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(VAN) To win a contract for exporting Arabica Khe Sanh coffee to the US market, all stages from cultivation, care and harvest must be supervised according to stringent standards. "From the farm to the coffee shop" After two years of negotiations, Pun Coffee Company concluded its first export contract for Arabica Khe Sanh coffee with TL Group LLC, headquartered in the United States, last December. This is not only the specialty coffee of Quang Tri but also the pride of Vietnam. Ms. Luong Ngoc Tram, Director of Pun Coffee, explained that she and her husband, Mr. Phan Hong Phong, co-founded the Pun Coffee Company in 2019 after 10 years of processing green bean coffee for other businesses. Processing specialty Arabica Khe Sanh coffee at Pun Coffee Co., Ltd. Instead of collecting and processing coffee on a vast scale, the duo decided to concentrate on the "niche market" of premium coffee beans, specialty coffee, and roasted ground coffee. Ms. Tram explained, "We aim to manufacture specialty coffee in the direction of "from the farm to the cup of coffee," bringing consumers the most delectable specialty coffee bean. They were confronted with numerous obstacles in the beginning, including the reduction of coffee material area and the usage of pesticides and chemical fertilizers... With a strong determination to build the brand name of Khe Sanh coffee, the couple began urging and persuading coffee growers in Huong Phung commune, Huong Hoa district to change their conventional coffee farming practices, such as ceasing the use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers and properly harvesting coffee, so that the company would agree to purchase the coffee at a price 1.5-2.0 times higher than the market price. More farming households have been persuaded to adopt the new farming model, which is believed to provide long-term benefits and ensure the sustainability of clean coffee products. Quang Tri farmers harvest coffee. Ms. Tram and her husband have established a model linking approximately 45 coffee-farming homes in the communities, the majority of which are ethnic Van Kieu. The duo invests in a membrane drying system, a system of fresh fruit separators, and a fruit milling machine for clean coffee production to generate standard specialty coffee products; they also attend training courses on the preliminary processing of green coffee beans and coffee roasting, among others. The process of processing specialty coffee is also very laborious. "After two years of operation, in 2021 we registered the "Vietnam Specialty Coffee 2021" competition and won the First Prize with Natural processed Arabica coffee. Honey processed Arabica coffee also met the specialty coffee requirement. In addition, the product was created by the Quang Tri Specialty Coffee Group of Pun Coffee, and the other three members won the Second Prize as well. The achievements have demonstrated that Quang Tri is a prominent Vietnamese specialty coffee area," Ms. Tram said with pride. In addition to Arabica catimor coffee with local red fruit, Pun Coffee currently offers robust coffee, blended coffee (Arabica and robusta) for machine, filter, drip – cold brew... In addition to resorts, Shin chain stores, Mountain Perl, Purio, and Huong Viet, Pun Coffee also exports its products to Russia, Japan, and the Netherlands using a closed processing method. Taking hold of the US market Pun Coffee Company and TL Group LLC, headquartered in the United States, signed a contract by the end of 2021, following a series of rounds of discussion. According to the contract, Pun Coffee will provide TL Group LLC with two tons of roasted and ground Arabica Khe Sanh coffee beans from the 2021-2022 crop. Between 1 December 2021 and 1 December 2022, TL Group LLC has the exclusive right to distribute roasted and ground Arabica Khe Sanh coffee supplied by Pun Coffee Company on the whole US market. Ms. Luong Ngoc Tram is proud since Arabica Khe Sanh coffee won the first prize in the contest "Vietnamese Specialty Coffee 2021". According to Ms. Tram, to win the contract for exporting Arabica Khe Sanh coffee to the U.S. market, all stages of cultivation, care, and harvest must be strictly controlled. Several samples of green bean coffee and roasted and ground coffee were sent to the US partner for evaluation and evaluation; the labels of the products were also prepared to meet the requirements of the US partner. Pun Coffee's Arabica Khe Sanh coffee product officially reached the U.S. market in early 2022, after nearly two years of effort to pass the rigorous quality control procedure. Ms. Tram stated that it is not just the glory of Quang Tri specialty coffee but also Vietnamese specialty coffee. Author: Cong Dien - Vo Dung Translated by Linh Linh Source: https://vietnamagriculture.nongnghiep.vn/arabica-khe-sanh-coffee-gradually-captures-the-us-market-d323800.html

Monday- 14:38, 28/02/2022 (VAN) Despite the constant decrease in export price, the whole cashew industry still aims for an overall export value of USD 3.8 billion. The whole cashew industry aims for an overall export value of USD 3.8 billion in 2022. Photo: Tran Trung. The story of profits amidst the constant decrease in export price Ending the year 2021 with two records of USD 3.64 billion in turnover and 580,000 tons in output, the cashew industry now is entering 2022 full of worries. Contrary to other agro-products’ uptrend during these first months of the year, cashew export price is constantly in decline. Mr. Ta Quang Huyen, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Hoang Son 1 Joint Stock Company, said that the export price of cashew kernels was still high in November last year, but by the end of November price began to go down. This situation has extended to February 2022. Information from the General Department of Customs also affirms this fact. Vietnam's cashew exports in January 2022 exceeded 40,000 tons, valued at over USD 238 million, down 16.9% in volume and 19.9% in value compared to December 2021. The average export price of cashew nuts was at USD 5,934/ton, down 3.6% compared to December 2021. Mr. Huyen believed that the cashew nut inventory of importers is still quite abundant, thus the world cashew kernel market is currently saturated. The price of cashew kernels may have little opportunity for improvement this year. However, according to Mr. Vu Thai Son, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Long Son Joint Stock Company, cashew kernels in import markets are low in stock. The proof is that Long Son used to have to pay a lot of expenses for the cashew kernels in stock in the USA due to slow consumption in 2021. But so far this inventory has been released, and Long Son is preparing to bring a new volume of goods to the USA with the intention to keep the inventory at a certain level to maintain the market share and brand name. Regarding the decrease in cashew kernel price, Mr. Son said that cashew importers are refraining from buying too early upon analyzing the abundance of the global raw cashew output. They are lying in wait for a price that they deem reasonable. The downward trend in kernel price this year thus seems inevitable. In the opinion of Mr. Huyen, businesses need to build a price so that they still can earn a fair amount of profit when the price of W320 cashew kernels is at USD 2.8/kg, with the most important key point being to only