International shipbuilding expo returns to Ha Noi     

The 9th International Exhibition of Shipbuilding, Shipping, and Offshore Technology (Vietship 2018) will return to the capital early next year, the event’s organisers announced on Thursday.

The forthcoming expo will draw the participation of leading enterprises, including those from foreign countries having developed maritime industries, such as Japan, South Korea, Singapore, China, France, Norway, Belgium and the Netherlands.

The biennial event will offer a good chance for businesses and investors to approach useful information, share state-of-the-art technologies and seek investment opportunities to further accelerate the development of the shipbuilding industry, organisers said.

Hosted by the Shipbuilding Industry Corporation (SBIC), Vietship 2018 will take place at the National Convention Centre from January 24 to January 26. It is expected to attract more than 10,000 visitors. Conferences on the shipbuilding and maritime industries will be held on the sideline of the expo.

The previous event saw 19 contracts and agreements worth over VND500 billion (US$22.4 million) inked between domestic and foreign partners. It had 220 stands from 130 companies, including 78 foreign firms. 

Agricultural fair to open at Quang Ninh     

The One Commune One Product (OCOP) agriculture trade fair will open on September 1 in the northern province of Quang Ninh to promote local agricultural and tourism products in a bid to fully tap local potential for economic development.

This will be the fifth time Quang Ninh has organised the OCOP fair.

This year’s event will witness the participation of Thailand, Korea and Laos, featuring 16 booths introducing agricultural products. Therefore, this will be an opportunity for Quang Ninh to learn from the experiences of foreign partners in building and developing brand for agricultural products.

The OCOP fair will gather a total of 216 booths, of which 97 will present local products, while the rest will display products from 36 other provinces and cities across the country as well as commodities from Thailand, South Korea and Laos.The fair, held by the provincial Department of Industry and Trade and the new-style rural construction committee, aims to promote production and boost tourism and services, helping increase farmers’ income and raise awareness of Quang Ninh’s OCOP programme.

According to deputy head of Quang Ninh’s new-style rural construction committee Le Van Hon, OCOP fair is an opportunity for small and micro enterprises as well as the whole locality to introduce products to domestic and ASEAN markets.

The fair, taking place at the Quang Ninh Exhibition of Urban Planning & Expo, will run through September 5. 

Advanced machines to be on show at annual HCM City textile industry expo     

Five hundred Vietnamese and foreign manufacturers, distributors, and suppliers will showcase advanced textile and garment machinery at the 17th Viet Nam International Textile and Garments Industry Exhibition (VTG 2017) to be held in HCM City in November.

The machinery will include high-speed digital textile and garment printers, embroidering machine, equipment for cutting and others.

High-quality fibre and cloth will also be on display at the 700 booths to be set up by companies from 20 countries and territories including India and Korea.

The annual event offers global companies an opportunity to explore co-operation opportunities and keep abreast of developments in the sector.

To be held from November 22 to 25 at the Sai Gon Exhibition and Convention Centre in District 7, it will be organised by the Viet Nam National Trade Fair & Advertising Company in co-operation with Yorkers Exhibition Service Co.Ltd.

Ha Noi to hold Promotion Month in November     

The capital city will host Ha Noi Promotion Month in November, which will see the participation of 300 to 500 enterprises and wide-scale discounts at 1,000 sale locations.

The month-long sales promotion programme has been running for nine years now, and is attracting more and more interest from consumers, said Tran Thi Phuong Lan, deputy director of the Ha Noi Department of Industry and Trade, the event organiser.

This year’s event will witness the participation of not only retail businesses but also businesses from the food, banking, healthcare and education sectors, she said.

Lan described the event as an opportunity for all enterprises to boost production, enhance competitiveness and advertise their products and brands among local consumers as well as domestic and foreign tourists.

The programme is scheduled to kick off on November 3. The tourism promotion festival will be held from November 3 to 5; the Golden promotion days will be November 18 and 19; a golden promotion fair will run from November 24 to 28; and an online promotion week will be organised from November 20 to 26.

The Promotion Month is an annual event in Ha Noi, aimed at boosting consumption, especially for made-in-Vietnam goods, and helping firms attract and connect with customers.

Around 500 enterprises participated in last year’s event, providing various quality products of certified origins, from electronics and home appliances to clothes, at 1,000 sale locations across the city. 

Cuttlefish, octopus exports to ROK up 40.5%

Exports of cuttlefish and octopus to the Republic of Korea jumped by 40.5% to nearly US$95 million in the first half of this year, according to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Processors (VASEP).

The ROK remains the largest importer of Vietnam cuttlefish and octopus, accounting for 35% of the country’s total export revenue.

Korean customers are in high demand for cephalopods, especially dried cuttlefish and octopus. Korean imports of these products have increased in recent years.

Fresh and frozen octopus topped among cephalopod product exports to the country, followed by dried cuttlefish and fresh and frozen cuttlefish.

