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Pham Thanh Tho, a rice merchant at Ba Dac wholesale market in Tien Giang province, said on March 19 that fresh IR 50404 is now priced at VND5,000 per kilo, higher by VND350 per kilo than five days before, while IR 50404 material rice is being traded at VND7,100 per kilo. Tho said the price has soared because of strong demand and short supply.

Every year Vietnam has about 200,000 new cases of cancer, with 75,000 deaths, making Vietnam one of the countries with the alarming rate of cancer, according to a seminar held in HCM City by the Association for Standardization and Customer Protection of Vietnam last week.

Noey Neumark sits on a miniature blue stool – Ha Noi’s classic throne – admiring the bowl of banh da tron (flat noodles) she ordered from a food vendor. “Vietnamese food is just so pretty,” she says. “It’s very photogenic.” As if on cue, she hands the bowl to her boyfriend, Peter Petracca, who stands up to photograph their meal, occasionally shifting to get the perfect angle and lighting. Unphased by the inquisitive stares they attract, they upload the photo to Instagram, where their 5,400-plus followers can feast their eyes upon their latest culinary find. Using the Instagram handle @vietnomnom, the American couple has successfully tapped into the social media sphere by giving people the eye candy they want: colourful, mouthwatering meals, with clever captions and addresses detailing where to find the food.

In this opinion piece, Stephen Groff, the Asian Development Bank’s vice president for East Asia, Southeast Asia and the Pacific, argues that regional cooperation is the best way forward when it comes to mitigating and adapting to climate change. Last year was a historic year for climate change. While December’s Paris Agreement gave hope that countries could commit to reducing dangerous greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, we also witnessed the hottest year in recorded history and a resurgent El Nino cycle that wreaked havoc on many ecosystems.

Families in Vietnam’s major cities like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City are turning to clean food tended by their relatives in rural provinces after recent news exposing the alarming use of banned chemicals in the food industry. Phuong, a resident in District 12, Ho Chi Minh City, said all ingredients used for cooking in her family are transported directly from their hometown in Quang Ngai, a province in central Vietnam.

Thailand based consumer goods and direct sales firm Giffarine Skyline Unity is reportedly planning to enter Vietnam market via a 20:80 joint venture (JV). Meanwhile, Dongwha Enterprise, a South Korean wood processor and manufacturer, has invested nearly $70 million in its JV with the state-owned Vietnam Rubber Group. In the tech space, US firm Dell has entered an agreement to give ten $6,000 scholarships to startups under the Topica Founder Institute programme. Giffarine Skyline Unity to form 10 million baht JV in Vietnam Bangkok-headquartered consumer goods company Giffarine Skyline Unity is looking at a foray into the Vietnam market through a 10 million baht ($283,000) joint venture in registered capital by the end of 2016, the Bangkok Post reported. The firm plans to hold 20 per cent of the JV, while the remaining 80 per cent will be owned by its partners, which are a group of Thai businessmen.

Op/Ed by Alberto Vettoretti, Managing Partner 
Dezan Shira & Associates Vietnam

Our firm has been operating in Vietnam for several years with offices in both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City and the business has been growing steadily throughout since the beginning. However, it was only since the third quarter of last year that the pace has quickened substantially to the extent that our HCMC office is about to move to larger premises in Q1 this year to accommodate for a larger team of legal, accounting, tax and HR experts.

Vietnam hi-tech agriculture applications are being expanded in may agricultural parks and regions throughout the country. Accordingly, the development of agriculture in Vietnam will be improved, contributing to the development of the country’s economy. Recently, Prime Minister has issued a Decision No.575 on general planning Vietnam high-tech agricultural parks and regions by 2020 and in the orientation of 2030. The general plan will contribute to boost the development of agriculture towards modernization, to ensure food security, and increase export. According to the decision, by 2020, Vietnam will have 10 agricultural high-tech application zones, eight of which were approved by the provincial People's Committee for the establishment. Thanks to this decision, the agricultural high-tech parks and regions will open a new prospect for the development of agricultural sector in particular and Vietnam ecomony in general. In terms of missions, these agricultual hi-tech parks will be the places of research, test and presentation of agricultural hi-tech products. They also create labor force for agricultural hi-tech for Agriculture in Vietnam...

A delegation from Dong Nai Province in Vietnam is touring Western New York, looking for information on agriculture in the Empire State, opportunities for Vietnamese students in East Coast schools and promoting investment and tourism in the Southeast Asian country. Dong Nai is the food provider for Ho Chi Minh City, known to an American generation as Saigon. Speaking through interpreter Son Le, Provincial Vice Chairman Tran Van Vinh says he's interested in American higher education.

Nguyá»…n Anh Tuấn, the director general of the Institute of Policy and Strategy for Agriculture and Rural Development, told Nông thôn Ngày nay (Countryside Today) newspaper that a target growth rate of 2.5-3 percent over the next five years is feasible. For the next five years (2016-2020),  Việt Nam has set a target growth rate of between 2.5 to 3 percent per year for domestic agricultural production. How did the government determine this probable growth rate percentage?

All too often, Vietnam's impressive economic growth is attributed to just cheap wages or government-imposed incentives. The reality is a lot more complicated than that. By GREG MILLS. Can Africa be the next China? It's the question on the lips of those contemplating the development opportunities in filling the void left by Chinese manufacturers as labour unit costs rise in the People’s Republic and its industries move into higher-tech, capital intensive production.

HCM CITY (VNS) — Two Vietnamese businesses have registered to exhibit their products at SIAL China, Asia’s largest food and beverage show to be held May 5-7. Long An Food Processing Export JSC and Rita Food & Drink Co Ltd will take part in the 17th edition of SIAL China 2016 at the Shanghai New International Expo Center. About eight other Vietnamese companies have shown interest in attending as well. The expo is expected to welcome 66,000 visitors and over 2,900 exhibitors from 65 countries, according to a representative of the organiser Comexposium.

Vietnam has lost rice export contracts as some of its major markets including Indonesia and the Philippines have canceled their import plans. The Vietnam Food Association (VFA) has confirmed the information, saying that political factors in the first months of 2016 have affected import/export activities. Dan Viet reported that Bulog, the Indonesian Bureau of Logistics? has ceased rice transactions with four supply sources which have memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Indonesian government, namely Thailand, Pakistan, Cambodia and Vietnam in the February plan.

If you like healthier options when dining out, consider Vietnamese cuisine for a refreshing detour. Clean, simple ingredients combined with a unique mix of fragrant herbs and spices pull out the bold flavors that define Vietnamese fare. Luckily, some of the best Vietnamese dishes can be found at Mekong Restaurant on Wade Hampton Boulevard where owner and chef Huy Tran delivers a delicious menu filled with traditional options.

Native to China and Vietnam, star anise is now grown in southern China, Indo-China, and Japan. It is star shaped, with five and ten pointed boat-shaped sections. The fruit is picked before it can ripen, and dried. The stars are available whole, or ground to a red-brown powder. It has a pungent and strong taste.

The Vietnam Macadamia Association has been officially set up under a decision by the Ministry of Interior Affairs. LienVietPost Bank and Him Lam JSC were two major businesses lobbying for the association.