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The “Huong Thom Que Me” (The Fragrance of Motherland) exhibition, held April 14- 26, displays 100 works of calligraphy in various languages including Vietnamese, English, French and Chinese.

The works reflect the Zen master’s love for Mother Earth, who nurtures and protects all sentient beings.

The exhibition takes its name from the title of a new book that features Thich Nhat Hanh calligraphy.

According to Eve Yuen, a Hongkong-based art critic, Hanh’s works are choreographic calligraphy that exude exquisite qualities, incorporating straight and solid lines as well as flowing curves in a balanced composition.

The works were earlier displayed in France, Germany, Canada, the U.S., Thailand, Taiwan, Hongkong, and Ho Chi Minh City.

Calligraphy works by Thich Nhat Hanh. Photo by VnExpress/Thanh Tuyen.

The Zen master said he has done more than 10,000 calligraphic works since 1994. They have helped him demonstrate the art of mindful living to his students. They have become a source of donations supporting humanitarian projects in many developing countries.

“Writing calligraphy is a practice of meditation,” the Master has said.

“The way I do calligraphy, I do it in a certain way that can generate the energy of mindfulness, concentration, insight, and compassion during the time of practice.”

Thich Nhat Hanh, considered the second most influential Buddhist leader in the world after the Dalai Lama, studied and practiced Zen Buddhism from 1942.

Born in 1926, he became a monk at the age of 23 after studying Buddhism for seven years.

In the 1960s he spearheaded a movement by Buddhists in southern Vietnam that called for a negotiated end to the Vietnam War.

He left the country in 1966 and lived in Plum Village in southern France for decades, traveling regularly throughout North America and Europe to give lectures on mindfulness and peace.

Thich Nhat Hanh is also a celebrated poet and peace activist. He was nominated for the Nobel Prize by Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1967, and is the author of more than 100 books, including several bestsellers like the “The Miracle of Mindfulness.”

Rice exporters gear up to penetrate EU arena

On September 22, Loc Troi Group JSC exported the first batch of 126 tonnes of fragrant rice to the EU. To reach this, LocTroi upped its planting methods and quality control for the EU market in 2018. So far, the company has exported over 10,000 tonnes of rice to the EU market.

Backed by the tariff exemptions under the new EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), LocTroi chairman Huynh Van Thon said that the group aims to become one of the major rice exporters to the EU. The company will mobilise all its resources to satisfy the EU’s strict quality requirements, expanding its growing area and export volume and diversifying varieties.

Meanwhile, at the end of August Trung An Hi-Tech Farming JSC also exported its first batch of fragrant rice in line with EVFTA commitments. Pham Thai Binh, the company’s general director, said that the shipment is part of the company’s current contract to export 3,000 tonnes of rice to Europe.

Binh said the company made early preparations during the EVFTA negotiation process to increase its rice exports. Among them, food safety standardss were Binh’s focus as the bloc refuses products exceeding pesticide residue limits. Therefore, Trung An focused on international standards for planting, harvesting, preserving, and processing.

Elsewhere in 2019, Vinaseed also exported over 2,000 tonnes of rice to the EU with turnover of $2 million. The group inaugurated the Centre of Seed and Agricultural Product Processing Industry in Dong Thap province last year. Covering five hectares, the centre has capacity to process and preserve 100,000 tonnes of rice and 50,000 tonnes of seeds per year.

Nguyen Quang Truong, general director of Vinaseed said, “With modern lines and technology from Japan, the new centre can help us to produce rice meeting the EU’s rigorous inspection procedures, while preserving its natural taste.”

In addition, Vinaseed has also purchased an 800ha forest in Kien Giang’s Hon Dat district. The company will spend 3-4 years on preparing the land for agricultural use.

According to statistics from the Ministry of Planning and Investment, Vietnam’s rice exports to the EU reached over $1.2 million in August, up 93.5 per cent against July and 35.6 per cent on-year. Currently, many Vietnamese rice producers are negotiating new contracts with European partners.

While these efforts show the hard work of domestic companies in trying to raise their exports to the EU, it will remains tough to conquer the market for some time.

Quach The Phong, co-chair of the Food, Agri, and Aqua Business Sector Committee under EuroCham, said that rice and products thereof are a sensitive category in the EVFTA. The agreed export quota from Vietnam to the EU is set at 80,000 tonnes per year, including all types of rice. For comparison, in 2018 Vietnam exported only around 20,000 tonnes to the EU.

The EVFTA only helps with a fraction of the Vietnam’s total export volume, which is expected to reach 7 million tonnes this year. In the short-term, it is expected that there will be a positive price impact for the country’s rice exports. However, over the medium and long term, benefits include many aspects for improving technology transfer and trusts for a larger quota.

In addition to consumption rates, Vietnamese rice is facing tough competition from Thailand and Cambodia. Between September 2019 and March, the EU imported 30 per cent of its rice from Thailand and 27 per cent from Cambodia as well as 16 per cent from Pakistan, 15 per cent from India, and only 6 per cent from Vietnam, according to a report by the European Commission in April.

