The HCMC Bureau for Animal Health said the city is facing high risk of bird flu, foot-and-mouth and pig disease outbreaks.

At a review conference on Wednesday on development of disease-free areas for animals in the 2011-2015 period, the city’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development said that from now to 2020 avian flu would remain an issue to be solved in the city.

There are variants of the avian influenza virus, especially H5N2 and A/H5N6 that have been detected in China, Laos and a couple of Vietnamese provinces including Lang Son, Lao Cai, Ha Tinh, Quang Tri, Quang Ngai and Quang Nam. These strains can strike any provinces due to unchecked poultry trading and transportation.

Therefore, the department forecast the risk of the H5N1 and H5N6 strains of the bird flu virus and others like H7N9 breaking out and spreading from poultry to humans is high. Bird flu might recur in HCMC due to uncontrollable poultry farming and trading. Foot-and-mouth or swine blue-ear diseases can break out anytime.

A report of the city's bureau for animal health said that in 2012-2015, livestock and poultry diseases were put under control. However, last year, the city discovered three cases testing positive for the H5N1 strain of the bird flu virus and in 2013 found a dead tiger at the Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens infected with the same strain of the virus.

Hanoi tackles telecom service monopoly at apartment buildings

The Hanoi People’s Committee has issued a regulation to deal with the monopoly in providing telecommunication services at many local apartment buildings.

Currently, households at many apartment buildings in Hanoi can only use one telecom service provider selected by the building management board for internet or cable television. It means that there is no way for other providers can install their equipment in the buildings.

Tenants have had no other choice in terms of telecom services. In some cases, the service providers have not provided full details to households in apartment buildings about promotional programmes.

Under the new regulation issued by the Hanoi People’s Committee, owners of inner-city apartment buildings have to develop infrastructure that can handle the roll-out of high-speed internet services provided by at least two companies, offering a fairer playing field for telecom services.

Da Nang authority opens swimming classes

The Department of Education and Training in the central city of Da Nang yesterday opened classes to teach swimming for primary students.

Director of the Department Nguyen Dinh Vinh said that it is aimed to create an outdoor actvity for children to develop physically, emotionally and socially. The highlight of the swimming course is that in addition teaching students how to swim, trainers also instruct students how to rescue drowned people.

Deputy Chairman of Da Nang People’s Committee Dang Viet Dung said that activities are organized in response to action month for children themed “For children’s safety and injuries prevention”.

The city authority decided to spend state budget building mobile swimming pools in schools at disadvantaged communes in Hoa Vang District and communes Hoa Quy in Ngu Hanh Son District, Hoa Hiep Bac in Lien Chieu District ; Hoa Phat and Hoa Xuan in Cam Le District.

Homeowners take drastic measure against flooding

The people in Ho Chi Minh City are building extra walls that block the front doors to prevent water from flooding their houses.

The measure was carried out by the locals living on Kinh Duong Vuong Street after the authorities suddenly lifted up the street in preparation for approaching monsoon season.

Dozens of households find themselves in impossible situation in which their ground floor is nearly a metre lower than the street. Some people use stairs to climb up the now much higher street, while others can no longer bring their motorbikes inside.

Local Nguyen Van Liem said business was badly affected as his store is now 1.2 metres lower than the street. However, flooding is what everyone fears most.

People who can afford it decided to lift their houses up while others have to find other ways to deal with the situation that is building a wall to protect their front doors. The wall also causes various inconveniences but it is the only viable option they have right now.

Flooding has been a problem in HCM City for years. An anti-flooding plan for the 2016-2021 period was approved last month to build water quality monitoring systems, embankment and to upgrade the sewers, river locks and the drainage system.

Thanh Hoa city authorities claim massive admin complex is vital

Thanh Hoa City's People Committee chairman Nguyen Dinh Xung has said the city needs a new, costly administrative complex because their current buildings are run down.

Last month, Thanh Hoa City authorities were instructed to halt a USD29m project to build a new administrative complex due to fears over the country’s overspending. An official document was also issued last November to ask all local authorities to stop carrying out such projects due to public spending constraints.