However, Vietnam holds only 1% of fresh octopus market share in the ROK, while China dominates the market with 91% and Thailand occupies more than 8%.

A VASEP representative said, in the frozen octopus market Vietnam currently makes up 35% of value while China accounts for 45%. As a result, domestic product has a chance to increase its market share as it enjoys a 0% tax.

Vietnam Renewable Energy Week kicks off new project

Amidst the development of renewable energy around the world, Green Innovation Center has started E-Enhance project, aiming to help improve knowledge and apply renewable energy solutions for organisations and individuals in Vietnam.

The highlight of the project is the platform to promote ideas called “The smart energy schools”. 

This platform will provide valuable knowledge on the efficient use of renewable energy at schools. The project will be piloted in at least 10 schools in the north and then spread to other interested areas.

The project will provide a financial support package along with knowledge transfer activities, which will help people in communities to apply sustainable energy models in households and public institutions.

Moreover, the project will also prioritise supporting these disadvantaged communities to produce their own energy to meet basic living needs.

With the message “Sharing and disseminating green future,” the project aims to train 1,000 representatives from socio-professional organisations and locals in transferring knowledge and technology in the renewable energy sector through basic and advanced training courses.

Nguy Thi Khanh, director of Green Innovation Center (GreenID), a non-profit organisation under the Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations (VUSTA), told VIR that through this project, GreenID and its partners hope to accompany the Vietnamese government’s efforts to raise awareness and apply sustainable energy solutions in the community in order to contribute to the development of energy efficiency.

E-Enhance is funded by the European Union with non-refundable ODA and co-sponsored by GreenID and German non-profit organisation Independent Institute for Environmental Issues (UFU) for four years from August 2017 to August 2021.     

Low-emission energy technology: sole lifeline of textile and garment sector

The World Bank has officially introduced a $312.5-million loan package as part of the project themed “Vietnam Energy Efficiency for Industrial Enterprises” (VEEIE) to provide Vietnamese textile and garment enterprises capital to modernise equipment to save energy.

The loan was introduced in the framework of the workshop themed “Technical assistance to apply low-emission energy technologies in Vietnamese textile and garment enterprises” organised by US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association (Vitas) in Hanoi on August 23.

Through supplying loans for Vietnamese enterprises to invest in modern technologies, the World Bank aims to help Vietnamese enterprises in general and textile and garment enterprises in particular to use energy effectively and safely.

The project, which will be implemented in the 2017-2022 period, combines four components. The first component is energy efficiency investment lending. Accordingly, the World Bank will provide a loan amount of $312.5 million over five years. The money will be divided among commercial banks to disburse among enterprises through loans.

The second component is technical assistance and capacity enhancement for enterprises and related authorities, while the third component is setting up a risk-sharing fund. The last step will be a $10-million carbon financing programme.

“Vietnamese enterprises in general and textile and garment enterprises in particular will benefit from this project because they will be permitted to receive long-term low-interest loans for up to 80 per cent of the investment capital of low-emission energy technologies,” said Chu Ba Thi, co-leader of VEEIE.

Thi added that it will be easy for Vietnamese enterprises to approach these loans because when they register at commercial banks, their applications will be forwarded directly to the World Bank for approval. There will be no any intermediaries between commercial banks and the World Bank as previously.

After conducting the programme, the World Bank will target major annual results, including saving 3.7 billion kWh of power, 2.15 million tonnes of coal, and decreasing CO2 emissions by 9.67 million tonnes.

A representative of Viet Thai Garment Export JSC said that the company has equipped a lighting system and a boiler and steam distribution system imported from Japan and Europe to decrease emissions and save energy, because the company's board of directors are aware of the importance of investing in modern, energy efficient technologies and meeting foreign partners' rigorous standards.

"I think that with the favourable conditions to approach it, the loan will be useful for Vietnamese enterprises, especially small- and medium-sized enterprises as Viet Thai. I will propose applying for the loan to the board of directors," added the representative of Viet Thai.

In the framework of the event, USAID launched Vietnam Low Emission Energy Program (V-LEEP) to help Vietnamese enterprises in general and textile and garment enterprises in particular to deal with energy problems

V-LEEP is a USAID-funded project designed to assist public and private stakeholders in Vietnam in establishing an effective policy, regulatory, and incentive environment for low-emission growth in the energy sector, while simultaneously attracting investment in renewable energy development and industrial energy efficiency.

The programme will promote the development of critical building blocks to scale up clean energy, including access to technology, access to financing, the development of bankable projects, and the development of a sustainable renewable energy supply for Vietnam.

Vietnam currently has more than 6,000 textile and garment enterprises in operation, almost all of which employ simple manufacturing processes with low value, while the textile and garment industry ranks second on the list of industries using energies having the largest CO2 emission.