buy raw cashews at a reasonable price around USD 1,100/ton. Cashew demand is still on the rise worldwide. Photo: Tran Trung. Cashew market will remain open and stable for the next 10 years According to the Import and Export Department (Ministry of Industry and Trade), in the context of Covid-19’s complicated development, the demand for healthy foods has increased sharply, including cashew. Low cashew price in 2021 has further pushed its demand worldwide. Statistics show that cashew nut imports from the USA, China, UK, France and Japan all grow positively in 2021, in which Vietnam stands among the top cashew nut export markets. Vietnam's cashew nut market share in the total import value of the USA and China in the eleven months of 2021 accounted for 88.99% and 89.12% respectively. Mr. Vu Ba Phu, Director of the Trade Promotion Department, Ministry of Industry and Trade, said that the Ministry of Industry and Trade has conducted research and review on the agricultural product market in recent years. From the data of the International Trade Center (ITC) and the assessment of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, it can be seen that Vietnam's cashew industry need to focus on these eight market areas: the EU, the USA, China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Russia and the Middle East. The Vietnam Cashew Association (Vinacas) shared that the cashew industry’s strategic goal is to continue its pursuit in 2022 of keeping stable production, increasing quality and attaining better prices. Cashew kernel export turnover will strive for the USD 3.8 billion mark this year following the plan set out by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. The world cashew market will continue its steady growth trend, at least for the next ten years. The market opportunity for Vietnam's cashew industry is ample, but great challenges await. When reviewing the cashew industry at the end of last year, ưxperts from Switzerland raised specific challenges for Vietnam's cashew industry such as importers’ high requirements on quality, standards, chemical residues, CSR (corporate social responsibility) and environmental certification, as well as increasingly fierce competition from India, Tanzania and recent emerging sources such as Mozambique, Burkina Faso, Ghana. In particular, competition for investment in processing, distribution and branding is becoming more intense. Vietnam currently accounts for only approximately 18% of the global cashew nut value chain. High segments such as deep processing and distribution which account for 60% of the world cashew nut value chain are not among the advantages of Vietnamese cashew businesses, thus requiring more attention and focus in the coming time. Mr. Vu Ba Phu, Director of the Trade Promotion Department, Ministry of Industry and Trade Authors: Thanh Son - Tran Trung Source: https://vietnamagriculture.nongnghiep.vn/cashew-industry-enters-the-new-year-while-full-of-worries-d316744.html

Wednesday- 12:47, 09/02/2022 (VAN) With a vision of 2050, the Strategy aims to promote Vietnam to be one of the world's leaders in agriculture. The Prime Minister approved the Strategy for Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development from 2021 to 2030, with a vision to 2050. Photo: Pham Hieu. Bringing Vietnam's agriculture to the top of the world Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh has signed Decision No 150 establishing the Strategy for Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development from 2021 to 2030, with a vision to 2050. Thus, the Strategy's overall objective is to establish commodity-producing agriculture while also developing agriculture based on local strengths, oriented toward modernity in terms of output, quality, effectiveness, sustainability, and high competitive capacity in the region's and world's leading group. Guaranteeing national food security, make it an important contribution to socio-economic stability, disaster prevention and control, disease prevention and control, environmental protection, climate change response, and the effective implementation of international agreements on greenhouse gas reduction. Simultaneously, increase income and quality of life, as well as the role and position of stakeholders in agriculture production; generate non-agricultural occupations to diversify livelihoods, sustainably reduce rural poverty, and provide equitable development possibilities across regions; Comprehensive and modern rural development is related to urbanization, synchronous infrastructure, and social services, and accessibility to urban areas; conserving and promoting national cultural identity; and ensuring that green, clean, beautiful, secure, and orderly communities are built. Agriculture and rural economic development are strongly intertwined to the establishment of new rural areas based on ecological agriculture that is highly efficient, modern countryside, and modern farmers. By 2030, the agroforestry and fisheries GDP will rise at an average rate of 2.5-3 percent per year, while the productivity of agroforestry and fishery employees will grow at an average rate of 5.5-6 percent per year. Photo: Pham Hieu. By 2030, the agroforestry and fisheries GDP will rise at an average rate of 2.5-3 percent per year, while the productivity of agroforestry and fishery employees will grow at an average rate of 5.5-6 percent per year. Expanding and developing the market, particularly the export market. Exports of agroforestry and fisheries typically rise at a rate of between 5 and 6 percent each year; Raising people's wages and eradicating poverty in a sustainable manner. Rural dwellers now earn 2.5-3 times as much as they did in 2020. The share of rural families with multiple facets of poverty reduced by an average of 1-1.5 percent every year; the proportion of agricultural employees in total social labor decreased to less than 20%, while the proportion of trained agricultural workers increased to more than 70%; At least 90% of communes fulfill the new rural standards, with 50% reaching the newly upgraded rural criteria; Developing green, environmentally friendly agriculture, adapting to climate change, reducing rural environmental pollution, and aiming to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 10% by 2020; Developing green, environmentally friendly agriculture, adapting to climate change, reducing rural environmental pollution, and aiming to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 10% by 2020. The forest cover percentage stays at 42%, while the extent of woods with sustainable forest management certifications exceeds 1 million hectares. Expand marine and coastal protected zones to cover 3-5 percent of the natural area of the national sea. Develop agriculture of green, eco-friendly, adapt to climate change, reduce rural environmental pollution. Photo: Pham Hieu. Vietnam strives to be a world leader in agriculture by 2050, with a modern, efficient, and environmentally friendly agricultural processing sector. Rural regions no longer have impoverished households and develop into "a worth living place," civilized, green, clean, and attractive as a result of higher living standards, rural population income, and proximity to the city. Progress of agricultural production structure fulfillment Additionally, the Strategy proposes various directions and missions for sustainable agriculture and rural development. It