The complex would include three main buildings for day-to-day work, conference centre and guest house as well as other support structures to serve a population of one million people.

City chairman Xung said in a report submitted on May 30 that the old city headquarters dated back to the 1980s. The buildings were built to serve 200,000 people and have deteriorated over time so they now couldn’t service 400,000 people in 20 wards and 17 communes.

A new administrative complex is necessary because the old headquarters couldn’t be upgraded or renovated. According to the city authorities, the project will be funded from the city budget and investment from Vingroup.

In order to help Vingroup recoup their capital, the provincial authorities gave them two other projects include new urban area in Dien Bien Ward and a hotel, commercial complex on the land of old headquarters of the city people's committee.

Before the project was halted, the city authorities took the rash move to move out and the old headquarters have been demolished for the commercial project.

Low awareness on unexploded bombs costs lives

Many people have been killed by leftover unexploded ordnance, with the blame often falling on careless people who collect and try to defuse the bombs themselves.

Five people were killed and ten were injured in an explosion at the Van Phu residential area in Ha Dong District on the outskirts of Hanoi in March. It is reported that a scrap collector had brought a bomb home and was sawing it to collect the metal.

On May 14, three men in Phu Yen Province found a bomb by a river and decided to saw it open to use the explosive inside to catch fish. They triggered the explosion and were killed immediately.

A survey done by the Technology Centre for Bomb and Mine Disposal in 2002 showed that 9,284 over 10,511 communes in Vietnam still had unexploded ordnance and about 2,000 people died and injured in uncontrolled explosions each year, 38% of which were children.

Nguyen Viet Hung, a scrap collector in Hanoi said he had discovered various warheads but he had never bought those. "I have saw many people lost their limbs from sawing the bombs. Not to mention that I'd face a huge fine if I were caught by the authorities," he said.

According to the survey, 30% of the explosion was caused by careless scrap collectors, 38% were caused by clueless children who though the bombs were toys and the rest were triggered by accident.

The Red Cross Organisation in Vietnam have worked with Quang Tri and Quang Binh provinces since 2009 and Thua Thien-Hue Province since 2014 to raise awareness over the dangers posed by unexploded ordnance.

In the past five years, the authorities have carried out programmes to raise people's awareness and search for the unexploded ordnance.

The prime minister ordered the Ministry of Defence to help the National Mine Action Centre to amend the legal documents on management over leftover unexploded ordnance. The Ministry of Public Security asked local police to work with authorities to carry out more inspections and strictly deal with who people who illegally store and remove the bombs.

Delayed Ninh Binh water project affects over 1,000 households

The sluggish construction of a water supply plant in the northern province of Ninh Binh Province has caused more than 1,000 local households left to thirst for clean water.

The project located in Kim Hai Commune, Kim Son District was started in 2010 with a total investment of VND14 billion (USD666,778) sourced from the state budget. By late 2012, as much as 80% of the project’s facilities had been completed, but since then, construction has been delayed due to capital shortages.

The project with a capacity to provide 60 litres for each person daily is aimed to provide clean water for more than 1,000 local households with around 3,000 people who are still using well-water for daily activities.

Chairman of Kim Hai Commune People’s Committee said that he had reported the situation to the district and provincial authorities but no action had been taken.

According to Hai, the project will need an extra investment of VND4.3 billion to finish some remaining facilities, with VND3 billion expected to be from the state budget and the remainder sourced from local people. However, to date, this additional investment has not yet been given to the project.

Media short film launched to call for tiger protection

Education for Nature-Vietnam (ENV) has released its latest public service announcement (PSA) featuring famous comedians Quoc Khanh and Cong Ly, urging the public to protect the world’s remaining tigers by avoiding consumption and use of tiger products.

The PSA, a product of ENV with support from Awely Wildlife and People and the US Fish and Wildlife Service, is set in Vietnam’s imperial era, with the honourable king, starring Quoc Khanh, receiving guests during the Lunar New Year. Cong Ly, playing a flashy man in a polished suit and fancy car, shows up to offer the gift of a tiger to the king.