According to a USAID report, the textile and garment industry spends $3 billion on energy every year. Equipment using the largest energy include boiler and steam distribution systems, air compressors, and lighting systems, while the most frequently used energy sources are coal, electricity, and oil.

Large energy expenses contribute to increasing manufacturing costs, indirectly pushing up product prices and reducing Vietnamese textile and garment enterprises’ competitive capacity.

According to Vu Duc Giang, chairman of Vitas, Vietnamese textile and garment enterprises are facing numerous difficulties, including the decreasing value of contracts, foreign partners’ requirements to shorten delivery time, and setting prices comparable to those in China, India, Sri Lanka, and Myanmar, among others. Besides, the free trade agreements that Vietnam signed have yet to bear fruits for Vietnamese enterprises.

Thereby, the programmes of USAID and the World Bank are expected to help Vietnamese enterprises in general and textile and garment enterprises in particular to apply low-emission energy technologies, aiming to reduce production costs and enhance competitiveness.

FLC Group plans large-scale roadshow in Japan

Property developer FLC Group will organise a large-scale roadshow and seminar in Japan on September 7 to promote Việt Nam’s resort real estate market to the world and expand the Japanese-Vietnamese business network.

This event is expected to attract over 200 individual and institutional investors, investment funds and real estate companies from Việt Nam, Japan and all over Asia.

Investors will be able get updated with the most recent trends in the Vietnamese hospitality market – a regional star thanks to abundant natural resources.

In addition, this will also be an opportunity for Japanese suppliers in various industries such as construction, technology, agriculture and healthcare to learn more about partnership opportunities with a leading multi-sector corporation in Việt Nam.

During this event, many world-class resort developments will be introduced to Japanese investors.

In recent years, real estate investment regulations for foreigners in Việt Nam have become increasingly welcoming, especially with the amended Housing Law that allows foreign property ownership, and the 8th Resolution of the Politburo that determines tourism as a key industry.

Speeches of guests such as the Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Nguyễn Quốc Cường, former Japanese ambassador to Việt Nam Norio Hattori, and CBRE Việt Nam and FLC Group’s directors will provide valuable insights into the country’s holiday property market, outstanding projects, investment processes and policies for foreign investors.

This event aims at carrying forward the recent success of a roadshow and seminar held by FLC Group in Singapore in June, which attracted over 300 individual and institutional investors, investment funds and real estate companies from all over Asia.

Foreign investors were impressed by the large scale of the event and said it helped provide much needed information on the Vietnamese real estate market for investors in Singapore.

Tourism services branched out via Dong Hoi-Chiang Mai air route

Tourism packages connecting famous destinations in the central province of Quang Binh and Thailand’s northern province of Chiang Mai will be offered to tourists from both countries thanks to the opening of Dong Hoi-Chiang Mai air route.

More than 140 travel companies from Quang Binh province and Thai northern localities like Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Lampang and Payao popularised and exchanged standout tourism products of their own localities at a conference held in Dong Hoi city on August 25.

Quang Binh and Chiang Mai provinces own huge potential to develop tourism as they have diverse tourism products and share numerous similarities in nature beauty, historic-cultural relic sites, and cuisines.

After the conference, Vietnamese and Thai travel companies inked contracts to supply tourism services via the Dong Hoi-Chiang Mai air route.

Earlier, the local Department of Tourism joined hands with the Tourism Authority of Thailand and Chiang Mai Tourist Business Association organised fam-trip and press-trip for Thai travel agencies and press to Vietnam. 

From August 21-24, the delegations visited tourist attractions in Quang Nam province, Da Nang city as well as discovered the magnificent cave system in Quang Binh. They also studied tourism services in Dong Hoi city and Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park.

Steel maker to invest in 97 million USD factory

Nam Kim Steel Joint Stock Company has approved a report on the pre-feasibility study, conducted for setting up a steel sheet factory in the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau.

As per the plan, the plant will require an investment capital of 2.2 trillion VND (97 million USD) and have the capacity of 800,000 tonnes per year.

The factory will produce galvanised steel sheets, galvanised aluminium sheets, zinc-coated aluminium-coated sheets, zinc-coated sheets, steel pipes, steel boxes, sections and products from steel coil, cold-rolled steel, galvanised steel, black steel tape and galvanised steel tape.

Nam Kim Steel JSC’s board of directors (BOD) has authorised Ho Minh Quang, Chairman of the Board of Directors, to determine a location in the southern province for the project, based on the scale of production and business activities, and to sign land lease contracts and contracts related to infrastructure investment.

In the first six months of 2017, Nam Kim Steel posted an output of 380,000 tonnes, a year-on-year increase of 7 percent. Specifically, its output of iron and steel products went up by 21 percent compared to the same period last year.

The firm’s turnover touched 5.5 trillion VND, up 38 percent, while its after-tax profit was 350 billion VND, up 14 percent year on year and accounting for 58.3 percent of its target for the entire year.