is critical, in particular, to complete the agricultural production system in relation to competitiveness and market needs. The sector of plant production has to renew its structure and implement a more flexible management regime for agricultural land use in order to promote its advantage as a strategic manufacturing business capable of meeting local demand and exports. Priority is given to developing crops that offer competitive advantages and are in high demand (industrial plants, tropical fruit trees, high-quality rice...). Take necessary measures to encourage the growth of potential new crops such as medicinal plants, attractive plants, and edible mushrooms. The crop industry needs to reform its crop structure and implement a more flexible management regime for agricultural land use. Photo: Pham Hieu. Rice production must promote the sector's strength through innovative thinking, policies on rice land management and use, and rice production - from focusing on product development to placing a focus on quality, ensuring national food security in all circumstances, while efficiently exploiting and using land and water resources. The livestock industry must meet the domestic market's basic food requirements; growth potential and market sectors such as poultry, eggs, and dairy; and sustain major pig and cow breeding operations. Development of cattle, poultry, indigenous livestock, and high-value specialty, with an emphasis on food safety, environmental sustainability, biosecurity, and epidemic preparedness. Industrial livestock development incorporates advanced technology into farms and major businesses, while also encouraging traditional household livestock to progress toward professionalization and organic status. Constructing concentrated livestock areas away from densely populated regions that is advantageous for environmental remediation and disease control. Expanding the fisheries industry into a key production sector capable of meeting local demand and exporting; in particular, developing aquaculture via centralized farming and the application of advanced technologies... Priority will be given to developing the primary specialized farming region for critical items such as shrimp and pangasius; a comprehensive irrigation system for fisheries in the primary specialized farming area... The livestock industry must ensure the essential needs of food for the domestic market; maintain the raising of pigs and large cattle. Photo: Pham Hieu. Constructing a modern and highly effective economic and technical sector capable of increasing people's incomes, effectively contributing to socio-economic development, ecological environment protection, water security, disaster mitigation, and effective response to climate change, as well as ensuring national defense and security. Additionally, the strategy also needs the coordination of critical stages in the manufacturing process in order to maximize efficiency and assure sustainable development; Cooperation, connection, value chain growth, and modern agriculture models are all promoted. Rural economic development generates jobs and boosts rural residents' wages; Establishment of civilized and contemporary rural regions in conjunction with urbanization and preservation of traditional culture; Development that is inclusive, promoting fair social welfare in rural regions; Developing a solid community as a foundation for rural development and agricultural productivity; Protecting the natural environment and developing climate-adaptive ecosystems. The government entrusted MARD to preside and coordinate with relevant ministries, departments, and agencies to implement the tasks, assigning specific tasks to ministry agencies and units and guiding local governments in implementation; regularly urging and evaluating strategy implementation; synthesizing and reporting to the Prime Minister on the results of annual implementation and as required; organize the Strategy's preliminary implementation in 2025 and summarize the results. Author: Pham Hieu Source: https://vietnamagriculture.nongnghiep.vn/promoting-vietnams-agriculture-into-worlds-top-by-2050-d315181.html

Tuesday- 14:14, 08/02/2022 (VAN) Mr. Paul Le, Vice President of Central Retail Group, began the new year of 2022 by sharing his story of returning to Vietnam and his effort to promote Vietnamese fruits and agricultural goods. Changing production mindsets I was born in Vietnam but have spent a major of time in Europe. I am currently the Vice President of Thailand's Central Retail Group, specializing in the retail system industry. I was previously a sales manager for a top European packaging firm, and feel that Vietnam's agriculture's future will undoubtedly expand. Mr. Paul Le, Vice President of Central Retail Group, shared his business story about the retail system when he returned to Vietnam. Photo: Minh Sang. I am fully aware of who the greatest producers of Vietnamese vegetables are; I also acknowledge the items that I offer before introducing them to consumers, from seedlings to appropriate land, production, packing, and preservation processes. The product must be good for consumers, but it must also be suitable and affordable. The benefit of Vietnamese veggies and fruits, in my opinion, is that growers are extremely proactive in creating healthy and excellent items. They must, however, weave a story around their manufacturing process, the land, and the feeling around the product to earn consumers' confidence. Farmers should plan for the long term and keep in mind the safety criteria for production. Over the last year, Vietnam's agricultural goods have become overly reliant on the Chinese market, to the point that production was stopped when the Covid-19 pandemic broke out. The key drawback is that Vietnamese farmers do not yet understand how to sell their products. Indeed, Chinese businessmen visit Vietnamese farmers' gardens to coordinate harvesting, packaging, and valuation. Mr. Paul Le visits agricultural products and fruits stalls at the Big C supermarket system. Photo: Minh Sang. Additionally, farmers have not placed a high premium on brand development, and investment in packaging is undervalued. Numerous fresh agricultural items are also cartonized and placed onto trucks for consumption in Vietnam. In particular, the packed lychee that was carried from north to south in a single day has lost its freshness and has been degraded. As a result, it is important to create packaging and label the product. Whenever a customer provides the product, I always request to see the packaging and label. As with "passports" for international travel, how can we export items without brand names and packaging? Farmers should do research and study customer demands when it comes to producing and marketing goods. Consistent product quality from start to finish of harvest allows for a greater likelihood of entering the market channel. To earn the trust of retailers with annual consumption growth, producers must ensure that their products remain tasty even when the customer shuts their eyes. Additionally, before beginning production, producers must determine the product's strength and intended market. Using organic products as an example, you should consider who the items' target user is before investing. Central Group presently owns several supermarket chains, including go!, Big C, and LanChi Mart. And we, as Vietnamese customers, constantly have the