The price of animal feed, on the rise since December, dramatically surged in May, said Le Ba Lich, Chairman of the Viet Nam Feed Association.

The owner of an animal feed store in Quang Binh Province.

Mixed-feed prices have gone up by 19%; chicken feed has increased from VND2,400 per kilo to VND7,200; pig feed from VND3,800 to VND4,300, and shrimp feed from VND11,000 to VND16,000.

Mr Lich said the higher costs would eat into producers' profit margins. He said many feed makers have reduced production and are hesitant to sell existing stocks, adding that domestic animal feed output had dropped by 20% in the past year.

The Chairman explained Vietnam imports almost all raw materials for its feed production - approximately 1mil tonnes per annum - from North America, Argentina and the EU.

Animal feed has become more expensive because the costs of its key ingredients have soared: soybean price has increased from US$220 per tonne in 2002 to the current price of $380; gluten from $334 to $520 a tonne, and corn prices soared a whopping 180% to $140 per tonne in just a year.

These prices are due a combination of poor crops in source countries, slow turnaround of goods at ports in Argentina and Brazil, and higher international freight charges.

An additional factor is prices of locally available materials such as bran, corn and cassava have also risen.

Nguyen Dang Vang, head of the Livestock Breeding Institute, warned the feed price increases will ravage the animal breeding sector, in particular as the country's poultry stocks recover after the avian flu.

Vietnam's breeding industry churns through about $1mil worth of manufactured feed annually.

Mr Vang said the increasing costs had obviously affected confidence as first-level distribution agents are reluctant to supply product to second-tier agents and breeders, worried that payments will be defaulted because of the higher prices.

He said soaring feed costs have seen many large-scale breeders in southern provinces and HCM City stop rearing and take up other jobs.

Some fish breeders in An Giang Province said the 20-30% spike in costs makes them less profitable.

Mr Lich said only when raw material price decreases on the world market, will prices go down.

Mr Vang forecasted the cost of animal feed will remain high until August when countries offer fresh soybean supplies on the market and prices are expected to drop by $10-12 per tonne.

(Source: Viet Nam News)

The wood industry has set the target of earning US$1bil from exports in 2005.

Vietnam's wooden furniture has been exported to 120 countries and territories.

Vietnam 's wooden furniture has been exported to 120 countries and territories, and brought in $319mil for the country in the first four months of this year.

However, several obstacles have to be removed if the industry's target is to be met, first, the shortage of wood. According to the Wood and Forest Products Business Association, for $1bil of furniture exports, between 2.5-3mil cu.m of logs will be needed, while the industry is only allowed to log 300,000cu.m from natural forests and another 600,000cu.m from planted forests a year. This means wooden furniture businesses will have to rely on imported materials, which poses a big problem as wood prices in major markets such as New Zealand , Brazil and Chile are rising sharply.

Although the country has more than 1,200 businesses engaged in wood processing and trade with a combined annual capacity of 2mil cu.m of logs, only 300 make furniture for exports. In addition, unfair competition practices also hinder their operation.

Undeterred by the difficulties, the industry is to promote closer ties among the business community to reduce risk and acquire materials at lower prices. Three companies, based in HCM City , Hanoi and Binh Duong, respectively, are building a shared bonded warehouse abroad at a cost of $6.12mil. When finished, the warehouse will help cut prices by between 10-12% compared to wood imported by an individual business.

The Trade Ministry has also joined the wood industry's efforts towards the $1bil target with proposals for five major measures. The Ministry will provide wood processing businesses with preferential loans through the Development Assistance Fund, find ways to attract domestic and foreign investment in the industry, and build wood processing industrial zones, with the aim to raise output and improve product quality. The Ministry will also assist in product promotion campaigns, seeking new markets for domestic wood products, and help to strengthen the Wood and Forest Products Business Association.

(Source: VNA)

3DproS, the graphic design software made by a group of HCM City University of Technology students, is the only Southeast Asian semifinalist in the Rendering category of the Imagine Cup 2004, held by Microsoft for students from all over the world.

Created by Team BK02, the product is now competing online against 15 other products at http://www.imaginecup.com /rendering_gallery.aspx.

The result of the semifinals will be based on votes until May 31. Among the 16 products, the five products with the most votes will enter the final round, which will take place in Brazil in July.

For further information on BK 02, 3DproS and the voting for 3DproS, see http://S3dpros.sourceforge.net.

(Source: ND)

VietNamNet – The Vietnam Education Foundation (VEF) on April 12 announced a list of 71 scholarship recipients and its plan to establish Centres of Excellence in Vietnam.

These centres will help Vietnam attract young talents.

During a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Khiem on April 12, Congressman George Miller, a member of the VEF Board of Directors, requested the Government grant a licence to VEF.