Int’l plastic and rubber exhibition slated for Sept in HCM City

An international exhibition showcasing advanced technologies, machinery and equipment in the plastic and rubber industry will be held at Saigon Exhibition and Convention Centre in District 7 from September 13-16.

The 17th VietnamPlas 2017 is expected to attract more than 420 companies from 18 countries and territories, including Vietnam, Germany, the Republic of Korea, the US, India and Singapore.

Companies will display their products and services, including blow moulding and recycling machines as well as extruders. Raw materials and chemicals for plastic production will also be part of the event.

As Vietnam imports a high volume of plastic materials, the exhibition will offer many trade opportunities between Vietnamese and foreign businesses.

It is held by the Vietnam National Trade Fair & Advertising Company under the Ministry of Industry and Trade in cooperation with the Yorkers Exhibition Service Co and government agencies as well as associations.

HCM City’s annual retail promotion month gets bigger

HCM City’s annual sales promotion month from September until the end of the year is expected to boost retail sales and attract a large number of foreign visitors.

According to the Department of Industry and Trade, this year’s event is expected to involve 3,000 trade centres, supermarkets, convenience stores and traditional markets and 5,300 business households, a significant increase from last year.

They will organise around 12,000 promotions focused on consumer products, electronics, fashion, foodstuff, cosmetics, telecom services, interior decoration items, tourism services, hotels, and others.

Besides offering discounts, participating establishments will also offer freebies, lucky draws and free samples.

The department said all 24 districts had completed the task of putting up banners to promote the programme.

There are usually many programmes during the month, including an online promotion week, a promotional month fair at the Phu Tho Indoor Stadium, the Diem hen Sai Gon (Saigon meeting place 2017) programme to introduce products made by traditional villages and craft artisans, and several others.

Nguyen Phuong Dong, deputy director of the department, said the promotion month would begin with the Hoi tu hang Viet (the convergence of Vietnamese goods) event.

To be held for the first time, it will provide Vietnamese companies with an opportunity to showcase quality products that meet export standards.

Over the last 12 years, the promotion month has become one of the city’s key trade promotion programmes.

It is also an important part of the city’s “Vietnamese give priority to using Vietnamese products” campaign.

Promoting tourism in central region

The central region of Vietnam will play an important role in Vietnam’s tourism development until 2020 and vision to 2030. But the regional tourism growth has not matched local tourism potential. Connecting tourist destinations is one likely solution.

The 9 coastal provinces from Quang Binh to Khanh Hoa and the 5 Central Highlands provinces of Kon Tum, Gia Lai, Dak Lak, Dak Nong, and Lam Dong enjoy great tourism advantages. Professor Doctor Tran Dinh Thien of the Central Economic Institute says this area attracts tourists and needs to improve services and diversify tours.  

Mr Thien said, "The central region has favorable conditions for tourism development. We need to improve local tourism infrastructure and boost international cooperation."

In recent years, central provinces have increased their cooperation in tapping local tourism resources and prolonging tourists’ stay. But there is room for greater cooperation among travel agencies, restaurants, and hotels and more investment is needed in infrastructure connecting tourist destinations.

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam has urged localities to mobilize more resources and engage big investors in tourism development. Mr. Dam said the government and local authorities will create incentives to boost tourism growth. 

“A Politburo resolution asks local administrations to focus on tourism development and take specific actions to develop tourism into a spearhead economic sector. To this end, we need to enhance connectivity. 

Each locality has its own advantages in term of natural conditions, culture, and society and so on and they need to exploit their potential”, said Mr Dam. 

Agroviet 2017 to gather 300 firms

The 17th International Agriculture Trade Fair 2017 (Agroviet 2017) will take place at Phu Tho Stadium in Ho Chi Minh City’s Ward 11 from September 21-24, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

The event, the most prestigious fair of the agricultural sector, will gather 400 booths of 300 domestic and foreign enterprises specialised in agricultural equipment and materials, agro-forestry production and trade, and organic farm produce production.

The annual event aims to strengthen trade promotion in agriculture, expanding partnership in the field, and connecting businesses and consumers.

Within the framework of the event, many activities will also be held, including a symposium on agricultural tourism products, and a meeting between Vietnamese and foreign firms.

Vietnam’s trade deficit with Thailand hits 3 billion USD

Vietnam’s trade deficit with Thailand stood at nearly 3 billion USD in the first seven months, up nearly 25 percent over the past year, as it imported more than 5.6 billion USD worth of goods from Thailand and exported only 2.6 billion USD of goods to the country, according to the General Department of Vietnam Customs.

Strong increases were seen in imports of numerous Thai products, including vegetables and fruits, oil and gas, chemicals and chemical products, machineries and equipment, automobile and automobile tools and spare parts, computers, electronics and parts.