same sentiments. We've seen over the last few decades that there are a lot of consumers, that many firms from across the world travel to Vietnam to acquire items, and that the agricultural products in Vietnam are quite nice. As such, we would like to contribute to the globalization of Vietnamese agricultural goods. It is critical to understand how to market items Several fruits, including dragon fruit, lychee, mango, and avocado, have export potential, in my opinion. Vietnamese lychee, in my opinion, has the greatest flavor in the world. Regardless of how delectable the fruits are, they cannot be sold if growers lack the knowledge necessary to sell them. Thus, the very first criteria for farmers are to produce wonderful items and to research the best ways to market them. "I will tell the story of Vietnamese fruits and agricultural products to the world," said Mr. Paul Le. Photo: Minh Sang. We are also interested in banana exports, but exporting is tough at a production size of 400 hectares; nevertheless, the narrative changes dramatically when the area is enlarged to 4,000 hectares. However, beginning at this stage is acceptable for expanding export potential since farmers have adopted a large production mindset, demonstrating that Vietnam's agriculture is transitioning away from fragmentation and small-scale thinking. I regard the contribution of overseas Vietnamese as extraordinary since I toured wholesale marketplaces in France, Australia, and the United States and was assisted by them in gaining a deeper understanding of good products. This is also a channel for the distribution of our fruit goods, which will be swiftly distributed to various regions of the world. Mr. Paul Le I came to Vietnam over 20 years ago to work and visited numerous provinces, including Binh Thuan, Long An, Dong Thap, An Giang, and Tieng Giang. I've discovered that distributors and exporters in Vietnam prefer high-quality items with attractive designs. Vietnam's agricultural products require an introductory tale about how delectable they are, not only for native customers but for the entire globe to know, before they can be sold. Products derived from dragon fruit, mango, grapefruit, and durian... will undoubtedly have several chances and will be able to compete with products from other countries. Additionally, because Vietnam has a more than 4,000-year cultural tradition with a heroic history, I have carefully studied the land and potential strengths, as well as the potential strength of our agricultural products and fruits, to educate global consumers about Vietnamese agricultural products. Central Group would invest more in product packaging and establish better ties with farmers to assist them in shifting their mindsets and developing export-quality products. I've worked overseas and noticed that all "foreign" items bear both the local production's and the national brand's signatures. We are now traveling to provinces to have a better understanding of Vietnam's core and strategic export items to support farmer output and provide the best products to local and international customers. We are thankful to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, particularly Working Group 970, for assisting us in establishing relationships with farmers to learn more about and link all of Vietnam's wonderful, delicious, and unique goods. We got a lot of information from items, fruits, and agricultural products in the communities, particularly during the past epidemic time, to develop the store chain. We have 75 years of sales expertise and currently operate a shopping center system in two-thirds of Vietnam's provinces, most recently expanding our presence in Ba Ria - Vung Tau region. Thai Binh, Tau... In the next years, we will continue to construct additional facilities throughout the country's regions and cities. Mr. Paul Le, Vice President of Central Retail Group Author: Minh Sang Source: https://vietnamagriculture.nongnghiep.vn/sharing-the-story-of-vietnamese-fruits-and-agricultural-goods-with-the-globe-d315169.html

Sunday- 12:47, 23/01/2022 (VAN) Exports of cassava and cassava products in 2021 have been strong in turnover thanks to high demand from China, which will be even higher this year. China's demand for cassava and cassava products is expected to increase further this year. Photo: TL. According to the General Department of Customs, cassava exports in 2021 reached nearly 2.9 million tons, worth approximately USD 1.2 billion, up 2.4% in volume and 16.5% in value compared to 2020. Cassava and cassava products are among the agro-products that still maintain the growth rate in both output and export value thanks to high demand from China. Cassava starch and slices both grew strongly in export turnover in the past year. In the first 11 months of 2021, Vietnam exported 1.84 million tons of cassava starch, worth USD 865.5 million, down 0.8% in volume, but up 16.8% in value compared to the same period in 2020. Cassava starch was mainly exported to China, Taiwan, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines and South Korea. Exports to China accounted for 95.8% of Vietnam’s total cassava starch exports with 1.76 million tons, valued at USD 826.68 million, up 1.3% in volume and 19.3% in value over the same period in 2020. In the 11 months of 2021, Vietnam also exported 780,110 tons of dried cassava slices, worth USD 202.06 million, up 43.4% in volume and 60.1% in value over the same period in 2020. Dried cassava slices are mainly exported to markets such as China, Korea and Malaysia. Exports to China in particular accounted for 88.6% of Vietnam’s total export of cassava slices with 691.24 thousand tons, worth USD 172.71 million, up 54.1% in volume and 74% in value over the same period in 2020. The Import-Export Department (Ministry of Industry and Trade) forecasts that China will have an even greater demand for cassava imports in 2022 as cassava and cassava products from Vietnam are blessed with favorable geographical conditions. However the upcoming exports of cassava and cassava products to China will face many difficulties because of a series of new regulations and standards issued and applied by the General Administration of Customs of China from the beginning of 2022. Author: Son Trang Source: https://vietnamagriculture.nongnghiep.vn/china-will-continue-to-buy-more-cassava-from-vietnam-d314149.html