 

Mr Miller also presented plans to establish a centre for talented youths in Vietnam that will help Vietnamese people who have studied in the US to better serve the country.

 

A VEF-sponsored workshop focused on developing Vietnam’s sci-tech ability took place on the same day between the Mathematics Institute and the Science Initiative Group (SIG). The workshop discussed construction of centres for talented youths, in a manner suitable for Vietnam. The model is already operating effectively in Chile, Brazil and Mexico.

 

“These centres will help Vietnam attract young talents, particularly VEF postgraduate students. This will help Vietnam compete more effectively in the World Trade Organisation environment,” said Dr. Griffiths, SIG Chairman.

 

Ha Anh

Vietnamese officials are strengthening the country's ties with the Republic of Korea and Brazil.

A delegation from the National Assembly's Social Affairs Committee led by Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Hoai Thu visited the Republic of Korea from January 27 until February 4.

The delegation held discussions with the Korean National Assembly's committees for health and welfare, labour, and environment and the ministries of health and welfare, and labour.

It went to a social affairs research institute to learn more about social issues, gender equality and community health care, among others.

It also visited the homes and job sites of Vietnamese workers in the country.

Meanwhile, a delegation led by Nguyen Ngoc Tran, Vice-Chairman of the National Assembly's External Relations Committee, visited Brazil from January 27-30.

President of Lower House Joao Paulo Cunha received the delegation. He praised Vietnam's struggle for independence and its achievements during the renewal process.

Mr Cunha said he hoped to improve the ties between the countries and their legislative bodies.

The delegation also met with the Chairman of the Brazilian Senate's External Relations Committees, the leaders of the Parliamentarians' Group for Friendship with Vietnam and officials from the Foreign Ministry, the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Environment.

The delegation sent regards from National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Van An to Mr Cunha and invited him to visit Vietnam.

(Source: Viet Nam News)

Vietnam Defence Minister General Pham Van Tra and Brazilian Defence Minister Jose Viegas Filho have discussed ways to enhance military co-operation between their co-operation between their countries.

The discussions were part of talks between a delegation of senior military officers, led by General Tra, and the Brazilian Minister between November 13-15.

The Ministers agreed to post military attaches in each other's countries next year; arrange further exchanges of delegations, promote language training and army football.

They also agreed that ties between the two militaries should be strengthened to promote relations for the mutual benefit of their countries and for peace, national independence and common development.

They also discussed regional and international issues of mutual concern.

During the visit, the delegation called at Brazil's Infantry High Command and Military Strategy Research Centre while General Tra was conferred with Brazil's Order of Peace.

The delegation, which had previously visited Washington, was to have left Brazil last Saturday for an official visit to Belgium.

(Source: Viet Nam News)

VietNamNet – Can Tho Province has exported 7,750 tonnes of rice, including 3,250 tonnes to three new markets, Belgium, Senegal and South Africa.

VN is boosting rice exports to Brazil.

Meanwhile, an official from the Japanese Food Office said that Japan purchased 101,000 tonnes of rice, including 10,000 tonnes of Vietnam, through rice bidding held on October 17.

 

Currently Can Tho is the leading province in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta in rice export with 47,000 tonnes in October worth nearly US$1.3mil. The province has exported a total of 370,000 tonnes of rice thus far, up around 50% over the same period of 2002, reaching turnover of $67mil. In addition, it has provided 26,000 tonnes for other rice exporters, an increase of 3,000 tonnes.

 

An official at the Southern Food Corporation (Vinafood 2) said that Vietnam is boosting rice exports to Brazil. The country is seeking new sources of supply, importing about 1mil tonnes of rice this year. Vinafood 2 is exporting 2,000 tonnes to the Brazilian market.

 

Nguyen Thi Nguyet, General Secretary of the Vietnam Food Association said that Brazil’s demand for rice is very high. “If we negotiate well, Brazil will become a major importer of Vietnam’s rice,” she said.

 

H. Phuong    

Major exports to this region include textile-garments, rice, footwear, coal, seafood, pepper, rubber, coffee and handicrafts.

Vietnam now enjoys promising trade relations with Latin American countries with an export growth rate of 10-15% per year on average, according to the Ministry of Trade’s Europe-America’s Department.

The country’s major exports to this region include textile-garments, rice, footwear, coal, seafood, pepper, rubber, coffee and fine art handicrafts.

It is estimated that Vietnam’s export turnover from this market will reach US$188mil this year and $220mil next year, including $80mil from Mexico, $53mil from Cuba, $21mil from Brazil, $18mil from Argentina, $11mil from Chile, $7mil from Peru, and $10mil from Panama.

Vietnam has trade relations with five major countries in the region; Mexico, Cuba, Brazil, Argentina and Chile. Four of them have signed trade agreements with Vietnam.

(Source: TBKTVN)