Food security

Vietnam expects to earn 600 million USD from tra fish export in the first quarter of the year. (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam expects to earn 600 million USD from tra fish export in the first quarter of the year, a year-on-year jump of 35 percent. Of the figure, exports to the US are estimated at 95 million USD (up 26 percent), China at 125 million USD (up 23.7 percent) and the EU at 67 million USD (up 21 percent). Experts have forecast bright prospects for tra fish exports this year based on robust market signs. Last year, tra fish shipments brought home a record of 2.26 billion USD and the figure is hoped to rise to 2.3 - 2.4 billion USD for 2019. According to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) of the US Department of Agriculture has proposed that Vietnam, along with Thailand and China, has a catfish inspection system equivalent to those in the US, and thus eligible for exporting the fish … [Read more...] about Tra fish export expected to bring home 600 million USD in Q1

The government has decided to scrap the archaic residence books in favor of an online database whereby each citizen will be registered with a personal identification code. The resolution issued earlier this week says that Vietnam will stop managing its citizen registration through the residency book, which attaches a person to a permanent address. The book, ho khau in Vietnamese, has been in effect since the 1960s asan instrument of public security, economic planning, and control of migration, similarly to China's hukou. In the post-war period, the book was used as a means to ration food and allocate jobs under the then planned economy.  But following economic reforms since the late 1980s, Vietnam has adopted a socialist oriented market economy and ho khau has been kept to limit migration to booming cities, to no avail. A report issued last year by the World Bank says 36 percent of the population in Ho Chi Minh City and 18 percent in Hanoi lack ho khau. “This … [Read more...] about Vietnam has decided to stop controlling citizens with permanent residence book

News that Vietnam is planning to replace its outdated residence books with an online database has gained widespread kudos, but police have warned residents not to get too excited just yet. The online system will not be ready until 2020, a spokesperson from the Ministry of Public Security said at a media conference Tuesday in what appears to be a move to ease premature expectations. To replace the books, Vietnam is expected to introduce a personal identification code which will be linked to data accessible to all government agencies. Current residency data is limited to the police and that’s why people need to present their residence books for most administrative procedures. Officers also said that the government does not plan on loosening citizen registration controls, and will be simply digitalizing the procedure. The switch was announced in a government resolution issued last week, which said Vietnam will stop managing its citizens through residence books that attach a person … [Read more...] about Vietnam’s residence book reforms won’t happen for another two years: police

President of VFF Central Committee Tran Thanh Man (third from left) in Can Tho Diocese (Photo: VNA)   Can Tho (VNA) - President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee Tran Thanh Man paid a pre-Christmas visit to Can Tho Diocese in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho on December 14. Man wished the Bishop of Can Tho Diocese Tri Buu Thien, local priests and Catholic followers a warm and merry Christmas season and urged them to make more contributions to national development. He underlined the contributions made by Catholic followers nationwide and those in Can Tho Diocese in particular to the country’s important achievements in the past year. The VFF leader expressed his hope that with his prestige, Bishop Thien will continue calling on priests and Catholic followers to join social activities, national emulation campaigns, and movements launched by the VFF, contributing to the success of the party congresses at all levels and action plans set by the ninth … [Read more...] about VFF leader pays pre-Xmas visit to Can Tho Diocese

Vo Thanh Trang Market on Truong Chinh Street to the northeast of Ho Chi Minh City is open day and night, which is unusual compared to other traditional markets in the city. Goods are delivered early in the morning, and peak hours are 3-4 a.m. Buyers can find a variety of products including fruit, meat, fish and processed food. The market covers 2,000 square meters, and expands out into smaller “satellite markets” down the surrounding alleyways. Vo Thanh Trang was the name given to the market in 1978, but local people are more familiar with the old name, Ba Queo. The name Ba Queo (Debilitated Lady) is thought to have originally come from a widow who had a debilitated hand (“queo” means “disabled” or ”debilitated” in Vietnamese). The childless widow worked in the market for years, hence the name given to distinguish it from other markets. There is also a story which suggests that the market … [Read more...] about Night and day, this market has been running non-stop for half a century