Sunday- 10:01, 23/01/2022 (VAN) Exports of many Vietnamese key agricultural products have taken advantage of the EVFTA in 2021 and are expected to continue to grow in 2022. EU is the largest market of Vietnamese coffee. The impressive growth of key agricultural products According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT), Vietnam’s agricultural exports have seen a strong growth in 2021 because of utilizing tariff incentives from the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA). The total export value of Vietnam’s key agricultural products including coffee, cashew nut, rubber, fruits and vegetables, pepper, rice and tea to the EU market reached about US$2.2 billion in the first 11 months of 2021, up 10.1% compared with the same period in 2020. As a result, EU has become one of the largest markets of Vietnam’s agricultural products, accounting for 13.7% of the total export value of Vietnamese key farm produce. Coffee is the product with the highest export value in the EU market, reaching US$939 million in the first 11 months of 2021, an increase of 0.5% from the same period in 2020. The EU is also the largest market of Vietnamese coffee, accounting for nearly 34.8% of the total coffee export turnover of Vietnam. Cashew nut exports to the EU reached 122,000 tons worth US$734 million in the first 11 months in 2021, up 15.2% in volume and up 6.2% in value compared with the same period in 2020. The EU is also the second largest market of Vietnamese cashew nut, accounting for 22% of the total cashew export turnover of Vietnam. In the first 11 months of 2021, Vietnam’s rubber export to the EU reached approximately 100,000 tons worth US$175 million, up 33.7% in volume and up 72.6% in value from the same period in 2020. Fruit & vegetable export turnover was US$173 million, up 7.6%; pepper exports reached 40,000 tons worth US$165 million, up 7.4% in volume and up 63.9% in value; rice exports reached 54,000 tons worth US$ 38 million, up only 0.8% in volume and up 21.6% in value; the value of tea exports reached about US$3 million, up 21.6%. Despite of the Covid-19 pandemic thanks to the EVFTA, the export turnover of Vietnam’s key agricultural products to the EU’s major export markets has increased significantly or decreased slightly. Particularly, export value to Germany reached US$641 million, up 24.4% compared with the same period in 2020, accounting for 28.8% of the total export turnover of Vietnam’s key farm produce to the EU market. Export turnover to the Netherlands, Italy reached US$500 million, up 1.9% (accounting for 22.5%) and US$285 million, up 3.2% (accounting for 12.8%) respectively. Meanwhile export value to Spain decreased slightly by 0.6% (accounting for 9%). Great potential in 2022 According to the MoIT, the exports of coffee, cashew nut, rubber, fruits & vegetables, pepper, rice and tea will continue to contribute significantly to the total export value of the key agricultural products of Vietnam and have great potential to increase in 2022. Especially, coffee will continue to take advantage of zero percent tax under the EVFTA to increase the market share in the EU, a market with coffee demand valued up to US$10billion every year. Demand for cashew nut in Netherlands and Germany, the two largest consumers of cashew in the EU continuously grew in the end of 2021 due to increasing demand of the food processing industry and consumers. Therefore, it’s expected that cashew nut exports to the EU will have great potential in 2022. Especially, deeply-processed cashew nut exports which enjoy zero tariff under the EVFTA will maintain a growth rate around 6% in value in the EU market. Rubber exports to the EU are expected to increase in 2022. Photo: Thanh Son. Rubber exports were affected by the Covid-19 pandemic but with rubber prices kept at high levels in 2021 and showing no sign of going down, export turnover of Vietnamese rubber to the EU is forecasted to be positive in 2022. Vietnam exported mainly technically specified natural rubber (TSNR) and SEN to the EU in 2021. Fruits are among potential products that Vietnam needs to focus on to take advantage of the EVFTA. In the EU, the consumption of fruits tends to increase driven by healthy eating habits. Fresh tamarind, cashew nut, jackfruit, lychee, passion fruit, dragon fruit, guava, mango and mangosteen are forecasted to increase the market share in the EU in the near future. Under the EVFTA the tax on pepper would be cut to zero once the agreement took effect. Thus, Vietnamese pepper seeds have big advantage in the EU market. Besides, the fact that many EU investors are considering moving their processing plants to Vietnam to take advantages of cheap raw materials and labor will be the driving force for Vietnamese pepper exports to different EU countries. It’s projected that unground black pepper and unground white pepper will continue to make up a large proportion of Vietnam’s pepper exports in 2022. Vietnam’s rice exports to the EU are expected to be around 60,000 tons in 2022, according to the Vietnam Food Association (VFA). The image of Vietnamese rice has changed positively in the eyes of the EU importers. In addition, Vietnamese rice has been regularly consumed in Germany, Netherlands, Italy and Poland. In general, rice exports to the EU will maintain its strong growth in terms of turnover. Particularly, 80,000 tons of rice exported to the EU each year under the EVFTA with a tax rate of 0% alongside the popularity of Asian food in Europe will be opportunities for Vietnam to increase rice exports to the EU in the future. Author: Thanh Son Source: https://vietnamagriculture.nongnghiep.vn/the-market-share-of-key-agricultural-products-has-great-potential-to-increase-in-eu-d314123.html

Friday- 06:03, 21/01/2022 (VAN) The model of organic macadamia production is implemented in Di Linh district, Central Highland province of Lam Dong with 30 tonnes of products expected to be on the market soon. To improve the value of macadamia trees, over the past time, the Vietnamese Macadamia Company in Hoa Trung commune (Di Linh district, Lam Dong province) has cooperated with the Agriculture Extension Center of Lam Dong province to develop a model of organic macadamia farming on an area of ​​5ha. Han Quynh Chau, the officer in charge of the organic macadamia program in Lam Dong Provincial Agricultural Extension Centre said that the centre supported fertilizers, plant protection drugs, technical support and coordinated with other units to assist the Vietnamese Macadamia Company to develop the model. The Vietnamese Macadamia Company in Hoa Trung commune (Di Linh district, Lam Dong province) has cooperated with the Agriculture Extension Center of Lam Dong province to develop a model of organic macadamia farming on an area of ​​5ha. Photo: Minh Hau. For the organic macadamia model at Viet Macadamia Company, the organic production process is carried out methodically and strictly. A large buffer zone separating production areas with residential areas and conventional production areas is created. To save costs, people also practice self-composting with agricultural by-products. In macadamia growing areas, the grass is maintained to retain moisture in the soil, creating a microflora to help plants grow. "In the past, we used to remove all the grass in the garden, so the soil is often dry and cracked in the dry season. Since applying the organic process, we only cut the grass to a certain extent and use grass to keep moisture and keep the garden's ecology. Therefore, despite Lam Dong having entered the dry season, the soil in macadamia areas is still wet and porous, which helps the macadamia nut grow well", said Luu Quoc Chinh, Director of Vietnamese Macadamia Company said. Up to now, after nearly one year of applying the organic process, the entire macadamia growing area has grown strongly, and the productivity has been maintained. Macadamia trees are nursed carefully, pests and diseases are well controlled. In particular, the kernel quality is also higher than before. Organic macadamia grows well in Di Linh District, Lam Dong Province. Photo: Minh Hau. Chinh said that currently, the market was changing as consumers tended to use high-quality, organic agricultural products to protect their health. Therefore, that was an opportunity for organic macadamia to reach the market. Chinh said that in the initial implementation of the organic model, they encountered many difficulties and obstacles, but now everything