“Even though Vietnamese rice has advantages in terms of pricing, it is still difficult to change the consumption habits of European customers, which is likely to pose obstacles for local producers to fully take advantage of the EVFTA,” Binh said.

On the same note, Phong added that some firms able to export to the EU will have opportunities to strengthen their production locally as well as to understand and further adapt to EU standards as both the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) and the Ministry of Industry and Trade are closely observing and regulating the export process to follow commitments.

“With the help of government bodies here, this can become a reality to improve the entire rice export industry. This initiative is also important since the MARD has identified that a value-based export direction for rice will be the future for Vietnam, rather than a volume-based one,” Phong stated. VIR

Thanh Van

Since March 20, the 7-day moving average of new COVID-19 cases in the country has consistently remained higher compared with the previous 7-day moving average, according to data of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The current 7-day moving average of daily new cases stands at 67,530 cases, up around 6 percent from the previous seven days.

Meanwhile, new COVID-19 hospitalizations also went up 7.3 percent from the previous 7-day period, according to the CDC.

As of April 10, the United States had recorded more than 21,000 infection cases of coronavirus variants, according to the latest data of the CDC.

Among those variants cases, 20,915 cases were caused by the variant known as B.1.1.7, which was originally detected in Britain.

There were 453 cases of a new strain initially discovered in South Africa, called B.1.351, and 497 cases of the P.1 strain first discovered in Brazil.

In addition, the B.1.427 and B.1.429 variants, two coronavirus strains first detected in the US state of California, are also being closely monitored by the CDC.

The five coronavirus strains are currently classified by the CDC as “variants of concern,” as evidence shows that they have a stronger transmissibility, increase hospitalizations or deaths, and reduce effectiveness of treatments or vaccines.

B.1.1.7 is the most common variant circulating in the United States and has been reported in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, while variants P.1 and B.1.351 are relatively less, according to the CDC.

Even as the country picks up its COVID-19 vaccination pace, the coronavirus variants are spreading rapidly, and health experts warn the variants infections could potentially stall the nation’s recovery from the pandemic.

The number of new deaths increased for the fourth consecutive week, increasing by seven percent compared to last week, with over 76,000 new deaths reported, according to the WHO.

The outbreak was especially violent in India as the country reported 873,296 new cases, an increase of 70 percent compared to last week. It also saw the number of new deaths growing by 51 percent. The United States came the second with a five percent increase of 468,395 new cases; and Brazil listed the third with a rise of 463,092 new cases.

In terms of global COVID-19 new deaths, the South-Asia, Southeast Asia and Western Pacific region saw sharp surges with the Western Pacific displaying an increase of 189 percent in number, the Philippines leading with the grim record of 1,321 new deaths, 400 percent more than last week.

Furthermore, new virus variants continue to spread to other countries, with the variant B117 first identified in the UK reported in 132 countries, the variant B 1351 originating from South Africa present in 82 countries, and the P1 first identified in Brazil now established in 52 countries.

The WHO also noted that existing vaccines have displayed reduced efficacy against variants, even if the related studies remained limited in number.

As an example, the AstraZeneca vaccine saw reduction in post-vaccine neutralization for variant B117, while it saw “substantial reduction” for the variant originating from South Africa.

Studies also reported “evidence of more substantial reduction” in post-vaccine neutralization of the variant first found in Brazil for AstraZeneca, Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines.

Earlier this week, the WHO stressed that measures such as wearing masks and hand hygiene were still important as “we are in a critical point of the pandemic right now.”.

Top Thai Brands 2018 attracted 210 Thai firms to explore business opportuntities in Vietnam

The four-day event features a great variety of quality Thai products and services and is expected to attract more visitors, including distributors and consumers alike. The expo also aims to create a business platform for both Thai and Vietnamese enterprises to expand their networks and develop partnerships.

Typical products from Thailand include home appliances, automobile and motorcycle parts and components, food and beverage, health and well-being, cosmetics, as well as pet related products. It also covers service sectors, including education, tourism, franchise, and restaurant.

Ureerat Ratanaprukse, the Thai consul general in Ho Chi Minh City, said, “After the Prime Minister of Vietnam’s official visit to Thailand in August last year, bilateral relations between Thailand and Vietnam have gained significant momentum, especially in the economic aspect.”

“Two-way trade volume reached $15 billion, with $9.3 billion of registered capital. This reflects the confidence of the Thai private sector in Vietnam’s vibrant economy,” she added.

Building upon our robust economic cooperation, Top Thai Brands further accentuates the global trend where “branding” holds added-value to the products and also widens opportunities for small- and medium-sized enterprises to grow.

The event not only creates business opportunities for the Thai private sector but also provides access for Vietnamese parties to top quality Thai products at reasonable prices, thus contributing to mutual benefits and partnerships between Thai and Vietnamese entrepreneurs.

Top Thai Brands 2018 is taking place from May 10 to 15 at Saigon Exhibition and Convention Centre in District 7. The exhibition is being organised by the Thai Trade Centre in Ho Chi Minh City in collaboration with Vietnam National Trade Fair & Advertising Company.

By Thanh Van