Rice News Headlines...
·
Meet
A Farmer From Bihar Who Grew An Astonishing 22.4 Tonnes Of Rice On One Hectar
of Land
·
Balochistan
Assembly seeks facilities for traders
·
Dossiers
contain 'sufficient evidence': Sartaj
·
Indian
hand’: Aziz insists dossiers contain material proof
·
Only
six non-career ambassadors in office: govt
·
Rice
mills in doldrums
·
Paddy
Procurement in S’kulam Reviewed
·
Philippines
rice mill upgrades with Bühler equipment
·
Drought
breaker to drought maker: El Nino around the Pacific
·
Business
Honors for Nov. 22, 2015
·
GRDB:
Rice millers receive over $660M for rice supplied to Panama
·
Mekong
Delta’s logistics potential awakened
News Detail...
Meet A Farmer From Bihar Who Grew An
Astonishing 22.4 Tonnes Of Rice On One Hectar of Land
November 22, 2015
There is a reason why Darveshpura has suddenly
emerged as 'India’s miraculous village'. Sumant Kumar, a farmer from Darveshpura,
Bihar managed to do the impossible. The shy farmer grew an astonishing 22.4
tonnes of rice on one hectare of land only by using farmyard manure!
Image
Credit: Chiara Goia/Observer Food Monthly
The production is so massive, that it beat the record
of 19.4 tonnes which was created by the ‘father of rice’, Chinese agricultural
scientist, Yuan Longping. At first, the Bihar state agricultural universities
refused to believe Sumant, however when the state’s head of agriculture (who is
a rice farmer himself) came to his village to examine his crop, it was then
declared to be true.Along with Sumant, his friends Krishna, Nitish, Sanjay and
Bijay have also managed to produce over 17 tonnes of rice. Thus, making
Darveshpura a case study for agricultural scientists. Today, Darveshpura
is lauded for its achievement. Thanks to Sumant, the village was rewarded with
electricity, a bank and a bridge.
Sumant, now attends conferences and gives lectures about his
rice growing techniques. Sumant uses the SRI technique for growing rice, which
yields great results. The SRI method is about planting single rice seeds one by
one. They are planted in a grid pattern and are showered with organic
fertilisers and not with the artificial ones. Sumant is now a local hero
and is working hard to yield his next crop. More power to him and his village!
http://www.indiatimes.com/news/india/meet-a-farmer-from-bihar-who-grew-an-astonishing-22-4-tonnes-of-rice-on-one-hectar-of-land-247592.html
Balochistan Assembly seeks facilities for traders
The resolution
demands that the verification fee Iran had been charging on
health export certificates be abolished.—Online/File
QUETTA: The Balochistan Assembly
through a resolution on Friday called on the federal government to evolve an
import and export policy with Iran on the basis of equality because the
neighbouring country was not offering equal business opportunities to
Balochistan traders.The resolution was moved by Syed Liaquat Agha of the
Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party. Acting Speaker Mir Abdul Qudoos Bizenjo chaired
the session.The resolution which was supported by several members, including
those on opposition benches, demanded that the verification fee Iran had been
charging on health export certificates be abolished and business visa fee
should be the same as other category visa fee.
The mover in the resolution said that the sample of Pakistani
export rice consignment should be tested in Zahidan, instead of Tehran which
causes months of delay and exporters suffer great loss.Former speaker Mir Jan
Muhammad Khan Jamali supported the resolution and said that the government
should take notice of the situation as Indian businessmen were selling
Pakistani Basmati rice in Dubai in the name of Indian rice. He sought a ban on
the import of banana and other fruits and vegetables from India.Deputy opposition
leader Zumrak Khan Piralizai said that Iran should extend same facilities to
the Pakistani exporters that Pakistan had been offering to Iranian businessmen.
He said Iranian fruit, vegetable and other goods were coming to Balochistan and
the Pakistan government was extending maximum facilities to Iranian exporters.
Published in Dawn, November 21st,
2015
Dossiers
contain 'sufficient evidence': Sartaj
November 21, 2015
Advisor to Prime Minister on
Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz on Friday dispelled rumours that Pakistan has not
submitted any material evidence with United Nations and the US about Indian
involvement in the Federally Administrated Tribal Areas and Balochistan. During
a Question-Hour of the National Assembly, he said the dossiers shared with the
UN secretariat and the US officials contain 'substantial material' about Indian
intervention in Pakistani territories.
The advisor said that Pakistan has been careful while sharing the details as "we cannot disclose our sources of information."
The advisor said that Pakistan has been careful while sharing the details as "we cannot disclose our sources of information."
To another question, he said
Pakistan and Belarus have signed a number of agreements and MoUs for promotion
of bilateral relations in different fields. "Both
countries have established a business council, which will help bring investment
from Belarus," he said. Aziz said that Pakistani embassy in Iraq has been
pursuing repatriation cases of 499 Pakistanis imprisoned in Iraq. Federal
Minister for Commerce Eng. Khurram Dastagir Khan informed the National Assembly
that export of rice to Indonesia, Philippines and Sri Lanka would start very
soon.
Replying to various questions during a
question-hour, he said, an agreement to export rice to Indonesia has been
finalised while with Philippines it is in final stage, adding that concerns of
Sri Lanka about quality have been removed and export will start soon. e said exports of rice in the current
markets is also being increased besides Trade Development Authority of Pakistan
(TDAP) is actively supporting the rice exporters and finding new markets as
Pakistan produces world class Basmati rice.
The Minister said an agricultural
exhibition was held in Russia for the first time and the Russian Federation
would become a new market for Pakistan, adding that in recent days talks with
officials of South Africa, Russia, France, Indonesia, Angola, Germany were held
to increase export of Pakistani rice to these countries. He said surplus stock of basmati rice
is available with the private sector in the country due to a bumper crop and
less exports. However, it is hard to determine the exact quantity of stocks.
The minister said the reason behind a decrease in export is depressed prices of
rice in international market due to introduction of new low-cost high yielding
varieties of rice by international competitors.
He said the export of rice is in
the private sector and one-time purchase of stocks by the government will not
solve the problem. He, however, said the government is in contact with
stakeholders to devise a mechanism to support the private sector in export
efforts. The prime minister has constituted a committee to support growers and
has announced a Rs 350 billion Kissan Package to help mitigate the sufferings
of growers, particularly rice growers, he said. To another question about imports, he
said imports increased to US $45.98 billion from US $45.07 billion in 2013-14,
showing an increase of 2.01 percent during the outgoing financial year
(2014-15). The trade deficit during the outgoing financial year has increased
from 19.963 billion in 2013-14 to 22.095 billion in 2014-15.
Since Pakistan's major imports
consist of petroleum, machinery and chemicals which are essential items for
economic development. Therefore, a nominal increase of 2.01% in imports during
2014-15 has no significant adverse impact on economy, he said. The minister said the imports of
Pakistan are essential in nature ie Machinery (16.1%), Chemical (16.2%),
Petroleum (25.4%), Metal (8.1%), food Group (10.9%), Transport (5.9%) and
Textile (5.6%). However, Pakistan has taken measures to increase exports so
that trade deficit can be reduced to the maximum possible level.
Indian hand’: Aziz insists dossiers contain material proof
Published: November 21, 2015
PHOTO: AFP
ISLAMABAD:
A senior aide to the
prime minister, Sartaj Aziz, has rejected media reports suggesting Islamabad
has not given material evidence on India’s involvement in stoking terrorism in
Pakistan in the dossiers shared with the United Nations or the United States.The dossiers have been submitted to UN
Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and were also shared with US Secretary of State
John Kerry during the prime minister’s visit to Washington last month.A day
earlier, news reports quoted the foreign affairs adviser as saying that the
“meticulously prepared” dossiers contained “patterns and narratives” of Indian
involvement. “But material evidence cannot be shared for the sake of protecting
the sources,” he reportedly said while testifying before the Senate Foreign
Affairs Committee.
