Few punished for child abuse

Parental awareness of child sexual abuse and its consequences is very low, especially in rural areas, Ngo Thanh Thuan of the Can Tho Family Planning Association, said at a seminar yesterday in HCM City.

At the conference on child labour and sexual abuse, Thuan said that many parents were afraid to accuse offenders, who are often neighbours or relatives.

Young children were sometimes threatened by offenders, she said, adding that they did not understand the issue and were afraid to speak to the parents about abuse.

In rural areas, children in families with financial difficulties who leave for bigger cities to earn money are at a high risk of sexual abuse.

According to the Ministry of Public Security, there were 1,000 sexual abuse cases each year from 2006 to 2011, of which 65.9 per cent were rape cases.

In HCM City, 355 children were abused between December 2010 and May 2013. Of those, six victims were children under six years old.

Thuan said that sexually explicit videos on the internet and the profusion of smartphones contributed to child sexual abuse.

Pham Thi Kim Yen of Vinh Long Province's Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs said that many children make friends through the internet and social media like Facebook, and parents know little about their private online life.

The conference was part of a project to enhance the enforcement of children and teenagers' rights, carried out by the non-governmental organisation Tuong Lai Centre for Health Education and Community Development.

The NGO is sponsorsed by the Justice Initiatives Facilitation Fund, a joint programme between the governments of Viet Nam, Denmark, Sweden and the EU to support justice-sector reform in Viet Nam.

Bac Ninh to get free wi-fi in public areas

People will get free wi-fi Internet access at governmental offices, public places and tourism destinations in the northern province of Bac Ninh from December 31.

It is part of a project passed by its People's Committee on June 11 to have wi-fi in the province.

The Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications (VNPT) will invest nearly VND10 billion (over US$476,000) in building technological infrastructure and installing equipments as well as providing training courses for staff and managing the project in the province.

The People's Committee also said it would support VND150 million (over $7,000) per month to maintain the service for five years.

According to the project, there will be 50 spots covered with wi-fi, including 16 outdoors places installed with free signals. At the remaining places, users will get cards to access the Internet.

People, who access government and provincial portals in the area covered by wi-fi, will get it free.

VNPT Bac Ninh will give 600 free accounts to access the Internet with cards worth from VND100,000 ($4.76) to VND300,000 ($14.28) per month for some agencies and tourist groups to enhance information technology applications and boost tourism. Bac Ninh is expected to be the sixth tourism destination in Viet Nam providing free wi-fi, after Hoi An, Da Nang, Hue, Ha Long and Tam Dao.

Microsoft hosts ‘cloud' workshop

The Ministry of Information and Communications, in collaboration with Microsoft, organised a workshop on openness and cloud computing for creating an open, flexible and secure e-governance cloud platform.

In line with new trends in global IT, Viet Nam understands that cloud computing helps to save the state budget, improve the IT performance and accelerate innovation of the bureaucracy. This is also considered a foundation for Viet Nam to continue implementing large systems of e-governance on a national scale, which includes a database, an email system and an integrated e-document exchange system.

G-Cloud solution will facilitate information exchange between management agencies, and between public service agencies and citizens. This, consequently, will shorten service time, save costs and make the process more transparent.

At the deployment, in a "government cloud", ministries and department can interact and share cloud infrastructure to enhance management and administration performance while being secure at the highest level.

Poor households to receive telecom subsidies

Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Bac Son said the ministry would conduct new regulations on subsidised telecom charges for poor households this year.

The northern Hoa Binh Province is one of the first poor provinces that wants financial assistance from the Government to develop telecom broadband services, and ensure broadband internet access for locals in remote areas and disadvantaged regions.

In a meeting with Minister Son, Hoa Binh province representatives said only some 68 out of 210 communes in the province have broadband services.

Many locals have no access to broadband service due to the complicated terrain.

Those living in communes with economic difficulties, along with those living in 23 communes near the Da river reservoir also have no broadband services.