was fine. “The production of organic macadamia not only produces clean products for consumers but also for gardeners themselves because they do not come into contact with toxic fertilizers and pesticides,” he said. With the support of Lam Dong Agricultural Extension Centre, currently, Viet Macadamia Company produces 5 hectares of organic macadamia nuts and cooperates with dozens of other households to build a raw material area of ​​about 20 hectares. It is expected that this year, the organic macadamia model of this enterprise will meet the standards for certification. According to Chinh, the company plans to supply to the market about 30 tons of organic macadamia products by 2023. Based on input costs and market trends, it is expected that each kilogram of organic macadamia will be sold for over VND400,000per kg. When the product supply is large enough and the product meets organic standards, this business aims to expand domestic and export markets. Vietnamese Macadamia Company plans to supply to the market about 30 tons of organic macadamia products by 2023. Photo: Minh Hau. Chau, an officer from the organic macadamia programme said that currently, Vietnamese Macadamia Company cooperated with dozens of households in the area to produce organic macadamia nuts. The company also signed a contract to consume products for people in the associated chain at the price of over VND100,000 per kg, he said, adding that this was an effective model with many prospects in improving product value. Currently, besides supporting the building of an organic macadamia model, the Lam Dong Agricultural Extension Center also aims to support the Viet Macadamia Company in organising seminars, trade promotion and connecting markets. Vietnamese Macadamia Company has been promoting the production of raw materials and improving processing capacity to ensure a source of high-quality products. This business is also expanding the market. As for traditional macadamia products, this business is getting stable output with local partners including supermarket chains and sales channels for tourists. Author: Minh Hau Source: https://vietnamagriculture.nongnghiep.vn/lam-dong-promotes-organic-macadamia-farming-d313931.html

Monday- 10:24, 04/10/2021 (VAN) October 4, 2021, coffee prices move sideways as yesterday in the world market and increase slightly by VND 100 per kilogram in the domestic. Coffee prices today, October 4, increase slightly by VND 100 per kilogram in the domestic. Coffee prices today, October 4, increase in the world market compared to the latest session. The Robusta coffee futures price in ICE Futures Europe (London) exchange for November 2021 contracts is up by US$ 42 per ton at US$ 2,168 per ton. The Arabica coffee futures price in ICE Futures US (New York) for December 2021 contracts is up by Cent 10.05 to Cent 204.05 per pound. In the domestic market, coffee prices today, October 4, increase slightly by VND 100 in most key provinces compared to yesterday. Specifically, the coffee prices in Di Linh, Bao Loc, and Lam Ha districts of Lam Dong province is VND 39,900 per kilogram. In Dak Lak, Dak Nong, Gia Lai, and Kon Tum provinces, traders purchase coffee at VND 39,600-40,800 per kilogram. Author: Bang Nghiem Source: https://vietnamagriculture.nongnghiep.vn/coffee-prices-october-4-increase-slightly-by-vnd-100-d304195.html

Tuesday- 05:51, 02/11/2021 (VAN) In 2021, Cao Bang Cassava Starch Processing Factory purchases cassava at an average of VND 1,700 per kilogram, increasing VND 300 compared to 2020. Raw cassava area in Hoa Thuan town, Quang Hoa district. Photo. P.O. To ensure the production of the 2021-2022 crop year, Cao Bang Cassava Starch Processing Factory ('The factory') has invested in repairing and upgrading the equipment system with a total cost of over VND 400 million. The factory has installed a waste treatment equipment system to ensure environmental hygiene and use by-products as animal feed. Currently, the machine line's maintenance has been nearly completed. The workers are urgently completing the other areas around the factory. The factory plans to purchase about 16,000-17,000 tonnes of fresh cassava and produce about 4,000 tonnes of cassava starch products in this year's harvest. Along with ensuring equipment and machinery, the factory actively builds a plan to purchase raw materials, publicizes prices, methods, and purchasing locations, creating favorable conditions for people to consume products. Simultaneously, the factory also buys all cassava materials in investment areas, especially in critical districts such as Quang Hoa, Bao Lac, Nguyen Binh, and Cao Bang City. In addition, the factory signs contracts with owners of means of transportation to promptly supply raw materials for production, thoroughly to all workers and employees strictly follow the production process associated with the prevention and control of the Covid-19 epidemic. It is expected that in early November 2021, Cao Bang Cassava Starch Processing Factory will operate this production line according to the set plan. In the past few months, the consumption of the Chinese market has decreased, causing many difficulties for Vietnamese cassava factories. The supply of fresh raw cassava in Vietnam decreased, causing cassava starch production to drop continuously, while the dried cassava slides market in Vietnam remained stable. According to the General Department of Customs, in the second quarter of 2021, Vietnam's exports of cassava and cassava products reached 618.61 thousand tonnes, worth US$ 250.04, up 1.2% in volume and 17.2% in value over the same period in 2020. Vietnam's exports of cassava and cassava products in the second quarter of 2021 continued to recover due to the increase in the global demand for cassava and cassava products. Author: C.H Source: https://vietnamagriculture.nongnghiep.vn/cassava-price-increases-by-vnd-300-per-kilogram-compared-to-2020-d306636.html

Tuesday- 07:59, 18/01/2022 (VAN) The EU is currently the second largest market for Vietnam's cashew nuts and exports to this region in 2022 are expected to reach US$ 900 million. Processing cashew kernels for export. Photo: Hoang Son. According to the Department of Import - Export (Ministry of Industry and Trade), the EU is currently the second largest cashew nut export market of Vietnam, accounting for 23% of the total export volume and 22% of the total export value of the whole industry. Therefore, the growth of cashew nut exports to the EU contributed significantly to the overall growth of the cashew industry. It is estimated that Vietnam's cashew exports to the EU market in 2021 has reached 135,000 tons, worth US$ 816 million, up 16.5% in volume and 7.9% in value compared to 2020. This positive growth is due to the EU's high demand for cashew nuts in the last months of the year to serve the demand in the Christmas and the new year holidays. Vietnam's cashew industry has now exported to 23 EU member markets. In particular, the cashew industry has well exploited the Dutch and German markets. Specifically, in 11 months of 2021 up to November, Vietnam's cashew nut export turnover to the Netherlands reached over 63,000 tons, worth more than US$ 345 million, up 12.3% in volume, but down 4.1% in value. During the same period, Vietnam's cashew nut exports to Germany reached more than 19,000 tons, worth more than US$ 122 million, up 9.5% in volume and 6.2% in value. Germany and the Netherlands