Dispelling
these rumours on Friday, the prime minister’s adviser on foreign policy said
the dossiers shared with the UN secretariat and the US officials contained
“substantial material” on Indian intervention inside Pakistani territory.
“Pakistan has been careful while sharing the details as we cannot disclose our
sources of information,” the adviser clarified during the Question Hour of the
National Assembly.
To another
question, he said Pakistan and Belarus have signed a number of agreements for
promotion of bilateral relations in different fields. “Both countries have
established a business council, which will help bring in investment from
Belarus,” he added.Sartaj also said the Pakistan Embassy in Iraq was pursuing
repatriation cases of 499 nationals imprisoned in Iraq.
Halal food
A report of
National Assembly Standing Committee on Science and Technology on “The Pakistan
Halal Authority Bill, 2015” was also presented in the House.”The bill proposes
establishing an authority to promote imports and exports, and trade and
commerce with foreign countries and inter-provincial trade and commerce in
Halal articles and processes.Replying to different questions, Federal Commerce
Minister Khurram Dastagir said the export of rice to Indonesia, the Philippines
and Sri Lanka would start soon. The agreement with Indonesia has been finalised
while with the Philippines, it is in the final stages. Sri Lanka’s concern
about the quality of rice has been removed and export will start soon.He said
the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) was actively supporting rice
exporters and finding new markets as Pakistan produced world-class basmati
rice.
The minister
added an agricultural exhibition was held in Russia recently and the Russian
Federation was likely to become a new market for Pakistan. Talks with officials
from South Africa, Russia, France, Indonesia, Angola and Germany have been held
to increase exports of rice.He said the prime minister constituted a committee
to support growers and announced Rs350 billion Kissan Package to help mitigate
the sufferings of the farmers, particularly rice growers. To another question
about imports, Khurram replied that imports had increased to $45.98 billion
from $45.07 billion in 2013-14, showing an increase of 2.01 per cent during the
outgoing fiscal.The trade deficit during the outgoing financial year has
increased from Rs19.963 billion in 2013-14 to Rs22.09 billion in 2014-15. Since
Pakistan’s major imports consist of petroleum, machinery and chemicals, which
are essential for economic development, the nominal increase in imports has no
significant adverse impact on economy, the minister claimed.
Published in The Express
Tribune, November 21st, 2015.
Only six
non-career ambassadors in office: govt
November 21, 2015
ISLAMABAD: The government on
Friday clarified issues of national significance in the Lower House of the
parliament, including the Mina stampede, non-career ambassadors, balance of
trade and hepatitis.National Security Adviser to the Prime Minister (PM) Sartaj
Aziz, who hails from Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), informed the House
that around 88 pilgrims offering Haj on government-sponsored scheme lost their
lives in Mina and that for private schemes the number of martyrs is 100. One
dead body was flown back while the rest were buried in Saudi Arabia, clarified
Aziz. Clarifying induction of non-career ambassadors as Pakistani
representatives overseas, Aziz said around six such officials are serving
currently and that retired armed forces officials are representing Pakistan in countries
where their armed forces’ skills are required.
Aziz said “one-fifth” of the
ambassadors can be non-career professionals. PML-N lawmaker Engineer Khurram
Dastgir Khan clarified that India has not been declared as the most-favourite
country and that for Indian imports at Wagah border a list of less than 150
products exist and only those are allowed in. Dastgir said that being a member
of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), “We cannot bar products of any country
with which we have bad relations,” he said, adding that “although India and
China are not friendly with each other but nonetheless the trade among them
stands at $75 billion, annually”.
He said trade negotiations with
India did not take place after January 2014. Clarifying on the stance of protecting
the local market from foreign cotton yarn dumping, Dastgir said that a duty of
15% was imposed. Dastgir said that having liberalised the rice export there has
been a “600%” rise in exports and stressed that the total rice export fetches
for the national exchequer $2 billion. He said that the rice exporters have
suffered a blow because the premiums of rice have fallen in the international
market.
For providing relief to the rice processing units unable to paying back the bank loans, he said that the federal government is contemplating on the issue. Dastgir said that an agreement has been reached with Philippines for rice export and that a similar agreement with Indonesia is in the making and that Sri Lanka has agreed with re-opening the rice import from Pakistan. PML-N lawmaker Dr Darshan clarified that the tackling of hepatitis after the 18th amendment has been transferred to the provincial governments. He added that the federal government has been organising awareness campaigns such as the disposal of used “syringes” and that in association with World Health Organisation (WHO) “needle cutters” were distributed to the public hospitals.
Darshan said that there is a
500,000 increase in hepatitis cases countrywide. He said that for hepatitis B a
vaccination is injected right after birth and that a prescription medicine
curing hepatitis more effectively than the injections is being sold at “98%”
less rate compared with its premium in the international market. He said that
the provincial governments of Sindh and Balochistan have conducted raids on
barbers who used one blade on multiple customers and that all provincial
governments should perform similar crackdowns.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/national/21-Nov-2015/only-six-non-career-ambassadors-in-office-govt
Rice mills in doldrums
Many
rice mills are in the red and are likely to stop milling any time.– Photo: By
K.V. RAMANA
Over 200 mills out of 320 in Nizamabad have closed since January
The entire rice mill industry has
been in doldrums due to drastic reduction in paddy production over the last
couple of years, enormous increase in input costs and total ban on levy paddy
by the government to millers.According to a study, over 200 mills out of 320 in
the district have closed since January, and the rest are also not in a sound
financial position. Many of them have been in the red and are likely to stop
milling any time soon, said industry sources.The State lost its monopoly in
rice production, market and export, and slowly other States took its position.
Paddy production and milling of rice tremendously improved in Bihar, Uttar
Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Maharasthra and Karnataka, and they are able to trade the
product at competitive prices. Millers in Telangana, consisting of more than
2,500 mills, are unable to compete with them in terms of market price.
District Rice Millers’
Association president Dayanand Gupta said that the custom milling is not at all
beneficial, hence millers have stopped it. Millers need to give 67 kilogramme
rice to the government for quintal of raw paddy, which is given to them by
procuring it from farmers. “We keep incurring excessive losses as we cannot get
the same amount of rice if the paddy is milled,” he said.Since other States
where the paddy is being produced have not bothered to pay minimum support
price (MSP) to farmers, and the government here strictly following the payment
of MSP, the production costs are higher, incapacitating millers to compete with
others.
Every year, about 30,000 workers
from Bihar used to come to the district to work at rice mills. They are not
coming here now as they have plenty of work in their State.Mr. Gupta said that
the 100 per cent lifting of levy to millers since October gave a blow to the
industry.Till last year, the government used to collect 25 per cent levy and
allowed millers to trade 75 per cent rice in the market. The sickness in the
industry rendered hundreds of families unemployed, he said.“We have no income
from by-products and of late the production costs have become unbearable.
Unless the government comes to our rescue, our industry cannot survive,” the
association representatives said
Paddy Procurement in
S’kulam Reviewed
By
Published: 20th November 2015 05:16 AM
Last Updated: 20th November 2015 05:16 AM
SRIKAKULAM: Collector P Lakshminarasimham directed the officials
and rice millers to procure paddy from all the farmers across the district. A
meeting with officials and rice millers was convened by the collector to review
the paddy procurement here Thursday. During the meeting, the collector enquired
about the capacity of the godowns and availability of gunny bags.