To everyone’s surprise, the king turns down the gift and delivers a wise message: “Tigers are not medicine. The tiger is the king of the forest and the majestic symbol of our nation.” The king goes on to say, “ It is the duty of each and every citizen to protect our tigers,” ending with the king making a phone call to ENV’s Wildlife Crime Hotline 1800-1522 to report the violation.

Tiger populations have steadily declined in Vietnam over the past 30 years, as well as across the tiger’s native range. The International Tiger Coalition (ITC), representing organisations worldwide working to protect tigers, estimates that about 3,500 tigers remain in the wild globally.

Experts also estimate that as few as five tigers may remain in the wild in Vietnam. The greatest threat to Vietnam’s tigers is illegal hunting and trade. Tiger bones are used to make traditional medicine. Tigers are also consumed in wine or displayed as trophies. ENV’s statistics alone have recorded 772 violations related to advertising, selling, possession, and smuggling of tigers since 2010.

ENV Deputy Director Nguyen Phuong Dung said that demand for tiger products in Vietnam has not just reduced its own tiger populations, but also contributed to the decline of the world’s tiger population.

She called on the community to get involved by avoiding use of tiger products, and more importantly, reporting to authorities when they observe violations involving advertising, selling, or trade of tigers.

Dung also emphasised the need for relevant authorities to take a stronger stance on tiger trade through a number of urgent measures, including aggressively pursuing criminal networks and their leaders that are engaged in the illegal smuggling and trade of tigers, addressing weaknesses in the application of the law on stronger punishment for tiger traders, and strengthening international obligations to prevent the growth of tiger farming in Vietnam.

The PSA is part of ENV's long-term campaign to reduce consumer demand for products made from tigers and address the illegal tiger trade. The new PSA will be aired in coming months on national and provincial TV channels throughout Vietnam, including VTV Cab, An Vien TV (AVG), VTC Digital, and Sen Communications. It can be watched online at https://youtu.be/GvpqPOvJjaU.

ENV, established in 2000, is Vietnam’s first non-governmental organisation focused on the conservation of nature and protection of the environment.

Over VND44 billion to build National Space Museum

Knowledge about space science will be disseminated widely to the public in Vietnam, particularly younger generations, with a VND44.2 billion (roughly US$2 million) National Space Museum to be put into operation in December 2017.

The museum is an important component of a centre for universalizing knowledge about the space. It will cover a total area of 1,675 square metres indoors and 3,500 square metres outdoors at Hoa Lac Hi-tech Park in Hanoi.

Despite the strong development of space technology, applications in this field have yet to be universally disseminated in Vietnam, said Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pham Anh Tuan, Director of Vietnam National Satellite Center (VNSC) under the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST).

The building of the museum will help accelerate Vietnam’s progress and efforts in space technology, Tuan said, hailing the facility as an ideal venue for tourists to explore changes in the relatively new space sector in Vietnam.

Coming to the museum, visitors can get an insight into the early history of the universe as well as access useful information on the solar system, the galaxy and black holes. In addition to exhibiting artifacts, the museum offers many types of interactions viewers can discover themselves.

The VNSC has looked to a business specializing in designing Japan’s space museums for assistance and help telling stories at the Vietnam National Space Museum. As planned, the designing of the museum will be completed by the end of this year.

Japan funds disease resistant cassava research

Vietnam was last year’s second largest exporting nation for cassava, trailing only Thailand, Nguyen Van Lang, president of the Vietnam Cassava Association told reporters at a press conference earlier this month in Hanoi.

Mr Lang said exporters operating within the nation’s borders ship products primarily to the countries of China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Myanmar and the Republic of Korea (RoK).

“However, this year a variety of diseases, especially the witches broom disease, are posing a serious threat to cassava yields,” said Mr Lang.

“To address the problem, the Association is announcing the launch of a project aimed at instituting advanced technologies in cassava pest management and disease-free cassava cultivation.”

The four-year project is being conducted jointly with scientists and experts from the Japan Science and Technology Agency, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Thailand and Cambodia.

“The JICA is providing funding of US$5.6 million of official development assistance for the project,” said Mr Lang.

