National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan has called on relevant State agencies to fine-tune regulations on projects under build-operate-transfer (BOT) contracts as a number of ill-implemented projects have caused public protest.

On the afternoon of August 17, the PPC held an emergency meeting to summarize the work of natural disaster prevention and search, rescue in the first 7 months as well as direct the task of the rest months of 2017.

The Southern Vietnam Engine and Agricultural Machinery Co. Ltd (SVEAM) said it will invest efforts in improving product quality so as to export more Vietnam-branded agricultural machinery.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development held a conference in the Central Highlands city of Da Lat, on August 14, to discuss the development of high-tech agriculture in Lam Dong province.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade has announced it is preparing to review 30 years of foreign direct investment (FDI) attraction in Vietnam.

There remains considerable potential for Vietnam to export rice to Singapore, according to a Vietnamese delegation which visited Singapore in early August to seek ways to boost the shipment of agricultural products to this country.

The Mekong Delta province of Tra Vinh has licensed Hudavil Tra Vinh fertiliser joint stock company to build a plant producing organic-microbial and organic-mineral fertilisers from sugar press mud.

The MARD coordinated with the Lang Son Provincial People's Committee to organise a forum in the northern border province of Lang Son on August 11, to discuss the necessary measures to promote vegetable and fruit trade between Vietnam and China.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has approved a project on improving the competitiveness of Vietnam's exports to 2020 with orientation to 2030, with the aim of increasingthe added value of key products by 20 percent.

Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Phung Quoc Hien expressed his concern regarding a lack of funds for transport projects in the 2016-2020 period, at a working session with the Ministry of Transport, in Hanoi on August 8.

The total retail sales value of goods and services in July was estimated at more than VND 327.6 trillion (US$14.4 billion), 1.2% higher than last month and 10.3% higher than at the same period last year.

Vegetables and fruit continue to be a bright spot in the field of agricultural exports during the first seven months of 2017.

The Prime Minister has recently approved a project on improving the competitiveness of a number of key Vietnamese export commodities by 2020 with a vision to 2030.

Information from the Vietnam Competition Authority revealed that the US Department of Commerce (DOC) has announced its decision to adjust the antidumping duty on Vietnamese shrimp exported to the country, between February 1, 2013 and January 31, 2014, from 1.16% to 1.42%.

According to the Department of Culture, Sport and Tourism, Tien Giang greeted nearly 997.8 million tourist arrivals in the first seven months of 2017, a year-on-year rise of 7%.

On Agust 2, Chairman of the Tien Giang provincial People's Committee (PPC) Le Van Huong and leaders of some provincial departments worked with Nam of London Co., Ltd and Royal Foods Co., Ltd (in My Tho Industrial Park).

Vietnam is expected to become the EU's largest trade partner in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), once the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) comes into effect in 2018, according to the Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh.

Mekong Delta provinces are on the right track to lure more holidaymakers and turn tourism into a spearhead industry after Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc approved a master plan to develop tourism in the region by 2020 with a vision to 2030.

Vietnam has seen 72,953 newly-established enterprises in the first seven months of this year with a total registered capital of VND690.74 trillion (US$30.39 billion), an annual increase of 13.8% in terms of the number of enterprises and 39% in terms of registered capital.

Vietnam's export turnover of aquatic products was estimated at US$727 million in July, raising the total in the first seven months of this year to US$4.3 billion, up 17.5% annually, reported the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh held a working session with the Steering Committee for the Southwest Region in Can Tho city to review the committee's performance in the first half of 2017.

The national consumer price index (CPI) in July rose by 0.11% compared to the previous month, the lowest increase in the July CPI over the past five years, according to the General Statistics Office (GSO).

On the afternoon of July 27, Deputy Chairman of the Tien Giang provincial People's Committee (PPC) worked with the delegation of Mobifone Telecom Corporation led by General Director Cao Duy Hai.

Vietnamese firms have won deals to supply 175,000 tonnes of rice to the Philippines at a tender on July 25, according to the Vietnam Food Association (VFA).