The charges for the transportation of the paddy from the fields
to paddy procurement centres would be borne by the farmers only.
The charges to shift the paddy from the mills to FCI godowns would
be met by the millers, the collector said. The collector also directed the
millers to send the rice to the FCI within 15 days of receiving the paddy.The
collector expressed his unhappiness as the millers did not achieve the target
last year. The administration has fixed a target of one lakh metric tonne to
the millers but they failed to meet it. The collector directed joint collector
Vivek Yadav to shutdown rice mills which are not in running condition.The
government had given the paddy procurement centres to the Self-Help Groups.
However, the 49 SHGs are yet to receive payment from the Civil Supplies
department. The collector directed the agricultural officials to prepare a
SHG-wise data listing the extent of land each group covers and paddy yield. He
also directed for arrangement of tools at the procurement centres to check the
paddy quality.
http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/andhra_pradesh/Paddy-Procurement-in-S%E2%80%99kulam-Reviewed/2015/11/20/article3137294.ece
Philippines rice mill upgrades with Bühler
equipment
Friday, 20 November 2015 04:49
The Bühler Group
(Bühler) has completed a total upgrade of milling equipment for the La Suerte
Ricemill Corporation (La Suerte) in Isabela, Philippines
The mill will soon install a
de-stoner, a huller as well as a separator, all from Bühler. (Image sourc:
Bühler)
Now, the mill is running
exclusively on Bühler’s technology, following the recent installation of a
10-12 tonnes per hour (tph) rice whitening line, a 20 tph rice hulling line in
2013 and the SORTEX optical sorting technology in 2009.Ricardo P. Tan, CEO of
La Suerte, said that the mill now produces rice which is superior in appearance
and taste. “Bühler’s highly impressive technology has provided us with the
all-important competitive advantage we need, to take the leading position in
our industry.
Our return on investment has already been fantastic and we’re
delighted with the result. Since updating most of our Mill equipment with
Bühler technology, we have been able to consistently deliver perfect quality
rice to our customers in the marketplace,” he said.The next stage in the mill’s
development will come with Bühler’s de-stoner, for the removal of stones and
other high-density impurities, such as metal and glass. The mill will also
install a huller and separator to deliver excellent separating efficiency,
grading solutions to classify rice by kernel size, as well as optical sorting
solutions to deliver rice with a smooth, dust free and shiny surface. As part
of its investment, the mill also receives round-the-clock service from Bühler,
with localised support.Rustom Mistry, director and head of rice processing for
Asia at Bühler, said: “La Suerte is one of the most respected rice millers in
the Philippines. We’re delighted to know that using our technology has provided
the team with peace of mind.”
http://fareasternagriculture.com/crops/processing-a-storage/philippines-rice-mill-upgrades-with-buehler-equipment
Drought breaker to drought maker: El Nino
around the Pacific
By Clint Jasper
Posted
Farmers across the globe are bracing for a
wide variety of extreme weather events forecasted this summer, all brought on by a strong El Nino.For some, it will mean the stress and devastation drought brings
to farm land will be amplified, while others can expect their crops and
livelihoods to be washed away in flood.ABC Rural spoke with farmers and
researchers in key regions, who described how El Nino usually plays out in
their patch.
Dry
weather sparks PNG food crisisJust like their counterparts in
Queensland and northern New South Wales, South East Asian farmers have been
battling with dry conditions and droughts for the past several years, and the
forecast of a strong El Nino weather pattern has some farmer worried about
their ability to feed their local populations.
For one of Australia's closest neighbours, Papua New Guinea, an El Nino driven drought has sparked a major food crisis,
with villagers already relying on donations of food after dry weather and
frosts wiped out crops in the region.:0
00:00
A similar situation is playing out across South East Asia, as
farmers recall the previous strong El Nino conditions felt in
1997-98.Indonesia, known for its tropical climate and high rainfall saw a
complete absence of rain, conditions which farmers fear they could be facing
again.In the Philippines, where monsoons often bring large downpours during wet
seasons, it the variability of that rainfall that makes farmers concerned about
El Nino.At the Philippines-based International Rice Research Institute senior
scientist Reiner Wassmann said even though it's drier than average year, during
the current wet season you wouldn't immediately pick that."If you look
around right now everything is looking quite green, in the rainy season there
is quite good rainfall in most parts of the season.
"However, you really have to take into account that there
are two rice crops grown each year, in the wet and the dry season, and the dry
crop relies on irrigation.
"The reservoirs that supply irrigation have been draining
in recent months."
Mr Wassmann said for rain-fed rice production, the total
rainfall figure was not as important as the timing of the rain.Rice farmers
need solid, early, downpours to get their crops started, but the El Nino
increased the variability of the timing of rainfalls."What has happened
this year was that the rainfall in large parts of the Mekong Basin, the rain
came much later than usual."Mr Wassmann said different regions and
countries in South Asia would face variable food security threats."We will
have a really diverse picture across the region."It's difficult it bring
it down to one thing, but we will clearly have lower yields in rain fed rice
production regions."These regions are generally where farmers have the
lowest income, so it will affect farmers' livelihoods."
Latin
Americans brace for flooding rains
Across the Pacific, farmers in drought stricken California are
desperate for rain, as the big dry there enters a fifth year.Heavy downpours
have already caused mudslides in southern California, and EL Nino is expected
to bring more rain.But for citrus farmer John Gless, who farms just outside of
Los Angeles, while the rain is welcome, it won't be drought-breaking."I
think it will bring some temporary relief, but it is not going to solve our
problems."We have got to get our reservoirs refilled, and we need to
increase the capacity of our water storage."
Democratic state lawmaker, Marc Levine said officials weren't
counting on a El Nino to being drought breaking rains, but heavy downpours
meant the state would need to be on high alert to protect people from further
mudslides."Even in times of drought, flooding is a risk and a threat to
human life, and we take that really seriously.
"We need to get better at capturing storm water, because 80
per cent of rainfall in the Los Angeles Basin area flows right into the Pacific
Ocean."Mudslides, earthquakes and flood wrecked devastation on the South
American nations, Peru and Ecuador during the strong 1997-98 El Nino.Severe
flooding in Mexico and Argentina added to the big hit that cattle herds,
cotton, soy and wheat crops as well as important horticultural regions all
took.South America is an important region for coffee production, and it's
across these regions that food security of important staples is believed to be
most at risk.
Business Honors for Nov. 22, 2015
ADVOCATE STORY
Nov. 21, 2015; 5:00 p.m.
By W Hotels — The dreaded detox. 14-day juice fasts
sipping murky green blends that taste like garden mulch or sweating within an
inch of life after a Fort Canning stair session. Sound familiar?
The LSU AgCenter Rice Research Station in Crowley has been
renamed for the late H. Rouse Caffey in recognition of his dedication to the rice industry and
Louisiana agriculture.Caffey retired from the LSU AgCenter in 1997 after
serving 13 years as chancellor. He also was chancellor of LSU of Alexandria,
vice chancellor of the LSU AgCenter and, associate director of the LSU
Agricultural Experiment Station. He was director of the Rice Experiment Station
from 1962 until 1970 and was rice research project leader in Mississippi.
LAFAYETTE
Lawrence Simon of law firm Liskow & Lewis
has been awarded the Institute of Energy Law’s Lifetime Achievement in Energy
Litigation Award.