Le Huy Ham, director general of the Agricultural Genetics Institute, in turn said the project has many facets but will focus on the early detection of cassava pathogens, cassava diseases and the development of disease-free cassava varieties

Mr Ham, who will serve as director of the project, said as a corollary benefit the project will seek to improve the knowledge of farmers and others in the industry on issues related to cassava pest management and related issues.

“Cassava plays an important socio-economic role as a secondary crop in Vietnam,” said Mr Lang of the Association.

The total cassava-growing areas nationwide in 2015 were approximately 600,000 hectares, he said, producing nearly 10.67 million metric tons— for which about 38% was consumed domestically with the balance transported to foreign markets.

Cassava is consumed domestically principally as animal feed or as food to make different kinds of cakes and cookies, to fry meat and fish, and to make soups in the traditional Vietnamese diet.

The total amount of monosodium glutamate (MSG) made from cassava used in Vietnam is currently about 40,000 metric tons per year, with most of it produced by several foreign multinational corporations operating in the country.

Cassava is also used in the manufacture of pharmaceuticals, ethanol, industrial alcohol and similar products, though the cassava industry lacking huge amounts of foreign investment is still largely underdeveloped.

As the end of 2015, the country had an estimated six factories fuelled by dry cassava cuts producing bio-energy, and nearly 100 others processing cassava powder. In addition, there are hundreds of small family-scale cassava processing mills.

China was last year the largest importer of cassava products from Vietnam, accounting for roughly 85.6% of the volume of the nation’s total cassava exports.

Official statistics of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), said Mr Lang, show that for 2015 cassava exports of Vietnam tallied in at 4.1 million metric tons reaching total sales of US$1.32 billion.

Vietnamese film premieres in US

It has been unveiled that the Vietnamese blockbuster comedy ‘Gai Gia Lam Chieu’ (The Last Egg) will open on June 10 at theatres in Dallas, Texas.

The film tells the story of a successful and beautiful woman that always said no to marriage. Upon turning 30, she discovers she has a rare disease that will soon cause ovarian failure.

The hilariously funny and successful box office hit looks at how she finds a way to get pregnant before she can no longer have a child.

Vietnamese French artist’s painting exhibition in city

A painting exhibition titled ““Memory and Oblivion” presenting art works by Vietnamese French artist, Florian Nguyen, opened at the Institute for Cultural Exchange with France (IDECAF) in Ho Chi Minh City.

The event displays 21 works using Chinese ink on canson paper.

Florian Nguyen was born in 1988 and is a visual artist. It was Florian Nguyen’s memories of his grandparents that inspired him to create paintings.

“My grandparents left Vietnam as a child. They had told me their childhood in Vietnam. The deepest memories lingered in them and changed them. I wonder about the process of saving and recovering memories so I decided to convey this thought into paintings. I’m not trying to describe these memories accurately but to express what I felt", he said.

The exhibition will run until June 17.

Concert of Japanese anime films’ soundtracks in Hanoi

A concert titled “Ghibli Music Night” perfromed by the Hanoi Ensemble & friends will take place at Japan Foundation Center for Cultural Exchange in Vietnam in the capital on June 19.

Established in 2010, the Hanoi Ensemble consists of young artists and teachers from Vietnam National Academy of Music. They had studied in Vietnam and several well-known conservatories abroad. Members of Hanoi Ensemble had won several domestic and international prestigious music prizes. They have participated and played regularly in several concerts, music festivals as well as many cultural exchange programs in Vietnam and abroad.

The band will introduce music lovers an excellent music program from lovely Japanese anime films of Studio Ghibli.

The music show is the ninth edition of the JF Garage Concert program, a series of concerts organized by the Japan Foundation in hope of providing musical diversity to Hanoi through the introduction of Japanese music.

Lam Dong family finally receive red book after 10 years

Duc Trong District People's Committee in Lam Dong Province has finally granted the red book to the family of Dam Thi Lich to certify their rights to 563.9 square metres of land in Lien Nghia Town.

Following instructions from PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Tran Hong Ha, Lich didn't have to pay any money to get the certificate.