Notably, Thailand was the top car exporter to Vietnam with 21,800 units, accounting for 38 percent of total automobiles imported to the country in the first seven months of 2017.

Statistics showed that Thailand is the fifth largest goods supplier of Vietnam after China, the Republic of Korea, Japan and Taiwan (China).

Vietnamese products showcased in Ukrainian trade fair

Vietnamese businesses participated in the traditional trade fair Sorochinsky Yarmarok in Poltava province of Ukraine, which has been held annually since the eighteenth century.

The Vietnamese business delegation was led by Kieu Ha Lien, Counsellor of the Vietnamese Embassy in Ukraine. This year, the Embassy of Vietnam worked with Vietnamese businesses in Ukraine and Vietnamese communities in Kharkov and Kiev cities to promote Vietnamese good at the fair, which began on August 22.

On display at Vietnam’s booths were traditional farm produce and foods, herbal medicine, handicrafts, and cultural and tourism products.

Vietnam has participated in the fair since 2015 and its booths have drawn many visitors, who came to learn about the country’s products.

This year’s fair drew more than 1,000 businesses, small traders and craftsmen, who presented various commodities such as industrial products, handicrafts and souvenirs.

Many artists and art troupes also performed at the fair, bringing a colourful atmosphere to the event. The one-week fair attracts about half a million visitors each year.

Japanese steelmaker to build factory in northern region

Japanese steelmaker Kyoei Steel Group has announced that it would build a 200 million USD reinforcing bar factory in northern Vietnam.

The plant is aimed at boosting the company’s output capacity and reducing costs.

Construction is scheduled to start at the end of this year, with the rolling mill expected to begin operations in 2019 and the steelmaking plant to begin by 2020.

The Osaka-based group had begun plans to build a 500,000-tonne capacity steelmaking and rolling facility back in 2012 when it started operations in Vietnam. However, the company suspended all new constructions in 2014 when the market slumped.

Currently, Kyoei Steel only rolls steel in Vietnam. The company processes steel billets bought from outside into bars and other products. However, market conditions in China have led to an increase in billet prices. By setting up this steel factory, the electric furnace steelmaker hopes to cut production costs.

Kyoei Steel has already invested 170 million USD in an electric furnace steel plant in the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau. It is also contributing capital to Thi Vai International Port joint venture. Once completed, in March 2018, the port will help Kyoei Steel import more input material, thereby raising its production and transportation capacity to 900,000 tonnes per year.

In September 2016, the Nikkei reported that Kyoei Steel aims to produce 1.2 million tonnes of construction steel in Vietnam by 2020, doubling its capacity of 550,000 tonnes in 2015 and accounting for 10 percent of the steel market share in Vietnam.

APEC sub-committee discusses trade faciliation

The second meeting of the APEC Sub-Committee on Standards and Conformance (SCSC) began in Ho Chi Minh City on August 23, focusing on debating trade facilitation, alignment with international standards and active participation in international standardisation.

Delegates also discussed good regulatory practices, technical infrastructure development, food and product safety, and standards and conformance education.

China presented a report on the project “Best practices sharing and technical capacity building for measurement and verification standards of energy savings.”

Malaysia reported the project on “APEC product safety incidents information sharing system,” while the US talked about facilitating trade in information and communications technologies (ICT) projects through encouragement of electronic labeling.

Vietnam shared views on best practices sharing of standards and conformity assessment implementation on smart cities of the APEC region.

Chile updated the project on “Facilitating trade through the strengthening of food safety emergency systems of APEC economies.”

The results of the meeting will be submitted to the APEC Committee on Trade and Investment (CTI).

The SCSC was established in 1994 to help reduce the negative effects that differing standards and conformance arrangements have on trade and investment flows in the Asia-Pacific region. In this way, the SCSC assists the CTI in achieving APEC's trade and investment liberalisation and facilitation agenda.

Vietnam Airlines, Garuda Indonesia boost strategic cooperation

Vietnam’s national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines and its Indonesian counterpart Garuda Indonesia signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on cooperation expansion on August 23 in Indonesia’s capital city of Jakarta. 

The event was held on the sidelines of the official visit to Indonesia of Vietnam’s Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong at the invitation of Indonesian President Joko Widodo.

The document mentions codeshare flights, service supplies, technology maintenance and goods transport.

The MoU will elevate the partnership of the two airlines in a mutually beneficial manner, said Duong Tri Thanh, Director General of Vietnam Airlines, adding that the two sides have maintained good relations since 2006. 

Pahala Mansury, Director General of Garuda Indonesia affirmed that Vietnam is a key market for Indonesia, adding that the deal will contribute to boosting tourism and trade between the two countries. 

Vietnam Airlines and Garuda Indonesia are members of SkyTeam – a global airline alliance with 20 members operating some 16,609 daily flights to 177 countries. 