The award is presented to an energy litigator whose achievements
have won the admiration of peers, either in the course of a career or during a
particular piece or series of litigation. Simon’s practice involves litigation
in oil, gas and property issues.
NEW ORLEANS AREA
Matthew Eaton, senior sales associate for
RE/MAX Commercial Brokers Inc. in New Orleans, has been awarded the Certified
Commercial Investment Member designation by the CCIM Institute.The designation
is based on a curriculum that addresses financial analysis, market analysis,
user decision analysis and investment analysis and earned by passing the CCIM
Institute’s comprehensive examination.
Lee K. Boothby, chairman, president and chief
executive officer of Newfield Exploration Co., received the Chief Roughneck
Award for 2015 at the annual meeting of the Independent Petroleum Association
of America.The award honors the lifetime achievements of petroleum industry
leaders. Boothby was recognized for transforming Newfield from one of the largest
producers in shallow water in the Gulf of Mexico to a top-tier performer in oil
and liquid-rich resource plays in North America.Boothby has served as president
and chief executive officer of Newfield since 2009 and chairman since 2010.He
previously served as senior vice president, acquisitions and business
development, and others positions with the company.
The Greater Lafourche Port Commission was presented the 2015 Environmental Enhancement Award by the
American Association of Port Authorities for its Beach and Dune Restoration
Geotube Project, which restored about one mile of beach and dune habitat at
Port Fourchon.
Nicholls State University was recognized as a partner on the project.
Fourchon Beach is the first line of defense for Port Fourchon, which
services over 90 percent of all deepwater Gulf of Mexico oil and gas
production, accounting for about 20 percent of the nation’s energy supply. The
Fourchon Beach area sustained extensive damage from hurricanes Katrina, Rita,
Gustav and Isaac.
http://theadvocate.com/news/business/14004541-123/business-honors-for-nov-22
GRDB:
Rice millers receive over $660M for rice supplied to Panama
Farmers countrywide are to benefit
from over $660M that was paid to rice millers by the Guyana Rice Development
Board (GRDB) for the supply of rice to Panama.GRDB’s General Manager (ag) Nizam
Hassan explained on Saturday that “this is the payment that Guyana has received
from Panama for its supply of almost 7,500 tonnes of rice. Over $660M has been
paid out. All millers have been paid in full.”“This payment was made on the second
contract for rice supplied to the Spanish-speaking country between September
and October 2015.
With payment arriving in such a short time, GRDB is confident that
this can be seen as a start to the potential end of lengthy waiting periods for
rice payments, by farmers,” a statement from GRDB’s public relations firm said
yesterday.Hassan said, “Farmers can expect payment now that millers have been
paid.”GRDB said it has been working closely with all stakeholders to address
the ongoing challenges farmers face in receiving early payment from millers for
paddy sold.Farmers have been facing problems collecting from millers, although
regulations allow for a timeframe of at least seven weeks from delivery.
With over 600,000 tonnes of rice expected this year again, a
record production, Guyana has been facing challenges to find
markets.Compounding the challenges is the fact that neighbouring Venezuela has
ended its five-year deal to take rice and paddy, following its revival of a
simmering border claim.Guyana has commitments that Mexico will be taking some
of the surplus but this has not been finalized as yet. Millers
have been paid over $600M for rice supplied to Panama, Government announced
yesterday.
http://www.kaieteurnewsonline.com/2015/11/22/grdb-rice-millers-receive-over-660m-for-rice-supplied-to-panama/
Mekong Delta’s logistics potential awakened
The Mekong Delta will house two second-class logistics
centres by 2030, spanning a total area of 100 hectares to serve regional
localities like Can Tho, Hau Giang, Kien Giang and Soc Trang.They are among 18
logistics centres, including three first-class and 15 second-class, to be built
across the country between now and 2020 under the national logistics centre
development plan.Nguyen Phong Quang, deputy head of the Steering Committee for
the Southwestern Region, said the committee will continue realising regional
programmes and targets, including the acceleration of the establishment of
logistic centres.He suggested the Government instruct ministries and centrally
run agencies to help the Mekong Delta construct the logistics centres while
offering incentives to domestic and foreign investors in the centres.Can Tho
has been selected for the construction of the centres.
Other satellite logistics centres will be built in
other localities to form a full logistics system that meets regional
requirements.Pham Chi Bac, Deputy Director of the provincial Department of
Industry and Trade, said that because it is located in the centre of the Mekong
Delta, Can Tho has favourable conditions for trade and service development. It
can connect the satellite logistics centres.Accordingly, a logistics centre
will be built in the Cai Rang Industrial Park on a site of 70.5 hectares.The
location allows easier access to the Cai Nui International Seaport, the Can Tho
International Airport, projected railways and industrial parks across the city
as well as in other localities in the region.According to Pham Anh Tuan, Deputy
Director of the PortCoast Consultant Corp, up to 62 million tonnes of cargo is
expected to be handled at regional seaports by 2020. The figure is expected to
reach 200 billion tonnes in 10 years.
The logistic centres will help tighten links between
the Mekong Delta and import-export markets worldwide.Le Hoang Linh from the Tan
Cang Sai Gon Corporation said the Mekong Delta has a coastline of more than 700
km, and rivers and dykes stretching over 28,000 km, of which more than 23,000
km are exploitable, accounting for 70 percent of the country’s total
waterways.Aware of the region’s substantial potential for logistics
development, the Tan Cang Sai Gon Corporation has provided waterway transport
logistics services connecting the corporation’s seaports with ports across the
region.
Presently, four ports are able to receive containers,
he said, adding that more ports will be built in order to provide better
logistics services, thus attracting more investors to the region.Le Duy Hiep,
Vice President of the Vietnam Logistics Business Association, highlighted goods
owners, infrastructure, logistics service suppliers, legal institutions and
personnel training as important factors to improve the efficiency of logistics
services.He suggested goods owners who are importers and exporters, plants,
entrepreneurs and producers hire logistics companies and utilise local
ports.The region should outline policies to attract logistics companies that
perform well while training human resources to work for goods owners, State
management agencies, logistics companies, ports and warehouses, he said.The
region must devise the most comprehensive and suitable logistics development
model through organisations specialising in the field, he noted.
Asia’s
leading Renewable Energy Exhibition set to open in Hanoi
Thousands
of industry professionals have registered to attend the 1st edition of the
Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Exhibition, November 25-27, at the
Vietnam Exhibition Fair Centre in Hanoi, according to the organizers.
The
trade event will showcase a wide range of services, technologies, supplies and
equipment from various segments in the industry such as wind power, solar
power, biomass and biofuel, air-conditioning and thermal pumps to name only a
few.
The
organizers say it aims to serve as a forum for professionals to exchange
knowledge and experience in providing solutions to tackle the emerging
challenges faced by Vietnam as well as promote positive development in the
nation’s green technology industries.
In
connection with the event, the EU-Vietnam Business Network (EVBN) has announced
it will organize a European Pavilion to connect European companies with their
Vietnamese counterparts.
Deputy
Director Jana Ackerman of EVBN said the company representatives will have ample
opportunities to engage in dialogues on trends and developments of Green
Technologies in Vietnam through a myriad of info and networking events.
CIEM: Outlook dims as economists
see slower growth
The
Central Institute for Economic Management (CIEM) has downgraded its forecast
for Vietnam’s growth in 2016, warning that the numbers would be weaker than the
current year due to heightened uncertainty and financial market volatility.
Speaking
at a recent seminar on the country’s growth prospects for 2016 held by the CEO
Club Ho Chi Minh City, CIEM President PhD Nguyen Dinh Cung said the nation is
looking at growth of 6.5% this year.