"I’m so happy to have it now," the 75-year-old woman said, holding her land use right certificate when talking with DTiNews reporters. "I have to thank the prime minister and the minister of Natural Resources and Environment for helping me to get it after more than a decade. I also want to express my sincere thanks to DTiNews Newspaper and lawyer Ho Nguyen Le for supporting me over the past year."

Lich has been involved in a long dispute with local authorities of Duc Trong District over the land use right certificate.

Before 1975, Lich's family had cleared nearly 4,000 square metres of scrub land. They had been cultivating the land for 11 years before giving the usage of it to the agricultural co-operative in 1986, of which they were a member. The local authorities gave them a lot of nearly 600 square metres of residential land.

In 1993, Lich asked Duc Trong District People's Committee for compensation for their 4,000 m2 of farm land which had been used for other purposes but received no response.

When Lich prepared to asked for the land use right certificate for her residential land lot, the committee decided to divide it into two lots, 253.9 square metres of residential land and 310-m2 of farm land. However, they asked Lich to pay a land use fee of VND5.7 billion (USD253,900) for the residential land area.

Lich disagreed with the decision by Duc Trong People's Committee and had sent various complaints to agencies including Lam Dong Province's People Committee, Lam Dong Province's Party Committee, and the province's NA deputies calling for help. But she again received no response.

Lich then sought help from local media. DTiNews followed her story and published more than 50 investigations which showed various wrongdoings.

And after the case was brought to the media and received lots of attention from the public, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, Tran Hong Ha, on May 13 sent a delegation led by the head of the General Department of Land Management to Lam Dong to investigate the case.

The investigation team have found out various wrongdoings by local authorities in Duc Trong District and the minister then asked them to urgently grant the certificate to Lich's family without asking for any fee.

Minister Ha also vowed to strictly punish all the individuals involved in the case after further investigations are carried out.

Lâm Đồng province to benefit from special policies

Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc yesterday presented Decision 1528/QĐ-TTg, that provides some specific mechanisms and policies for the development of Central Highlands Lâm Đồng Province, especially Đà Lạt city, to the provincial administration.

Under the PM’s decision, the province will be permitted to apply some special mechanisms and policies for developing various aspects of Đà Lạt city and its vicinity, such as real estate business, satellite cities, public transport, tourism sites, a biotechnology and hi-tech agriculture zone, and a concentrated IT zone.

Accordingly, the Lâm Đồng People’s Committee can allow property investors (except for those in ecological and leisure tourism projects) who have completed infrastructure construction, to transfer their projects to other investors for building housing or other structures approved by authorised agencies.

The Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee can ask the PM to decide on exempting the land rent for projects on building a national tourism site and a key tourism site in Đà Lạt.

Taxes on imported materials and equipment for building hi-tech greenhouses and net houses serving vegetable and flower production can also be exempted for five years if those materials and equipment cannot be sourced domestically. Lâm Đồng province is also permitted to build a “green village” on a trial basis in Đà Lạt city. The “green village” will include a hi-tech agricultural production area along with housing and public facilities. Agritourism will be developed there. The village will be designed to preserve biodiversity, natural landscapes and local culture while reducing greenhouse gas emission and using renewable energy.

At the decision announcement ceremony in Đà Lạt, PM Phúc said the decision aims to create optimal conditions for Lâm Đồng to capitalise on its natural potential, especially in tourism and agriculture. He told local authorities to prioritise tourism and hi-tech agriculture, adding that brands should be built for each hotel and tourism site, along with hi-tech farm products to boost exports.

While the province’s administration needs to overhaul its apparatus and business climate, businesses must comply with laws during their operations there to help Đà Lạt and Lâm Đồng grow.

Later the same day, the Government leader visited the Đà Lạt Ground Force Academy and some policy beneficiaries.

On Saturday, PM Phúc had a working session with provincial officials to assess local socio-economic development. In the context of the country’s deeper global integration, he urged the province to be more active in building and implementing socio-economic development measures.

He suggested that the province support business development and improve the business environment, striving to make Lâm Đồng one of the main business development centres in the country.

He instructed the province to continue speeding up the restructuring process and equitisation of State-owned businesses and handle social issues.  

