Agriculture and fishing
Thailand’s turtle hatchlings finally have the beach to themselves
When Kosum Kao-Uthai’s family noticed mysterious imprints in the sand outside the hotel resort they own in Koh Samui, she knew exactly which animal had paid a visit. She remembered spotting the same marks, left by a nesting sea turtle, when, as a teenager, she ...
Rebecca Ratcliffe
Mekong Delta to expand fruit, seafood production in response to climate change
The Mekong Delta plans an additional 450,000ha under fruit and seafood production by 2030 as part of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development’s effort to shift the region’s farming model toward more sustainable agriculture practices. The region plans to reduce rice farming areas and expand areas producing fruit and seafood in ...
VNA
Vietnam’s main coconut growing area stressed by salinity
Historic levels of saltwater intrusion in the Mekong Delta have caused coconuts in Ben Tre Province to shrink by half in size and farmers’ incomes by even more. One afternoon in early August, Tran Trung Tac, owner of a dwarf coconut grove, opens 100 coconuts one ...
Hoang Nam
Vietnamese rice now more pricey than Thailand’s
With the Thai baht weakening, Vietnamese rice is fetching 3 percent higher prices in global markets than varieties from Thailand. Vietnam’s 5-percent broken rice has been priced at $468-472 per ton since August 8, $15 more than its Thai rivals. The prices have risen by 6.8 ...
Anh Minh
Mekong Delta farmers lose durian farms to historic drought and salinity
Farmers in the Mekong Delta are chopping down hundreds of hectares of durian trees that were lost to drought and saltwater intrusion. For years Le Van Thoi has earned VND600-800 million ($25,800-34,400) a year from his durian farm in Cai Lay Town in Tien Giang Province. Thanks ...
Hoang Nam
Electrofishing thrives despite crackdown in Mandalay
Eleven people have been prosecuted and 77 boats have been seized for electrofishing in dolphin protected zone of the Ayeyarwady River in Mandalay Region since January 2018, but the practice continues, authorities said. U Han Win, who is in charge of Ayeyarwady dolphin conservation for the ...
Phyo Wai Kyaw
PM works with Mekong Delta provinces
On August 1, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phucheld a working session in Can Tho with 13 Mekong Delta provinces and cities on removing difficulties for production and business activities and boosting the region’s economy. This is the fourth working session of the government leader with Mekong ...
Locust swarm from China ravages northern Vietnam bamboo forests, corn fields
A locust swarm from China has been destroying bamboo forests and corn fields in Dien Bien Province in northern Vietnam since last week. The yellow-spined bamboo locust (Ceracris kiangsu) swarm, which has an estimated 100-400 individuals per square meter, devoured bamboo leaves in 20 ha of ...
Tat Dinh
Thailand’s rice exports slump to decade low
The Thai Rice Exporters Association cut its projection for 2020 rice exports from 7.5 million tonnes to 6.5 million tonnes, the lowest in a decade. Thailand shipped 3.14 million tonnes of rice in the first six months of this year, down 32.7% from the same period ...
Vietnam can cut pesticide use significantly without productivity loss: expert
The Vietnam Plant Protection Association (VNPPA) has called for a 30 percent cut to deal with long-standing pesticide overuse in the country. It says cutting pesticide use by 30 percent will not impact agricultural productivity. Truong Quoc Tung, standing deputy chairman of VNPPA, said recently that Vietnam ...
Phuong Lam