“The
growth in 2015 as well as the prior two years has largely been underpinned by
expansion of the mining industry— and the current level of extraction of oil
and coal from the ground isn’t sustainable over the long term,” said Dr Cung.
“In
addition, this past September the manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index
(PMI) fell below the 50-point threshold, to 49.5, for the first time in two
years, a strong foreshadowing production is slowing down.”
The
senior economist stressed that the agriculture industry along with the nation’s
farmers have encountered a myriad of difficulties this year, most of which stem
from the small scale farming methods utilized.
Until
the agriculture industry makes the transition to large scale production methods
and modernizes its machinery and equipment as well as technologies it will
continue to drag the overall economic growth of the nation downwards.
“The
garment and textile industries are also getting bogged down by an overreliance
on imported raw materials,” said Cung, which contributes to an ever widening
trade imbalance with the nation’s trading partners.
He
said the overall trade shortfall in the nine months leading up to October of
2015 was a whopping US$4.03 billion. Most notably China continued to be the
biggest source of foreign goods, accounting for nearly 30% of total imports.
Cung
also expressed discontent over fiscal and budgetary policy.
“The
budget deficit has mushroomed and public debt has expanded exponentially over
the past several years, which will wreak havoc on both economic stability and
long-term growth if remedial measures are not promptly put in place.”
Absent
some unforeseeable event or series of events the economists at CIEM are
forecasting the economy in 2016 to look very similar to that of 2015 said Cung
and any hopes for a breakthrough remain bleak.
In
other words, don’t hold your breath for faster growth.
Chief
Representative Hirotaka Yasuzumi of the Japan External Trade Organization in Ho
Chi Minh City in turn spoke about the state of health of small businesses
throughout the nation saying they are on life support and in very “serious
condition”.
“Liquidity
and having sufficient working capital is the number one problem small
businesses face but only 30% of them have ready access to bank loans to acquire
the badly needed funds,” the Chief Representative accentuated.
He
said the government could jump start the economy by providing government-backed
small business loans at low interest rates to the nation’s small businesses
thereby alleviating the risk of non-payment to banks.
“The
government should also devise better programs for workforce development and
adult education programs along with on the job training programs to support
small businesses in their efforts to modernize,” said Yasuzumi.
Citing
statistics of the finance ministry, he said the number of businesses in the
country shrunk by 8.7% year-on-year in the first nine months of this year.
Nationwide
the number of businesses that either went bankrupt or suspended operations was
an estimated 70,000 during the January-September period, which exceeded new
start-ups by roughly 17,000.
Vingroup opens fifth residential
and commercial complex in Hanoi
On
November 20, Vingroup ceremoniously inaugurated its fifth residential and
commercial complex in the Hanoi metropolitan area, which is conveniently
located on Nguyen Chi Thanh Street.
According
to Vingroup officials, the complex consists of two towers, one for luxury
apartments and the other a 30-story Grade-A office building, on 13,039 square
metres of land.
Connecting
the two buildings is a six-story retail and commercial podium, a supercentre on
the basement level B1 and 5 additional basement levels for parking.
Nearly
380 luxury flats are located between the seventh and 30th floors, with airy,
large windows in all bedrooms. The one to four-bedroom flats range from 54 to
170 square metres, are exquisitely designed, and inspire a feeling of classical
romance.
There
are modern business and recreation centres, a supermarket, Vinmec International
Clinic, Vinschool kindergarten, a glass roof outdoor pool for all four seasons,
health & fitness club, a luxurious lobby lounge, garden, 5-star butler
service, and a 24/24 surveillance camera system to ensure absolute security.
Vietnam promotes African, Mekong
Francophone countries’ cooperation
Vietnam
has played a crucial role in promoting economic, trade, and investment links,
especially the South-South cooperation, between African countries and the
Francophone countries of the Mekong region.
The
country’s know-how in the fields of its strength will contribute to removing
bottlenecks in South-South partnership issues such as legal and commercial
disputes and financial payment, said Vice President of the Vietnam-Africa-Middle
East Business Forum Thai Kieu Phuong.
She
noted that the country holds vast potential in developing agriculture and high
technology.
Vietnam
has gained positive achievements with export turnover increasing to US$150
billion in 2014 from US$100 billion in 2012. It also recorded a trade surplus
for three consecutive years.
Dong
The Quang, an expert from the International Organisation of La Francophonie
(OIF), said the Vietnamese Government and businesses are expected to actively
swing into action to seize investment and trade opportunities in the
Francophone economic space.
The
organisation hopes to receive strong support from Vietnam as it is moving to
develop inter-regional economic links in Africa, Asia, and Europe between 2015
and 2018.
Director
of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Ho Chi Minh City Office Vo
Tan Thanh said Vietnam wants to share experience in post-harvest agricultural
processing with members of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA)
and the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (CEMAC).
Vietnam
has put into operation a number of processing plants for farm produce such as
rice and cashew nut, which serves domestic market and exports, he noted.
The
creation of a production value chain to churn out high-quality commodities has
been defined a major development orientation of the agriculture sector, he
added.
According
to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, trade between Vietnam and UEMOA
countries increased fivefold from US$180 million in 2007 to US$854 million last
year.
Meanwhile,
bilateral trade between Vietnam and CEMAC nations increased to US$340.8 million
in 2014 from US$72.6 million in 2007.
Deputy
head of the ministry’s South-West Asia and Africa Department Hoang Duc Nhuan
said rice is the key export staple to UEMOA and CEMAC, accounting for 50-70% of
the country’s total exports to the markets, followed by garment-textile and
processed industrial products.
In
recent years, Vietnam has sought to export new commodities to the markets such
as seafood, steel products, machinery and spare parts.
Potential
fields including farm produce, apparel and timber products are expected to
gross US$5 billion worth in export revenue.
Korean firm eyes US$200 mil solar
power plant project
Hanwha
Group from the Republic of Korea (RoK) is destined to build a US$200 billion
solar power plant with a capacity of 100-200 MW in the central ThuaThien Hue
province.
This
was revealed by Lee Ji Hwang- a policy advisor from the Korean Ministry of
Trade, Industry and Energyat a recent meeting with Thua Thien Hue provincial
People’s Committee Chairman Nguyen Van Cao.
Hanwha
Group is the RoK’s fifth largest investor operating in the fields of finance,
construction and energy. Hanwha is carrying out solar energy projects in Vietnam
as part of cooperative agreements reached by the two governments, said Lee Ji
Hwang
The
provincial leader affirmed his province’s willingness to support the group’s
initiative to build a solar power plant and facilitate Hanwha’s project survey
and research, adding that the group’s investment is in line with the Vietnam
Government’s renewal energy development policy and the province’s
socio-economic development orientations.
Vietnam's fund manager acquires US
distributor of Saigon beer
Ho
Chi Minh City-based Saigon Asset Management Corporation has struck a deal to
acquire Heritage Beverage, the sole distributor of the popular Saigon beer in
Canada and the US, local media has reported.
The
acquisition will allow the privately-owned investment manager to boost exports
of Vietnamese beer products into the countries, Louis Nguyen, CEO of the
company, was quoted as saying in news website VnExpress.
The
deal's value was not revealed.
Founded
in 2007, Saigon Asset Management Corporation now manages two funds -- Vietnam
Equity Holding and Vietnam Property Holding, the website reported.
More
Saigon beer products are expected to be shipped to the US, following the
takeover of the US distributor Heritage Beverage. File photo
The
funds have invested more than US$250 million in more than 45 companies and
projects across Vietnam, mainly in the sectors of food and beverage, education,
technology and health care.