On the occasion, the leader also visited ethnic minority people in N’Thôl Hạ Commune, Đức Trọng District.

Lâm Đồng has a population of nearly 1.3 million from 43 ethnic groups. It welcomed five million tourists in 2015. The province has posted an annual per capita GDP of VNĐ45.5 million (over US$2,000) during the last five years, almost equalling the national average. It expects the figure to be between VNĐ70 million–73 million ($3,100 – 3,200) in 2020 and low-income households reduced by 1.5 – 2 per cent annually.

Work begins on Mỹ Thuỷ intersection in District 2

Work began last Friday on the first phase of the Mỹ Thuỷ intersection in District 2 with total investment of nearly VNĐ838 billion (US$37.4 million), according to the city’s Department of Transport.

The project, which aims to curb traffic congestion at the Cát Lai Port area in District 2, is scheduled to be completed by 2018.

The project will include a 17-metre four-lane flyover with a length of 316 metres; a nine metre tall two-lane tunnel with a length of 405 metres; and the four-lane Kỳ Hà 3 Bridge that is 17 metres wide and 75 metres long, among other works.

Lê Ngọc Hùng, director of the Urban Traffic Management Zone 2, said the intersection is located at two major traffic routes, Nguyễn Thị Định Street and Belt Road 2.

Nguyễn Thị Định Street leads to Cát Lái Port with more than 18,000 container trucks travelling on it daily.

Hùng said it was essential to build the Mỹ Thuỷ intersection to serve the transport of goods into Cát Lái Port.

At least 5.7 hectares of land will be cleared to make way for the project, which will affect 164 households.

Bees stop passengers from leaving Airlines plane

A Vietnam Airlines plane was unable to unload passengers after landing as a swarm of bees covered part of the cockpit on June 4, Tuoi Tre reported.

The unusual incident happened to the flight VNN265 which arrived from Hanoi and landed at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City on June 4 afternoon.

After the Airbus A330 arrived at the airport apron, the ground services officers spotted a swarm of bees inside the jet bridge.

It had rained before they found the bees, and they had no idea where they came from.

The bees then flew to the plane and settled the cockpit.

The captain of the flight decided to wait until the ground services officers successfully shooed the bees out of the area.

The next flight served by the plane was delayed in around 40 minutes due to the incident.

Ho Chi Minh City hosts four art exhibitions

Art fans in Ho Chi Minh City should be pleased as four art exhibitions are taking place there, featuring artistic pieces of vivid hues and shades that convey different messages.

Of these, 17 artists are showcasing 80 artworks in an art exhibition lasting between Saturday and June 12 at the Ho Chi Minh City Museum of Fine Arts in District 1.

Themed ‘Sac Mau Nhan Ai,’ which means the hues of compassion, the event is organized to fundraise and donate half of the proceeds generated from selling the artworks to 200 orphans raised in Ky Quang Pagoda.

It is sponsored by a Vietnamese-American family passionate about art.

Tan Ngoc Mai, the husband, said that he had drawn sketches of his American friends to raise money to open the exhibition.

“I was able to collect US$4,000, and my wife told me that she would cover the rest,” Mai said in cheers as there are plenty of artworks from various artists.

“Some are willing to donate all their money earned from the sold pieces,” he said, expressing hopes that the event will conclude in success so that he and his wife can support more orphans.

Another art display, named ‘Memory and Oblivion,’ was opened at the Institute for Cultural Exchange with France (IDECAF) on 28 Le Thanh Ton Street on Friday with 21 illustrations on Chinese ink composed by Florian Nguyen, a Vietnamese-French artist.

The paintings depict childhood memories of the immigrant Vietnamese generation, which are inspired by the imagination as well as the curiosity of his country of origin, he explained, saying that he was only told about Vietnam by his grandparents so he wanted to find out more about his homeland.

“Instead of expressing accurately what the country is, I try to depict what I feel about Vietnam in my works,” Florian shared his thought.

The event will close on June 17, according to IDECAF’s website.

