Agriculture and fishing
All imported raw prawns to be pulled for white spot testing; fears that prices will rise
There are fears the price of prawns is about to go “through the roof” following a decision by the Federal Government to recall all imported raw prawns. The importation of green, or uncooked, prawns into Australia was suspended in January, but prawn farmers have expressed ...
White spot in prawns the latest in biosecurity failures highlighting impact of cuts to staff, research
After a huge increase in exotic pests and diseases, Australian agriculture and environmentalists are demanding more focus on biosecurity. The past five years of failures ranges from the attacking red fire ants, banana diseases, myrtle rust and a melon disease to an exotic disease in ...
Three fish species known as ‘sea monsters’ in danger of extinction
Ca ho (Catlocarpio siamensis), vo co (Pangaius sannitwongsei) and tra dau (Pangasianodon gigas) living in the Mekong Delta are all large-size fish which can reach 300 kilos in weight and three meters in length. They are all in danger of extinction. As they have enormous ...
Opportunities exist for rice exports in high-end market
Experts believe that Vietnam should focus on producing high-quality rice instead of striving to earn money from selling low-cost rice products. Soon after Vietnam began harvesting the 2016-2017 winter-spring crop, the Thai government announced it planned to sell all its stockpiled rice – estimated at 8 ...
Illegal fishing blamed for protected turtle death
An adult female royal turtle, among 21 of the endangered species released into the wild with installed microchips and GPS transmitters in 2015, has been found dead due to illegal electrofishing in Koh Kong province’s Sre Ambel district. According to the Wildlife Conservation Society on February ...
Paddy prices rise as winter-spring crop ready for harvest
Domestic paddy prices have increased by 12 per cent as the winter-spring crop in the Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta is ready to be harvested. In An Giang Province, fresh paddy IR50404 is being sold at VNĐ4,500-4,600 per kilo, high-quality paddy VNĐ4,700-4,800, and dried high-quality paddy ...
Gov't, ministries, bankers and businesses cooperate to breed shrimp
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has decided that Vietnam should become the shrimp production base of the world. The target of exporting $10 billion worth of shrimp products by 2025 is within reach, he said. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development said it hoped the shrimp ...
Xayaboury banana farms ordered to cease operations
Five companies with banana plantations in Xayaboury province have been ordered to stop growing the fruit, but can still plant other replacement crops in compliance with regulations. Four of the companies affected are Chinese backed with banana farms located around the villages of Phonthong, Namtuan, ...
Drought fears spark warning
The government has warned people to be careful about water supplies – for people and animals as well as rice fields – due to fears of a repeat of last year’s drought. Nhem Vanda, the vice-president of the National Committee for Disaster Management, said on February ...
Government plugs rubber switch
The government is seeking intrepid smallholder farmers to pilot a project that would transform 6,000 hectares of cropland in two provinces into a patchwork of small rubber plantations. The Ministry of Agriculture is eyeing 5,000 hectares of land in Ratanakkiri and 1,000 hectares in Battambang ...