Their
portfolios also include private companies in the US.
Headquartered
in California's Beverly Hills, Heritage Beverage was established in 1994 to
import and distribute the products of Sabeco, now Vietnam's largest brewer,
according to VnExpress.
Best
sellers of Sabeco include 333, the red Saigon Export and the green Saigon
Special.
Vietnam tire market to reach US$2.7
bln by 2020: report
The
Vietnamese tire market will top US$2.7 billion in revenue by 2020 on account of
many favorable conditions, including auto sales and legislation, a global
market research company has said, citing its own report.
Prominent
factors that contribute to the fast growth rate of the tire industry in Vietnam
include growing automobile sales, rising automobile fleets, favorable
government policies and increasing foreign investment in the country's
automotive sector, TechSci Research said in the “Vietnam Tire Market Forecast
& Opportunities, 2020” report.
The
Vietnamese rubber industry also plays its part in boosting the tire market by
providing several opportunities for tire producers to establish more
manufacturing factories and increase production capacities, the report said.
There
were 14 tire plants across Vietnam in 2014, yielding a total output of more
than 65 million units per annum, according to TechSci Research.
The
growing demand for vehicles in the Southeast Asian country is also a major
factor in the development of the tire market, as more global and domestic
companies are establishing their manufacturing plants in Vietnam, according to
the report.
The
nation’s tire market and economy in general have been enhanced by growing foreign
investments since the Vietnamese government signed WTO and AFTA agreements, it
added.
AFTA,
short for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Free Trade Area, is a
trade bloc pact supporting manufacturing in all regional countries, which was
signed on January 28, 1992 in Singapore.
In
the Vietnamese tire market, the two-wheeler tire segment accounts for the
largest portion, followed by passenger car and commercial vehicle &
off-the-road (OTR) tire segments, TechSci Research said.
“However,
the passenger car tire segment is expected to exhibit the fastest growth rate
over the next five years, followed by the commercial vehicle & OTR tire
segment,” the company added.
OTR
tires include tires for construction vehicles such as wheel loaders, backhoes,
graders, trenchers and large mining trucks.
The
report on “Vietnam Tire Market Forecast & Opportunities, 2020” evaluates
the growth potential of the Vietnamese tire market by providing statistics and
information on its structure trends, TechSci Research said.
It
is also intended to provide cutting-edge market intelligence and help
decision-makers take sound investment evaluation, the company added.
TechSci
Research is a global market research and consulting firm which provides
research-based consulting solutions for its customers worldwide, spanning a
range of verticals.
The
company has offices in Canada, India and the UK.
French, Vietnamese firms team up to
farm maize in Phu Yen
France’s
InVivo NSA Group will partner with a company based in Phu Yen province to
cultivate maize on a trial basis in the central locality of Vietnam.
A
cooperation agreement on the project was signed on November 19.
Accordingly,
maize will be cultivated on more than 25 hectares of land in Tay Hoa and Phu
Hoa districts from this December to March 2016.
InVivo
will provide technical assistance by sending experts to help local famers with
growing techniques.
It
will also buy corn at prices that are the same as or 10 percent higher than
market prices at the time of purchase.
Meanwhile,
its Vietnamese partner – Van Thang Business Export Import Co. Ltd – will be
responsible for the entire cultivation process from techniques, seedlings,
fertilisers to pesticide.
The
project is carried out in accordance with the Vietnamese Government’s policy of
switching from rice cultivation to maize farming to improve agricultural
products’ added value and farmers’ income.
Better Rice initiative to help
Mekong farmers
About
3,000 farmers from three Mekong Delta provinces will benefit from a project
called Better Rice Initiative Asia that has been launched in Can Tho city.
Carried
out as part of the Integrated Coastal Management Programme, the project aims to
promote private-public partnerships along the rice value chain through adoption
of a sustainable rice cultivation model harnessing the latest technologies.
In
the first phase, it will be carried out in the provinces of Dong Thap, Hau
Giang, and Kien Giang. It will seek to improve farmers' knowledge of rice
cultivation and promote the adoption of modern technologies in an
environment-friendly and sustainable manner.
Its
focus is also to improve the rice value chain as a whole, from input to output,
to strengthen the connection between rice production and market consumption to
ensure rice quality and market satisfaction, enabling farmers to increase their
incomes.
The
project aims at increasing farmers' incomes by at least 30 percent through
increasing yields and/or reducing input costs by adopting innovative rice
cultivation methods. Furthermore, it said, rice harvested from this project
would meet EU quality standards.
"The
focus of the project is innovative and synchronised technology solutions,
including the use of good seeds, integrated crop management, water and nutrient
management, integrated pest management … to utilize effectively rice input,
increasing yields and quality, reducing losses and costs, and at the same time
increasing labour productivity and farmers' incomes," Phan Huy Thong,
Director of the Vietnam National Agricultural Extension Centre, said.
"The
project can contribute greatly to the adaptation and mitigation of climate
change for sustainable rice production in Vietnam.
"The
project supports the stakeholders in the rice value chain in applying the large
field model. This is a key measure to restructure Vietnam's agriculture by
increasing added value and farmers' incomes and boosting sustainable rice
production."
The
other key stakeholders involved in the project are the Ministry of Agriculture
and Rural Development, the Departments of Agriculture and Rural Development of
Dong Thap, Hau Giang and Kien Giang provinces, the International Rice Research
Institute, and the Mekong Delta Rice Research Institute.
Vietnam, Czech Republic boost trade
links
A
Vietnam-Czech business forum was held on November 19 in Ho Chi Minh City as
part of President of the Senate of the Czech Republic Milan Stech’s official
visit to Vietnam from November 15-20.
The
function, co-hosted by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) and
the Czech Chamber of Commerce, aimed at creating opportunities for Vietnamese
and Czech enterprises to further links in trade and investment.
The
forum brought together 50 Vietnamese firms and 15 Czech enterprises operating
in the fields of chemicals, insurance, mechanics, construction, medical
equipment, and automation.
Addressing
the event, VCCI Vice Chairman Vo Tan Thanh said the Czech Republic is one of
Vietnam’s strategic export markets and bilateral trade have enjoyed stable
growth in recent years, hitting 294 million USD in 2014, up nearly 24 percent
from a year earlier.
The
European country is currently ranked 44 th out of 105 overseas countries and
territories investing in Vietnam with 37 projects worth 92 million USD, mainly
in energy, transport, machinery, and equipment.
Milan
Stech said the Czech Republic considers Vietnam one of the 12 most potential
markets.
The
two countries have signed 50 state-level agreements and Vietnam and the
European Union are likely to sign a free trade agreement in the near future.
He
said he hoped the Vietnamese and Czech business communities will grasp
opportunities to boost bilateral trade and investment cooperation.
Largest coconut processing factory
inaugurated in Ben Tre
The
Ben Tre Import Export Joint Stock Company inaugurated and put into operation a
factory manufacturing canned coconut milk in the Mekong Delta province of Ben
Tre on November 19.
The
factory, the largest of its kind in Vietnam, covers a total area of 7.5
hectares in the Phong Nam small-scale Industrial Complexes in Giong Trom
district. It cost over 20 million USD.
The
mill has an annual capacity of 37 million litres, consuming about 200 million
coconuts in the province a year.
Up
to 90 percents of its products are expected to be exported to North America,
Europe, and several countries in North Africa and Asia.