are currently important trading hubs for cashews in the EU. These two markets both import for domestic consumption and re-export to other markets in the bloc. Vietnam's cashew industry has also exploited well other EU member markets, such as France, Spain and Poland. These are all good markets for cashew nuts. In addition, cashew nut exports also experienced impressive growth in a number of other markets. For example, cashew nut exports to Finland increased 625% in volume and 629% in value in the 11 months of 2021 up to November. In the last year, Vietnam's cashew industry has been quite successful when exploiting the gateway market in the EU such as the Netherlands and Germany, and also exploiting other important consumption markets or markets with great potential in EU, such as Finland, Poland, Belgium, Spain, Romania, Portugal... With the above results, it can be said that Vietnam's cashew nut exports to the EU have had a quite successful year in the context of the complicated developments of the Covid-19 pandemic, difficulties in production, customs clearance and fees increase. According to the Department of Import - Export, cashew exports to the EU in 2022 are expected to increase by about 15% in volume and 10% in value compared to 2021, reaching over 155,000 tons, and worth US$ 900 million. This assessment is based on factors, such as supply, demand, and export prices tend to recover from the end of 2021. According to data from the EU Statistical Office (Eurostat), in the first nine months of 2021, the EU's cashew imports volume reached 161.17 thousand tons, worth EUR 955.79 million, up 3.9% in volume over the same period in 2020. In which, Vietnam is the largest source of cashew nuts for the EU. In the third quarter of 2021, the EU imported over 36 thousand tons of cashews from Vietnam, worth EUR 211.4 million, up 7.1% in volume and 5% in value compared to the third quarter of 2020. In the first nine months of 2021, the EU imported 94,000 tons of cashews from Vietnam, worth EUR 520 million, up 6.6% in volume, but down 3% in value over the same period in 2020. Cashew market share of Vietnam in total imports from the external market into the EU increased from 73.4% in 9 months of 2020 to 77.3% in 9 months of 2021. In contrast, the EU reduced cashew imports from India, down 34.7% in volume and 40.2% in value, reaching 8,600 tons, worth EUR 59 million. India's share of cashew nut in EU’s total imports from the external market decreased from 11.5% in 9 months of 2020 to 7.4% in 9 months of 2021. With the EVFTA coming into effect, the EU's import tax rate on cashew nuts from Vietnam at 0% is an advantage to help Vietnam's cashew industry increase exports to the EU and expand its market share. Author: Thanh Son Source: https://vietnamagriculture.nongnghiep.vn/cashew-exports-to-the-eu-in-2022-target-us-900-million-d313851.html

Tuesday- 17:15, 18/01/2022 (VAN) Export turnover of enterprises in Ho Chi Minh City increased only one per cent, a conference in Ho Chi Minh City heard on January 18. Le Huynh Minh Tu, Deputy Director of Ho Chi Minh City Department of Industry and Trade delivers the opening speech at the conference. Photo: Nguyen Thuy. Export turnover of enterprises in Ho Chi Minh City increased only one per cent, a conference in Ho Chi Minh City heard on January 18. The conference, "Solving Difficulties For Import-Export Enterprises To Facilitate Trade In The Context Of COVID-19 Pandemic", was jointly held by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and Ho Chi Minh City Department of Industry and Trade. Speaking at the opening of the conference, Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Industry and Trade Le Huynh Minh Tu said that the export turnover of the enterprises in the city reached only US$44.9 billion, increasing by one per cent compared to 2020, due to the severe impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Most of the major export markets of the city have witnessed a decrease in turnover; for example, China 8.7%, the United States 2.3%, Japan 14, 7% and EU 0.8%, he added. Though the disease control in Ho Chi Minh City has been well implemented, production and export activities of enterprises are unlikely to recover soon. Problems with workers, drivers, warehousing, rising sea freight rates, and shortages of containers, loading and unloading equipment and shipping vessels are still putting supply chains under great pressure. Meanwhile, the key export markets of the city in particular and Vietnam in general have been implementing many strict solutions to prevent the spread of the pandemic, causing difficulties for export activities of the domestic enterprises. “The conference creates an opportunity to exchange and identify the context, difficulties and challenges in order to come up with solutions to handle difficulties and obstacles, as well as to restructure and reorganize production and service for export," emphasized the Deputy Director. He also suggested that the Department of Industry and Trade coordinate with the Customs Department and relevant departments to regularly exchange with associations of exporters and exporters so that they could be timely informed about their difficulties, ideas and suggested solutions. Thereby, the department could timely offer advice and propose to the People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City. For contents beyond its authority, the Department of Industry and Trade summarizes and advises the People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City to report and propose to the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Government for further consideration and direction. Ann Marie Yastishock, Director of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) Vietnam delivers her virtual speech at the conference. Photo: Nguyen Thuy. According to Director of USAID, Ann Marie Yastishock, the United States is one of the largest export markets for enterprises in Ho Chi Minh City. USAID, via the USAID Trade Facilitation Program, always considers the city as a strategic partner in trading activities. She also expressed her hope that the conference would collect many suggested ideas from businesses and relevant agencies, which would therefore offer solutions to promote import and export activities; cut time and costs for businesses, helping them to overcome difficulties in the context of the complicated situation of the COVID-19 pandemic that has caused many negative impacts. At the conference, the attendees also discussed the current difficulties and obstacles in import and export activities as well as solutions to create favorable conditions for businesses to promote their export activities in the context of the pandemic. Trade Facilitation Program (TFP) is funded by USAID with a total capital of more than $21.7 million and implemented within five years, from 2018 to 2023. It aims to support the Government of Vietnam (GVN) to adopt and implement a risk management approach to customs and specialized inspection agencies, which will strengthen the implementation of the World Trade Organization's Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) of which both Vietnam and the United States are members. This will assist Vietnam in achieving its development objectives while reducing the time and cost to trade. USAID and TFP consider Ho Chi Minh City as key area among the six selected localities in terms of trade facilitation and have established a Trade Facilitation Committee in the city. Over the past time, the USAID TFP has conducted reports on improving trade and logistics activities at Cat Lai port and vicinity in Ho Chi Minh City in addition to offering training courses related to the origin of goods in the free trade agreements signed by Vietnam. Author: Nguyen Thuy Source: https://vietnamagriculture.nongnghiep.vn/conference-seeks-solutions-to-difficulties-of-import-export-activities-in-hcmc-d313810.html