Vietnam’s national flag carrier currently operates 90 routes with more than 400 flights daily to 20 domestic and 29 international destinations. Meanwhile, its Indonesian counterpart flies to 85 destinations across the world with more than 600 daily flights.

Vietnam currently leads the region in the expansion rate of passenger traffic, while the demand of Indonesian aviation transport is forecast to continue growing fast.

Sugarcane sector needs new ideas

Domestic and international experts in the sugarcane industry gathered at the fifth TTC annual international sugarcane conference recently held in Phan Thiet city of Binh Thuan province to discuss ways to help the Vietnamese sugarcane industry develop sustainably.

The conference, themed “The restructuring of Vietnam’s sugarcane industry”, was co-organised by the Vietnam Sugarcane and Sugar Association (VSSA) and TTC Group.

The country’s sugar output hit nearly 1.2 trillion tonnes in the 2016-17 crop, VSSA reported. This is the third continuous decline in sugar output.

Slow market consumption, high inventory, complicated sugar smuggling issues and ASEAN’s imposition of a sugar import tax rate of zero percent after 2018 have created an urgent need for Vietnamese businesses to adapt, and have forced a rethink of the whole country’s sugar industry.

As the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development implements a policy of restructuring the agricultural sector towards enhancing added value and developing sustainably, sugar companies are constantly innovating to promote internal strength, improving their competitive position domestically and internationally.

However, as many difficulties and problems still exist, the Vietnamese sugar industry needs radical solutions to be able to grow.

This year’s conference attracted more than 400 guests, including leading domestic experts, policymakers, research institutes, businesses and representative farmers in the field of sugarcane and speakers from the world’s biggest sugar producers such as Brazil, India, China, Thailand, Australia, the US and the Philippines.

Domestic speakers provided an overview of policies for the Vietnamese sugarcane industry, its current status and orientations for new sugarcane cultivation in Vietnam by 2020 with a vision to 2030.

Meanwhile, international speakers gave presentations and shared experience in product diversification to enhance the value chain of sugar; steam saving in sugar mills and applications of optical sensor technology in a sugar production system in Louisiana. 

Apart from the goal of forging international links in order to promote the growth of the Vietnamese sugar industry as in previous seminars, this year’s international conference was an opportunity for enterprises to exchange and share experience, while seeking cooperation and investment opportunities.

It was also a chance for businesses to propose effective production plans, as well as support sugarcane farmers in approaching advanced information and technology from around the world. 

Within the framework of the August 17-18 conference, the TTC Group signed a memorandum of understanding with two prestigious international organisations in the sugar industry, Mitr Phol Group (Thailand) and Vasantdada Sugar Institute (India).

Under the agreement, TTC and Mitr Phol Group will jointly support research and development (R&D) activities of both parties, including the exchange of R&D courses for students and staff; exchange of R&D staff, research for annual cooperation programmes on sugar products; and organisation of long- and short-term training courses depending on needs and the number of applications approved by the two parties. 

Mitr Phol has committed to working with TTC to hold annual conferences and other training activities as well as share experiences and introduce TTC to other prestigious units in Thailand.

In another agreement, the Vasantdada Sugar Institute will provide consultancy in R&D and technical methods for TTC sugar labs, and will train staff in Vietnam and India.

TTC will sponsor related costs including travel expenses for scientists, and provide staff and related documentation for projects.

With more than 70 years of development history, Mitr Phol is Asia’s biggest sugar producer and fourth in the world, owning many factories in Thailand.

The Vasantdada Sugar Institute with 42 years of experience in science and technology research in the sugar industry in India has played an important role and greatly contributed to the development of India’s sugar industry.

Son La province to export longan to US

The northern province of Son La will export Song Ma longan to the United States for the first time in the next few days.

Nguyen Dinh Tung, general director of Vina T&T Import Export Service Trading Company Ltd., said his company had worked with the provincial Department of Industry and Trade and the plantation areas, and had completed the packaging process to transfer the juicy fruit to Hanoi’s Noi Bai International Airport.

From Hanoi, the lot will be flown to HCM City for radiation, and then shipped to the US.

Song Ma longan is a sweet-tasting fruit with a thick, juicy pulp and small seed planted on the hills and mountains of the province’s Song Ma district. It has distinct taste and quality compared to other types of longan in the country, Tung added.

The first time shipment of Song Ma longan to the US is to introduce the product to the market. If consumers enjoy the fruit, the company will continue the export, he said.

Around 32,000 households in Son La province grow longan on over 5,000 hectares of land and produce a yield of 40,000 tonnes of longan per year. It is not only consumed fresh, but a large quantity of longan is also processed and dried, mainly serving the northern market as well as exported to China.

Last year, Vietnam earned 2.4 billion USD from the export of fruits and vegetables, of which 6 million USD came from Vina T&T.

As the market shows positive signs, the company aims to earn 12 million USD this year, double its 2016 figures. In the first seven months of 2017, the company has already earned 8 million USD.