Ben
Tre is the country’s largest coconut cultivation locality, having 63,000
hectares generating 500 million coconuts each year.-
Vietjet Air launches new domestic
routes
Low-cost
carrier Vietjet Air launched three new air routes between Hanoi and Chu Lai
(Quang Nam), Hai Phong and Cam Ranh (Khanh Hoa), and Vinh (Nghe An) and Buon Ma
Thuot (Dak Lak), on November 19.
For
the Hanoi – Chu Lai route, the airline conducts four round-trip flights per
week on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday with flight duration of one hour
and 25 minutes.
The
Hai Phong-Cam Ranh route operates five round-trip flights per week on Tuesday,
Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday with flight duration of one hour and 45
minutes.
The
Vinh- Buon Ma Thuot service has three round-trip flights per week on Monday,
Wednesday and Friday with flight duration of one hour and 25 minutes.
VietJet
Air has offered 20,000 tickets at price of 199,000 VND (8 USD) to meet the
travel need of residents in the key cities.
The
tickets are available at its website www.vietjetair.com, mobile website
http://m.vietjetair.com, its Facebook page www.facebook.com/vietjetairvietnam .
Payment
can be made with Visa, MasterCard, JCB, American Express, and ATM cards issued
by 24 domestic banks that have been registered with internet banking.
Vietnam promotes African, Mekong
Francophone countries’ cooperation
Vietnam
has played a crucial role in promoting economic, trade, and investment links,
especially the South-South cooperation, between African countries and the
Francophone countries of the Mekong region.
The
country’s know-how in the fields of its strength will contribute to removing
bottlenecks in South-South partnership issues such as legal and commercial
disputes and financial payment, said Vice President of the
Vietnam-Africa-Middle East Business Forum Thai Kieu Phuong.
She
noted that the country holds vast potential in developing agriculture and high
technology.
Vietnam
has gained positive achievements with export turnover increasing to 150 billion
USD in 2014 from 100 billion USD in 2012. It also recorded a trade surplus for
three consecutive years.
Dong
The Quang, an expert from the International Organisation of La Francophonie
(OIF), said the Vietnamese Government and businesses are expected to actively
swing into action to seize investment and trade opportunities in the
Francophone economic space.
The
organisation hopes to receive strong support from Vietnam as it is moving to
develop inter-regional economic links in Africa, Asia, and Europe between 2015
and 2018.
Director
of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Ho Chi Minh City Office Vo
Tan Thanh said Vietnam wants to share experience in post-harvest agricultural
processing with members of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA)
and the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (CEMAC).
Vietnam
has put into operation a number of processing plants for farm produce such as
rice and cashew nut, which serves domestic market and exports, he noted.
The
creation of a production value chain to churn out high-quality commodities has
been defined a major development orientation of the agriculture sector, he
added.
According
to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, trade between Vietnam and UEMOA
countries increased fivefold from 180 million USD in 2007 to 854 million USD
last year.
Meanwhile,
bilateral trade between Vietnam and CEMAC nations increased to 340.8 million
USD in 2014 from 72.6 million USD in 2007.
Deputy
head of the ministry’s South-West Asia and Africa Department Hoang Duc Nhuan
said rice is the key export staple to UEMOA and CEMAC, accounting for 50-70
percent of the country’s total exports to the markets, followed by
garment-textile and processed industrial products.
In
recent years, Vietnam has sought to export new commodities to the markets such
as seafood, steel products, machinery and spare parts.
Potential
fields including farm produce, apparel and timber products are expected to
gross 5 billion USD worth in export revenue.-
UK-ASEAN Business Council to
popularise Da Nang
The
UK-ASEAN Business Council (UKABC) will upload images of Da Nang city and
success stories by foreign investors there on its event websites, Executive
Director Ross Hunter assured Vice Secretary of the municipal Party Committee Vo
Cong Tri.
Tri
led a Da Nang delegation to promote tourism, trade and investment in London
from November 17-19.
In
2016, the UKABC will hold a series of activities to help UK businesses,
especially small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), seek and expand
operations in ASEAN, towards achieving a 1 trillion GBP worth of exports to
ASEAN by 50,000 SMEs, Hunter said.
He
also introduced the UKABC’s plan to hold an international conference on doing
business with the ASEAN member states in London next April and an international
trade exposition in Liverpool next June.
Vice
Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Dang Viet Dung said the city plans
to hold a tourism promotion campaign next June and asked for the UKABC’s
support to introduce the event at the Liverpool trade exposition.
He
also suggested the UKABC invite UK business delegations to Da Nang to seek
opportunities.
The
Vietnamese delegation also held a working session with William Ward, CEO of
Clipper Ventures – host of the Clipper Race Around the World in which Da Nang
is a stopover, slated for February 17-27, 2016.
In
another working session with Ambassador to the UK Nguyen Van Thao, the
delegation asked for his support to lure UK investment in Da Nang.
The
ambassador suggested Da Nang partner with a UK city and screen strong
businesses in specific fields to match with UK partners.
He
also put forward a proposal to launch a Da Nang-London direct flight to develop
tourism, trade and investment in the region and the city in particular.
Canada doles out 12.9 million USD
for Vietnam’s agriculture
The
Canadian Government will provide 12.9 million USD for Vietnam’s agriculture
economy development from 2015-1020, announced Canadian Prime Minister Justin
Trudeau on November 19.
The
funding will support the implementation of the Vietnam Cooperative Enterprises
Development (VCED) project, which helps reduce poverty and foster economic
growth, according to a press release from the PM’s Office.
The
Canadian Cooperation Society for International Development (SOCODEVI) – a
non-profit development organisation with 13 years of experience working in
Vietnam – will carry out the project that looks to increase competitiveness and
productivity of Vietnamese agricultural cooperatives.
“Canada
is a country with a great deal to offer. Our expertise in agricultural
cooperatives will help ensure that Vietnam is able to apply production
techniques - that are environmentally friendly and sustainable. This will
unlock shared prosperity for families and individuals now and into the future,”
Justin Trudeau was quoted in the press release.
The
VCED project covers the establishing new market-oriented agricultural
cooperatives, enhancing knowledge, skills and competitiveness of Vietnamese
peasants, fine-tuning cooperative management practices, and developing policies
and a regulatory environment to impulse cooperatives.
Trade with Africa holds much
potential
While
the global economy is gradually recovering from the recession, Viet Nam has
recovered mush faster, creating opportunities for local and foreign businesses.
This
was the consensus among development experts, policy specialists, government
officials, and business executives from Africa and Viet Nam who attended a
workshop yesterday on enhancing South-South Co-operation between African
countries and the Mekong region.
Their
evolving economies and expertise allow for exchange of advanced knowledge, but
a common language to facilitate communication is first needed, they pointed
out.
Thai
Kieu Phuong, deputy chairwoman of the Viet Nam-Africa-Middle East Business
Forum, said Viet Nam has huge potential in agriculture and technology, giving
it a potentially important role in economic and trade co-operation in
South-South Co-operation.
Viet
Nam sharing its experience in its areas of strength would help resolve issues
like trade disputes between African and Mekong countries, she said.
Speaking
about co-operation between Viet Nam and West African Economic and Monetary
Union (UEMOA) and Economic Community of Central African States (CEMAC) in
agriculture and agricultural exports, Vo Tan Thanh, director of Viet Nam
Chamber of Commerce and Industry's HCM City chapter, said the two areas have
huge demand for rice, cashew, vegetables and technologies used in their
farming.
Viet
Nam has factories producing machines for post-harvest processing, he said.
Fogue
Fidele Kouduahou, general director of WAKA Corporation, said since UEMOA member
countries do not have the know-how to develop their food processing industry,
enhancing co-operation with Viet Nam is vital.
