranian product. Despite this, Iran's agricultural output is not enough to meet the needs of the local 86 million market, therefore it has a great need for imports from other countries and desires trade connectivity with Vietnam.
“In Iran, each person consumes about 120kg of fruit per year. Tropical fruits are very popular in the Middle East nation, such as pineapple and mango. Each year, this market imports roughly 470,000 tons of tropical fruits, equivalent to about US$700 million. If doing well with market connectivity, Vietnam can completely export items such as dragon fruit, guava, pomelo, and papaya to Iran," said Giang.
In addition, the prominent habits in relation to the consumption culture of Iranians indicates that there remains ample room for tea and coffee exports to grow this potential market. Currently, Iran primarily imports raw coffee, black tea, and green tea. Meanwhile, Vietnam is capable of boosting the export of these key agricultural products to Iran in the near future, she added.
Nguyen Thanh Long, third secretary of the Vietnam Trade Office in Iran concurrently Syria and Iraq, noted the great opportunity for local firms to bolster exports to Iran, especially local agricultural products thanks to growing import demand as the Middle Eastern country often suffers droughts and crop failure.
A survey conducted on people and importers in Iran indicates that consumers there are fond of Vietnamese products, while both nations' products are often supplementary and not competitive.
According to Nguyen Thu Thuy, deputy director of the Export Support Center under the Trade Promotion Department of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, with a population of nearly 86 million people, Iran represents a market boasting a large consumption volume among countries throughout the Middle East.
Vietnam and Iran has so far signed a number of co-operation agreements regarding economic, cultural, scientific, and technical co-operation. This is addition to the establishment of a joint committee, investment promotion, and protection. The agreements offer favourable conditions in which both sides can enhance trade exchanges moving forward, Thuy stated.
As a way for Vietnamese enterprises to conduct long-term business with their Iranian counterparts, according to experts, due attention must be paid to dealing with forms of payment. This should be done alongside promoting direct connection with Iranian partners through participation in fairs, seminars, and annual trade connection programmes with the Iranian market.
Moreover, it can be viewed as essential to fully grasp market information, carefully search and choose the right, strong, and suitable products, as well as not competing with Iranian items when exporting to this market. The ingenuity and skillfulness in negotiating with Iranians will also help bring many great business opportunities for local enterprises, experts added.
Two university professors to receive 2021 Kovalevskaya Award
The 2021 Kovalevskaya Award will be given to two Vietnamese university professors in recognition of their outstanding research achievements and great contribution to the national development, the award committee has announced.
Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thi Thanh Mai (left) and Prof. Dr. and Meritorious Teacher Nguyen Minh Thuy will receive the 2021 Kovalevskaya Award. (Photo: qdnd.vn)
The awardees are Prof., Dr. Nguyen Thi Thanh Mai, Vice President of the University of Science at the Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City (VNUHCM); and Prof., Dr. and Meritorious Teacher Nguyen Minh Thuy from the Department of Food Technology, College of Agriculture, Can Tho University.
Mai, from the south-central province of Quang Ngai, graduated from the University of Science, VNUHCM with a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Analytical Chemistry; and earned a PhD in Pharmaceutical at Japan’s Toyama University. The 50-year-old lecturer was awarded the professor title in 2020.
She has led 14 ministerial and provincial-level research projects, with one of the most outstanding ones on extracting active substances from plants for the development of new drugs for diabetes, gout and melasma.
She was awarded with Ho Chi Minh City Creative Awards in 2019.
Thuy, from the Mekong Delta province of An Giang, graduated from Thailand’s Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) with a Master’s Degree in Post-harvest Technology in 1992 and earned a PhD in Food Technology at KU Leuven (Katholieke Universiteit Leuven) in Belgium in 2007.
The 61-year-old lecturer was honoured with the professor title in food technology in 2020. Her research has focused on addressing issues in distribution of agricultural products and provision of support for farmers and agribusinesses hit by natural disasters, fire and epidemics.
The Kovalevskaya Award ceremony is scheduled to be held in Hanoi this May. Three female high school students will also receive Kovalevskaya scholarships, worth 500 USD each, during the event.
The Kovalevskaya Award is named after Russian mathematician Sofia Kovalevskaya, and is awarded by the fund of the same name. The fund operates in eight countries in Latin America, Africa and Asia.
The award was first given to Vietnamese female academics in 1985. By 2020, 49 individuals and 20 groups of female scientists had received the award./.