Two Ho Chi Minh City-based artists Hoang Duong Cam and Truc-Anh is showing their artworks at Galerie Quynh on Dong Khoi Street in an exhibition called ‘Between Two Mysteries,’ running from June 3 to July 9.

Inspired by vast flooded woodlands in the southernmost part of the country, Cam’s Lightning in U Minh Forest paintings vividly portray the forest across colliding layers of myth and history, conceptualization and sensory exploration, external landscapes and internal state of mind.

Meanwhile, the works by Truc-Anh highlight a host of fantastical figures and images from world history, popular culture, fiction, and imagination.

Blanc Art Space on 75D Tu Xuong Street is presenting ‘New Wave,’ an exhibition featuring paintings of three young artists – Nguyen Xuan Quyen, Phan Dinh Khanh, and Vo Quang Tuan. The event is open until June 17.

Airline companies offer promotion to passengers on summer

Vietnam Airlines, the flag carrier of Vietnam is offering a promotional program for members of the airline’s loyalty program, Lotusmiles from now until June 30 on the occasion of the opening of its new official website.

Accordingly, Lotusmiles members will also get 1,000 bonus miles when purchasing tickets by access the website www.vietnamairlines.com

In addition, the budget carrier VietJet Air offers a new international route from Ho Chi Minh City to Kuala Lumpur, starting on June 1.

The daily flight will take one hour 55 minutes per leg. The flight takes off from Ho Chi Minh City at 9:30am and arrives in Kuala Lumpur at 12:25 (local time). The return flight will depart at 13:00 for landing at 13:55 (local time).

The carrier is also giving many promotional programs on local and international flights from HCMC to Malaysia, Singapore, Korea, Taiwan (China), Thailand and Myanmar departing on August 15-December 31 (excluding public holidays).

Meanwhile the low-cost carrierJetstar Pacific Airlines is selling tickets on new routes, Hanoi-Chu Lai and Hanoi-Quy Nhon. First flights using180-seat Airbus 320 was scheduled to take off on June 1.

Jetstar will offer three return fights per week from Hanoi to Chu Lai on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday; and Monday, Wednesday and Sunday on Hanoi-Quy Nhon route.

Projects address health, social issues in Thua Thien - Hue

The central province of Thua Thien- Hue will carry out a US-funded project to provide sustainable solutions to address health and social issues in the province.

The project will use non-refundable aid of 55,000 USD from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) via the Development Credit Authority (DCA).

The two-year project aims to train and engage local youths in community work, such as enhancing public health and environment protection.

Norway’s Phuc’s Fund also provided non-refundable aid of 572 million VND (25,740 USD) to help disadvantaged people in the province.

The amount covers scholarships for disadvantaged students, gifts for poor people, and upgrades to several social facilities.

Irradiation centre set to bolster fruit production

Upgrades on the Hà Nội Irradiation Centre are expected to pave the way for more Vietnamese fruit, particularly those from the northern region, to reach overseas consumers.

Director of the Centre Đặng Quang Thiệu said the upgrade was approved last year, with funding of some VNĐ20 billion (US$896,400).

Previously, the centre, founded in 1986 under the Việt Nam Atomic Energy Institute, could irradiate some agricultural products such as onions, garlic and dried medicinal herbs, but it operated on a small scale and not professionally.

The upgrades, which include adding a 200sq.m freezer storage unit, modern irradiation equipment and other technology, will allow the centre to irradiate fruit such as lychees and longans this year onwards, he said.

Irradiation is considered a safe technology that helps to kill all bacteria and microorganisms and keep fruit fresh for longer periods, even up to a few months. Major fruit importers such as Australia, Canada and the United States require fruit to be irradiated before they enter the countries..

Director Thiệu said when fruits grown in the northern region were irradiated in Hà Nội, fruit firms were able to save some VNĐ16 million per tonne, as they no longer had to transport them to the south for irradiation.

The centre can handle up to 10 tonnes of fruit daily, using techniques similar to those used in neighbouring countries.

“The time needed for transportation has been slashed, the shelf life has increased and the fruit stays fresh longer,” Thiệu said.

He said the centre was considering offering a discount of some VNĐ6,000 per kilogramme to fruit firms to get more of them engaged in the practice.