According
to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Viet Nam's trade with UEMOA member
countries increased five-fold between 2007 and 2014 to US$854 million.
With
CEMAC members it increased 4.6 times to $340.8 million.
Hoang
Duc Nhuan of the ministry said rice is Viet Nam's major item to UEMOA and CEMAC
member countries, accounting for 50-70 per cent of total exports. It is
followed by garments and processed foods, he said.
In
recent years Viet Nam has looked for opportunities to export seafood,
machinery, and electric cables to these markets.
Executives
from around 100 businesses in the Mekong region primarily engaged in
agriculture and construction attended the forum, which was organised by the
Viet Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry in collaboration with the
International Trade Centre.
Commuters complain of highway toll
hike
Increased
toll fares on Build-Operation-Transfer (BOT) national highways are angering
commuters, Lao Dong (Labour) reported.
Last
week, people in Luong Son Township of Hoa Binh Province blocked National
Highway No 6 to protest the toll rate on that section.
Every
day, local people who travel a few hundred metres have to pay the toll, the
paper reported.
At
present, the toll at the station is fixed, with the lowest rate set at
VND25,000 (US$1.1) and the highest rate set at VND180,000 ($8.1).
"The
local people raised concerns about the toll collection station in the
township," National Assembly Deputy Duong Trung Quoc was quoted as saying.
"The
locals questioned the transparency of the station," he added. "They
said the highway investors intended to get money from locals as much as
possible."
To
appease locals, the company charged with collecting tolls on National Highway
No 6 has proposed that the ministries of transport and finance offer reduced
fees to local people.
Starting
early next year, several toll stations on BOT highways will increase the toll
rates, the Lao Dong reported.
Even
though the toll station on highway No 6 has been in operation for just two
months, the fee will increase by 40 per cent next January. The toll will range
from VND35,000 ($1.6) to VND200,000 ($9).
Drivers
said the toll on the Highway No 6 was irrational. When broken down, the toll
costs VND1,150 per km, while tolls on the newly-built and modern Ha Noi-Lao Cai
Expressway are set at VND1,500 per km.
The
toll rate on Highway No 5 will be doubled with rates ranging from VND30,000 to
160,000 ($1.36 to $7.30) beginning next month.
According
to Finance Ministry, the toll rates for two stations on Highway No 5 will be
adjusted in two phases.
In
the first phase, from December 2015 to March 2016, the toll will range from
VND30,000 to 160,000 ($1.36 to $7.30). In the second phase beginning April
2016, the toll will be raised to a range between VND45,000 and 200,000 ($2-$9).
In
addition, tolls will increase at stations on National Highway No 1 in the
provinces of Ha Tinh, Thua Thien-Hue and Nam Dinh.
Notably,
the toll at BOT station will be adjusted and raised by 18 per cent per year
after 2017.
BOT
highway investors said this is an allowable increase with the lowest rate of
VND52,000 ($2.36), the paper said.
Drivers
and transport companies complained that high toll taxes and frequent toll
stations on highways were a nightmare.
For
instance, when travelling from HCM City along the highway, each vehicle must
pass 19 stations and pay VND500,000 ($22.70).
Meanwhile,
when travelling from Ha Noi to Thai Binh Province, drivers must pay VND125,000
($5.7) for the 120km journey.
A
personal car must pay VND20 million ($900) for several kinds of fees and
charges every year.
Tra fish exports to China grow
Viet
Nam's tra fish exports to China and Hong Kong (China) recorded strong growth in
the first 10 months of this year, hitting US$122 million, representing a
year-on-year increase of nearly 50 per cent.
With
this pace, it is forecast that China will become one of the three largest
importers of Vietnamese tra fish apart from the US and Europe, said Deputy
Chairman and General Secretary of the Viet Nam Pangasius Association Vo Hung
Dung.
In
the January-October period, Viet Nam's tra fish export value reached over $1.2
billion, 9.6 per cent lower than that of the same period last year due to
tumble in shipments to the US and Europe.
According
to Dung, most tra fish exports to China are through cross-border trade, which
do not require strict quality standards. But when the exports rise, the country
is expected to apply various regulations to the product, he said, urging
domestic exporters to pay due attention to factors related to quality standards
and payment safety when selling to China.
The
association will work to promote aquaculture models under the Vietnamese Good
Agricultural Practices (VietGAP) standards and strictly implement Decree No
36/2014/ND-CP on growing, processing and exporting catfish, towards ensuring
quality and increasing competitiveness of tra fish products in new markets.
Viet
Nam's tra fish products have been sold in 113 countries and territories
worldwide. Tra fish export volume and value in new markets such as China,
Brazil and Mexico have been rising, while those in traditional markets have
been slowing.
Wood processing needs raw material
Viet
Nam must improve the local supply of raw materials for the wood processing
industry to ensure sustainable development and meet the export targets.
Statistics
revealed that natural wood currently met only 10 per cent of raw material
demand for processing of wood export products and for the rest one had to
depend on imports and rubber wood.
Nguyen
Ba Ngai, deputy general director of the Viet Nam Administration of Forestry,
cited figures that the country had around 13 million hectares of natural
forests with an average reserve of 220 million cubic metres per hectares but
most trees were of low quality and could not be used in processing for exports.
Poor
farming techniques and management, high planting density in addition to
small-scale production affected the quality of wood, Vo Dai Hai, director of
the Vietnamese Academy of Forest Sciences said.
The
inefficient use of raw materials was also a problem, Nguyen Ton Quyen, deputy
president of the Viet Nam Timber and Forest Products Association pointed out.
He
said that exports of 11 million cubic metres of wood chips brought only US$900
million in turnover while exports of four million cubic metres could generate
up to $6.3 billion.
Reorganising
of production to boost domestic supply of raw wood was necessary for
sustainable forest plantation, he said.
He
said that forest land should be handed over to farmers to encourage their
participation while co-ordination between wood processing firms and farmers
should be enhanced.
Modern
farming techniques, especially intensive cultivation, together with
high-quality varieties need to be applied in order to enhance wood quality and output
and expand the forest areas certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).
Viet Nam had 170,000ha of forest got FSC's certificates.
Vietnamese
wood products were exported to 120 countries and territories.Statistics of the
Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development showed that in the first 10
months of this year, exports of wood and wooden products reached $5.47 billion,
up 7.9 per cent against the same period last year.The United States, Japan and
China were the three largest importers of Vietnamese wood products, accounting
for more than 67 per cent of the total export value.
The
department recommended that businesses should register two digital signatures.
One would be used for payment and another for money transfer.He also suggested
that businesses should not worry about internet issues for e-tax payments as
all businesses would be paying e-tax at the same time. In addition, the data of
tax notifications are small which would not slow down the internet.Statistics
from the department showed that the city has around 170,000 companies.
Normally, about 30 per cent of the total would pay value-added tax while
another 30 per cent would pay corporate income tax.
The
finance ministry also asked the Viet Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry to
support businesses in implementing the e-tax payment system.Deputy Prime
Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said the Government has been active in implementing
the law on prices.It has also accelerated the market price mechanism, price
stabilisation for necessary goods while applying the same mechanism for
electricity, petroleum, coal, and healthcare services, in addition to
education.The Government has also implemented solutions to ensure State budget
collections, prevent tax arrears, and transfer pricing, while enhancing investigations
and check-ups. Over the past three years, nearly 8,000 businesses which have
shown signs of transfer pricing or reported losses were investigated. The
investigations helped reduced losses of more than VND16 trillion in the
companies.
ttp://english.vietnamnet.vn/fms/business/146701/business-in-brief-21-11.html
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