The fifth Vietnam Farm and Food Expo 2017 and Agritech Vietnam 2017 opened in Ho Chi Minh City on July 26, offering an opportunity for agricultural firms to introduce and promote their products and form production-supply chains.

The PPC has just held a meeting with the delegation of Japanese consultant companies on July 21 led by Chief Representative cum Director of JETRO office in Ho Chi Minh city Takimoto Koji.

Vietnam's fruit and vegetable exports reached approximately US$1.85 billion as of July 15, triggering hopes that the figure for the whole year will surpass US$3 billion, for the first time ever.

Vietnam wastes at least 23 trillion VND (1 billion USD) annually on fertilisation, experts said and called for replacement of conventional fertiliser with more hi-tech products.

The agricultural sector will aim for a GDP growth rate of between 3 – 3.1 percent and total export value of agro-forestry-fisheries at 34 – 35 billion USD in 2018.

Vietnam exported nearly 2.66 million tonnes of rice in the first half this year with free-on-board value of 1.65 billion USD, reported the Vietnam Food Association.

Continuous heavy rain has drenched part of the Mekong Delta and flattened vast summer autumn rice area in some provinces, slowing harvest and posing a danger of loss for local farmers.

Pig prices in the southern province of Dong Nai, one of the largest breeding provinces in Vietnam, has suddenly increased by VND15,000-20,000 a kilogram over ten days back to VND38,000-45,000 for the last couple of days.

According to Tien Giang Department of Planning and Investment, in the first 6 months of 2017, Tien Giang's economic growth rate (GRDP) increased by 9.6%, ranking the second in 13 provinces in the Mekong Delta region.

Several Vietnamese firms will participate in the 7th Organic and Natural Exhibition (ONE 2017), slated to be held at Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre in Bangkok from July 27 to 30.

The fisheries sector needs to clear barriers for tra fish in the US, the European Union (EU) and China, said Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Vu Van Tam.

Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue has highlighted the guideline of creating favourable conditions for businesses and reducing the proportion of specialised inspections from 30% currently to 15%.

On July 12, the delegation of the Tien Giang provincial People's Committee has just worked with Long Giang Industrial Park Development Co., Ltd as the investor of Long Giang Industrial Park.

The index of industrial production (IIP) in the first six months of this year was reported at a year-on-year increase of 6.2%, with the majority of industrial production sectors demonstrating high growth.

On July 12, Indian Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish and Consul General in Ho Chi Minh city Smita Pant visited and worked at the Southern Fruit Institute.

Vietnamese exports may surge by up to 11% in 2017 to an estimated US$195 billion, exceeding the government growth target of 6-7%, according a projection released by the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT).

According to the General Statistics Office, the growth rate of Vietnam's economy rose to 6.17% in the second quarter even higher than that experienced in the first quarter (5.15%).

If the shrimp industry does not change it will be unable to export and will also need to be rescued like its pork, dragon fruit and watermelon counterparts.

Total import-export revenue of the Mekong Delta region reached 10 billion USD in the first six months of 2017, a year-on-year rise of 11.2 percent, with 6.75 billion USD of exports, or a trade surplus of nearly 3.5 billion USD.

On July 4, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Le Van Huong inspects the reality of projects on progress in the province.

On July 4, Tien Giang provincial People's Committee deployed Decision No. 2086/QD-UBND dated 30 June 2017 by the Provincial People's Committee on the establishment of Tien Giang Investment Promotion team.

On July 3, Tien Giang provincial People's Committee Da Nang city People's Committee signed a cooperation agreement on production and consumption of safe agricultural products between two locals.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT) has recently promulgated a circular stipulating the registration and declaration of prices of dairy products and functional foods for children under the age of six.

New Zealand Ambassador to Vietnam, Wendy Matthews and representative of the New Zealand Research Institute of Plant and Food Research have visited and worked with the Southern Fruit Institute on June 29.

Tien Giang Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has just deployed the project of "To develop dragon fruit in Tien Giang province to 2025"