Lê Sơn Hà, head of the Plan Quarantine Division under the Plan Protection Department, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, said last year was the first year that Việt Nam had sent lychees to the United States and Australia, where there are strict quarantine regulations on fruit. At that time, firms in the north had to transfer their lychee crops to the south for irradiation treatment, which increased transportation costs.

The upgraded Hà Nội Irradiation Centre will help resolve that transportation issue.

Hà said the Plan Protection Department had sent the relevant documents and samples to Australia for verification.

“If the Australian partners accept, this year’s lychee for export will be irradiated in Hà Nội,” he said.

The irradiated fruits are also expected to attract domestic consumers who are growing more concerned about food safety and consuming high-quality produce.

According to the Việt Nam Fruit and Vegetables Association, last year, export revenue reached $1.85 billion for fruits and vegetables, an increase of more than 24 per cent over 2014.

Việt Nam exported more than 40 kinds of fruits and vegetables to over 40 countries and territories. Fastidious markets such as the United States, Australia, the European Union and Japan have opened their doors to Vietnamese fruits such as longans, lychees and mangoes.

Delta grows lemongrass, profits

Farmers in Tiền Giang Province’s Tân Phú Đông District are earning more income by switching to lemongrass to cope with drought and saltwater intrusion.

The Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta’s islet district faces a severe shortage of fresh water in the dry season, preventing cultivation of rice and other crops.

Trương Văn Hùng, the first farmer to switch to lemongrass in Tân Phú Đông’s Phú Thạnh Commune, said saltwater intrusion occurred on the islet for six months every year, preventing the cultivation of rice.    

“Growing rice here has low yield,” he said.

In 2013, Hùng switched to lemongrass on his 2.5 ha paddy field as the herb has short-term cultivation and high yield, and is resistant to drought and extreme weather conditions.

In the first lemongrass crop, Hùng harvested 60 tonnes of stalks and earned a profit of VNĐ150 million (US$6,800).

“The profit is three times higher than from rice,” he said.

Lemongrass is suited to the soil of the islet, especially in Phú Thạnh and Phú Đông communes, said local farmers.

Many rice farmers have grown a lemongrass crop and one rice crop a year or have switched to grow two lemongrass crops a year in recent years.

Nguyễn Tấn Hùng, chairman of the Phú Thạnh Commune People’s Committee, said the commune was severely affected by saltwater intrusion every year, so the development of lemongrass cultivation was beneficial for the restructuring of the commune’s crops.

Last year, prolonged hot weather damaged rice areas in the commune, causing many farmers to switch to lemongrass, he said.

“The Phú Thạnh Commune People’s Committee is encouraging farmers whose paddy fields have low yield and are far from irrigation water sources to switch to lemongrass,” he said.

Ongoing drought and saltwater intrusion in the delta have affected other crops, but lemongrass farmers said they still had a high income as the herb could grow in harsh weather conditions.

In addition, the demand for use as an essential oil and food item has increased in recent years so the price of lemongrass has risen, according to farmers.

Nguyễn Văn Hải, head of the Tân Phú Đông District Agriculture and Rural Development Bureau, said most households that grow lemongrass have high income.  

The district lemongrass growing area has increased to 800ha, up 200 ha against the same period last year, according to the bureau.  

Tân Phú Đông is the province’s largest lemongrass cultivation area, producing 20,000 tonnes of lemongrass stalks a year.

The district’s lemongrass stalks are mostly sold to HCM City.

Hải said the district has named lemongrass, soursop, coconut and high-yield rice as its key plants in the 2015-20 period.

District authorities plan to develop the lemongrass area to 1,000ha.

To ensure outlets for farmers, local authorities have implemented several measures to boost sales.  

The district is calling on companies from other places to sign sale guarantee contracts with farmers.

It is also creating the best conditions for companies to buy fresh lemongrass stalks and process them, to prevent traders from lowering the buying price, Hải said.  

“If outlets are guaranteed, lemongrass will contribute a large role to reducing poverty on this islet,” he said.

VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/TT/TN/Dantri