As per the latest figures from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Vietnam earned 360 million USD through the export of fruits and vegetables in July, taking it to 2.03 billion USD in the first seven months of this year, an increase of 48.9 percent compared to the same period last year.

Hau Giang promotes cooperation with RoK firms

The Mekong Delta province of Hau Giang has introduced investment opportunities in agriculture and renewable energy to firms from the Republic of Korea (RoK)’s Jeollanam province.

At a working session on August 22 with a delegation from the Jeollanam Business Association, Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Van Tuan said his locality is calling for investment in agricultural production, farm produce processing and clean energies such as solar and wind power.

Hau Giang will create the optimal conditions for RoK firms, particularly those from Jeollanam, to invest in the province.

However, he also noted that investors must observe regulations on environmental protection.

Oh Jang Seon, President of the Jeollanam Business Association, said Korean enterprises are interested in Vietnam’s market, adding that many members of the association operate in the fields that Hau Giang is calling for investment.

He expressed his hope that investment promotion events will be organised after the working session, and Hau Giang will help the RoK firms connect with local farmers and promote their products.

The association currently has 50 members, and another 50 plan to join. Most of them operate in agriculture, industry, food, pharmaceuticals, and agricultural products processing.

The delegation will visit several agricultural cooperatives and industrial parks in the province.

Ministry announces unlisted equitised enterprises

The Ministry of Finance has publicised a list of 747 equitised enterprises which have failed to register to trade on the stock market.

Major businesses on the list are from the Vietnam National Textile and Garment Group (Vinatex), Vietnam National Petroleum Group (Petrolimex), Vietnam National Coal – Mineral Industries Holding Corporation Limited (Vinacomin), Hanoi Beer-Alcohol & Average Corporation (Habeco), Electricity of Vietnam (EVN), Construction Joint Stock Company No.1 (Vinaconex 1), and Vietnam Railway Corporation.

Earlier, Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue requested the Ministry of Finance and Government Office publish the list of equitised enterprises that are yet listed on the stock market.

The ministry previously named 528 equitised businesses which failed to list on the stock market in April.

Pepper growers reap organic farming benefits

When international market pressures challenged Vietnamese farmers to adopt good agricultural practices and produce organic pepper, many responded positively.

Explaining the current situation, Nguyen Dang Nghia, director of the southern centre for soil, fertilizer and environment research, said: “Pepper that uses exceeding amounts of crop protection agents will be returned (by buyers).

“To maintain our share of 50 percent in the world market, we have to produce organic pepper. Farmers need to reduce all types of chemicals used to increase pepper vines’ resistance and prevent pests.”

Dang Tan Huynh of Nhan Co commune, Dak R’Lap district in Dak Nong province, has practised organic farming for more than ten years. He has also joined another USDA-standard organic pepper chain owned by a FDI company.

In September, 2016, Huynh and ten other members established the Dong Thuan Organic Pepper Co-operative. They pooled 50ha of land to form a raw material area in Nhan Co commune, the second biggest pepper cultivation area in Dak Nong province.

At the Dong Thuan Cooperative, pepper is planted and harvested using biological methods without any chemical fertilizer or GMO substances. Besides, farmers follow strictly the direction of the management committee, the guidance of the technical department and the monitoring of the control board. 

Pepper is a produce that has high food safety requirements. Therefore, Dong Thuan’s products are consumed at prices 10 to 30 percent higher than for normally grown pepper, even during deflation periods, Huynh said.

Also practising clean farming methods since its establishment in 2014 is the Lam San Agricultural Co-operative in Cam My district, Dong Nai province.

Producing “clean” pepper on a 1,100ha area, this co-operative is one of few Vietnamese organisations exporting pepper to the EU market.

“Because of special characteristics of the spice industry, prices can only rise when farmers produce pepper meeting VietGAP standards”, said Nguyen Ngoc Luan, Director of the Lam San Agricultural Cooperative.

Luan, who has experience working in Germany, said he realised that the EU is a difficult market with a high demand for pepper. Therefore, he decided to collaborate with more than 1000 families to form an enterprise producing organic pepper.

Luan said producing clean pepper was simple since the procedures and farming methods have been researched and introduced in a clear way. Being part of the Lam San Co-operative has helped farmers maintain their market share and earn stable profits against the background of falling pepper prices. The co-operative plans to export pepper to Japan in the near future.

Market demand is prompting more and more pepper farmers to apply good agricultural practices, local reports said.

The Vietnam Pepper Association (VPA) has said that in 2017, pepper exports will face many difficulties and challenges, with main markets like the USA and EU tightening their quality controls.

Nguyen Mai Oanh, Vice Chairwoman and General Secretary of the VPA, said that several farmers had researched and consulted experts on their own to learn about proper pepper cultivation. They also formed groups to share experiences in practising organic farming, she said.