Wednesday- 11:00, 05/01/2022 (VAN) The Central Highlands provinces are urged to complete sub-projects under the VnSAT project before June 30. Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Quoc Doanh visits a coffee model at the Dak Lak-based Central Highlands Agro-Forestry Science and Technology Institute. Photo: Quang Yen. Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Quoc Doanh on January 4 chaired a conference of the Sustainable Agriculture Transformation Project in Vietnam (VnSAT). The conference aimed to boost the implementation of the project’s coffee component in 2022 and announce the results of the implementation of technical infrastructure activities relating to speciality coffee and landscape. The VnSAT project was schemed to be implemented from 2015 to June 30, 2022. According to the results of the implementation of the sustainable coffee development component, from 2015 to now, the Central Highlands provinces have trained 52,461 households in the coffee production process. Currently, all criteria of the sustainable coffee production process have been applied to a total area of 49,083 ha. By the end of 2021, a total of 29,234 households have been trained on sustainable replanting procedures; 24,088 households have carried out replanting coffee trees with an area of ​​21,574 ha. To support the upgrading of seedling nurseries and nursery certification, VnSAT has upgraded the infrastructure of 2 nurseries for the Dak Lak-based Central Highlands Agro-Forestry Science and Technology Institute and the Gia Lai-based Vietnam Tropical Forestry Center of the Institute of Science. Forestry of Vietnam with total funding of more than VND21.3 billion. The Project Management Board of five Central Highlands provinces has certified the standard nurseries for 51 gardens, supporting the upgrading of 32 nurseries. Since then, the upgraded nurseries have supplied to the market more than 11.6 million quality seedlings for coffee replanting. From 2015 to now, the Central Highlands provinces have built 110 drip irrigation models and 206 sprinkler irrigation models with the project funds. Households in the project area have self-invested drip irrigation systems on 555 ha and 5,710 hectares of sprinkler irrigation systems on 5,710 ha. Deputy Director of Dak Lak Province's Agriculture and Rural Development Department Vu Duc Con spoke at the conference. In terms of infrastructure, the project has supported 42 farmers’ organisations and co-operatives to develop infrastructure and equipment for production with a total capital of VND204.6 billion. During the extension period since January 2021, the Central Highlands provinces have implemented 30 public investment sub-projects with total funding of VND510 billion. Banks have offered loans for 5,327 households to replant 11,465 ha of coffee. Since the project was started, the total disbursement of five provinces in the Central Highlands has reached VND 698 billion, accounting for 70 per cent of planned funding. The Central Highlands provinces are expected to spend more than VND242.8 billion this year on implementing the project. The provinces would continue to allocate reciprocal capital for technical activities to maintain the sustainability of project target indicators, build speciality coffee areas and build coffee landscape models, value chains and develop sustainable coffee material areas. Le Trong Yen, Vice Chairman of Dak Nong Provincial People's Committee, said that the VnSAT project brought many benefits to the people. “The province is implementing sub-projects and accelerating the progress of sub-projects so that they could be completed before June 30 when the project closes,” Yen said. He suggested that VnSAT approve more items that the co-operatives have invested in to improve the efficiency of the sub-projects. Luu Trong Nghia, Director of Dak Nong Province’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said that the locality achieved all six goals of the VnSAT project with many projects that have completed 300 per cent of planned work. Local people and authorities appreciated the project very much as it was very helpful to the coffee industry, he said. “The VnSAT approaches and solve practical problems and issues in localities. Thanks to the project, infrastructure is improved. Models of sustainable coffee, landscape coffee, and speciality coffee were supported to build effectively. The project also increases farmers’ knowledge in coffee replanting. In particular, VnSAT helps the locality to form a chain of consumption, opening a future direction for the sustainable coffee industry", Nghia said. Similarly, Y Giang Nie Knong, Vice Chairman of Dak Lak Provincial People's Committee, said that the locality has about 210,000 ha of coffee with an average yield of 26 quintals/ha and an output of about 510,000 tons of green coffee. With the support and guidance of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the VnSAT project, Dak Lak coffee developed more sustainably into the landscape and speciality coffee areas. Accordingly, Dak Lak coffee is produced and processed according to the correct process, and the locality focused on re-cultivation and intensive farming, he said. Speaking at the conference, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Quoc Doanh emphasised that thanks to the implementation of the VnSAT project, Vietnam had developed coffee varieties that resisted drought, having high productivity. Over the last few years, although the price of coffee has decreased deeply, coffee farming was still maintained, and the yield continued to increase. In particular, in terms of coffee replanting, the Central Highlands provinces implemented methodically and changed new varieties, but the yield did not decrease, Doanh said, adding that the most outstanding result of the project was that sub-projects met or exceed the set plans. Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Quoc Doanh addresses the conference. Photo: Quang Yen. “It is necessary to continue to synchronously deploy project components to integrate with provincial plans, increase added values and promote project efficiency,” Doanh said. Doanh said that the intercropping of fruit trees with coffee must ensure the economic efficiency of coffee trees. The provinces speed up the construction of sub-projects, complete the works before June 30, 2022, to ensure the project quality and the efficiency of investment to avoid waste and loss. Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Quoc Doanh highly appreciated the Vietnam Agriculture Newspaper for its effective communication about the VnSAT project. The newspaper has published articles and reports on the effective models under the project, which helps the project spread and succeed. Author: Minh Quy Source: https://vietnamagriculture.nongnghiep.vn/central-highland-provinces-urged-to-speed-up-the-implementation-of-the-vnsat-project-d312654.html