Besides, they were approaching enterprises and introducing their high-quality pepper. "This is a positive sign for Vietnam’s pepper industry," Oanh said.

Farmer Nong Van Le of Thuan Ha commune, Dak Song district, Dak Nong province said his family planted more pepper this year. "The output is 20 tonnes, double that of last year. Besides the favourable weather conditions, we use biological substances to improve soil quality, prevent fungal growth and save 50 percent of NPK (fertiliser).

“Some trading enterprises have approached our family and offered 10 percent higher prices than offered to other families”, he said. 

A report on the VPA website quotes Yap Chin Ann of the Malaysia Pepper Association as saying that the attitude of farmers is key to sustainable agricultural practices.

Farmers should be advised to use organic fertilizers and modern processing technologies to increase the quantity and quality of their produce and products, he said.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has asked VPA and related agencies to connect processing enterprises and farmers to accelerate sustainable production of organic pepper.

At the same time, VPA members are planning to establish an agency to issue quality certification and stamps of origin for organic pepper. They say it will help Viet Nam’s pepper exports gain higher value and assist international markets to control pepper quality.

Vietnam moving from energy exporter to importer: workshop

Vietnam is transforming from an exporter into an importer of energy to ensure its energy security, heard a workshop held in Hanoi on August 24.

Vietnam’s energy demand has increased rapidly over the last 15 years, with a commercial energy growth rate of about 9.5 percent each year. It is forecast to continue rising strongly in the next 15 years. The country’s electricity consumption demand grew about 13 percent annually from 2006 to 2010 and 11 percent each year between 2011 and 2016.

In 2015, total energy consumed nationwide was estimated at 55 million tonnes of oil equivalent. Under the national energy development strategy until 2020 with a vision to 2050, Vietnam aims to produce and import 100-110 million TOEs of primary energy by 2020 and 310-320 million TOEs by 2050 so as to meet socio-economic development demand.

The country plans to import around 17 million tonnes of coal, or 31 percent of the coal needed for electricity generation, in 2020, the workshop heard.

At the event, organised by the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the German Embassy in Vietnam and Siemens group, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Hoang Quoc Vuong said the two countries have strongly cooperated in renewable energy, energy saving and power transmission over the past years. Notably, the German Government has supported its Vietnamese counterpart in developing wind power projects through official development assistance.

The countries are set to strengthen cooperation in sustainable energy in the time ahead, especially wind and solar power, smart power grid, energy storage and science-technology research.

He added to develop the sustainable energy sector, Vietnam needs cooperation and assistance from the international community, particularly development partners that are strong in finance, science-technology and management.

It always highly values the potential and prospect of cooperation in sustainable energy with Germany, Vuong said, adding that his ministry is ready to share information and promote cooperation opportunities in the energy sector on the basis of respecting mutual benefits.

Wolfgang Manig, Chargé d’ affaires of the Germany Embassy in Vietnam, said his country has assisted Vietnam in sustainable energy promotion and efficient energy use through bilateral cooperation programmes and the private sector’s engagement.

He added Germany is willing to share experience it has gained in energy conversion. Together with strong partners like Vietnam, Germany is taking the lead in working towards reducing carbon emissions in the economy, which is essential amid climate change. 

Canada supports SMEs growth in Tra Vinh

As many as 200 enterprises and more than 194,000 locals in 22 rural communes of the Mekong Delta province of Tra Vinh have benefited from a Canadian-funded project to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) worth 12.1 million CAD (9.63 million USD).

The project, which is scheduled to complete in 2020, has helped improve production and infrastructure as well ascreated jobs in the locality, heard a meeting between Canadian Ambassador to Vietnam Ping Kitnikone and leaders of Tra Vinh on August 23 to review the progress of the project.

After two and a half years of implementation, the project has built four small-scaled infrastructure works worth over 8 billion VND in four trade villages, creating favourable transportation conditions for enterprises and over 2,000 locals.

At the same time, the project also launched many activities to assist enterprises in enhancing the value chain of local products, while supporting cooperatives in abiding by the Cooperative Law 2012.

However, Ambassador Ping Kitnikone pointed out that the project’s progress has been slow with many shortcomings. She held that Tra Vinh should give clear strategies with a strategic vision in supporting SMEs in the coming time, adding that support activities should be closely connected with each other.

The diplomat also shared Canada’s experience in aiding SMEs.

Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Dong Van Lam thanked the Canadian Government for the support, which he said has contributed to creating a healthy investment environment and boosting the growth of local firms.

Lam pledged to create optimal conditions for the implementation of the project in the future, ensuring its effectiveness.

Earlier, Lam and Secretary of the provincial Party Committee Tran Tri Dungheld a reception for the Canadian ambassador, during which they thanked the Canadian side forsupporting the province. 

In the 2000-2010 period, Canada provided 17 million CAD for three projects in the province, they noted.