K+ announces full World Cup coverage

K+ has announced early this week that all K+ subscribers will be able to enjoy all 64 football matches of 2014 FIFA World Cup.

In addition, K+ is also launching a special promotion programme for football fans in harmony with the atmosphere of the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

TV viewers may choose to watch football matches live on K+1 and K+PM or on VTV's channels including VTV3 and VTV6.

Cham Island to be linked to the national power grid

The central city of Da Nang and Electricity of Viet Nam (EVN) planned to connect the Cham Islands to the national power grid this year, according to vice chairman of the city's People's Committee, Nguyen Van Dung.

The project will supply power to 3,000 islanders based 18km off the coast of Hoi An, and help to boost tourism.

"We have been in discussions with EVN and looking for investment from the State Budget to fund the VND390 billion (US$18.6 million) project. EVN will provide 15 per cent of the investment capital, while the remaining funds will come from Quang Nam Province," Dung said.

"The project will provide power for local islanders 24 hours a day and limit emissions from diesel-driven generators on the island, which has been recognised as a world biosphere reserve by UNESCO," Dung said.

According to deputy head of the city People's Committee's economic affairs bureau, Do Dinh Pho, islanders currently used power from diesel generators for seven hours per day, while renewable energy sources were falling short of demand.

"The island has built a solar power station with a 28KW capacity that supplies 100 households in Bai Huong Commune. The VND6 billion  project, which was sponsored by SIDA (Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency), was built in 2010, but is unreliable due to lack of sunlight," Pho said.

"Wind power is also an option, but turbines are only able to power single households with a limited supply," he said.

Pho added islanders have to pay VND4,500 per kilowatt for the diesel power source, while the State Budget subsidized VND2.4 billion  for the price every year.

Meanwhile, a multi-fuel generator project designed to provide power from wind, solar and diesel is still incomplete.

Last year, the island was given access to fresh water for the first time when an 80,000-cubic-metre reservoir was built to provide fresh water for the island and its eight surrounding islets.

Local authorities are also piloting a solar-powered seawater filtration system which, if successful, will provide more freshwater to local peoples.

The city's vice chairman said that environmentally friendly technology solutions such as wind power and solar energy were the area's top priority.

Cham Island was recognised as a world biosphere reserve by UNESCO in 2009. It welcomes around 100,000 tourists annually, 10 per cent of whom are foreigners.

US$40,000 award for rotavirus vaccine research

A series of research projects carried out on the rotavirus infection and the development of a more effective vaccine in Vietnam has won the Bao Son Award 2013 for scientific excellence, along with an award of US$40,000.

An award ceremony was held by Hanoi National University and Bao Son Group in Hanoi on June 14.

The success of the study has brought Vietnam to become the second Asian nation and one of the four countries in the world which can produce vaccine to prevent diarrhea due to rotavirus.

Especially, the production of rotavirus vaccine has helped Vietnam reduce the number of fatalities  by  up to 5,300 – 6,800 each year for children under five and saved US$5.3 million of health check-up costs due to rotavirus.

The study has been conducted by Associate Prof. Dr Le Thi Luan and a group of researchers from the Centre for Research and Production of Vaccines and Biologicals.

Launched since 2011, the Bao Son Award aims to honor  excellent projects of high scientific value and practical application which contribute to national development.

Three scientific projects have been honoured with this award so far totaling US$80,000. The Bao Son Award 2014 will be launched next month.

Cardiovascular intervention discussed in Khanh Hoa

As many as 800 leading domestic and foreign cardiovascular experts are attending the 4th scientific conference on cardiovascular intervention which opened in Nha Trang, central Khanh Hoa province on June 14.

Ass. Prof. Dr Vo Thanh Nhan, Chairman of HCM City’s  Cardiovascular Intervention Association said that the content of this conference is based on scientific criteria, and advanced practice, adding that it consists a number of plenary sessions and related workshops focusing on all aspects of acute heart and vascular care.

In particular, at the event, cardiovascular experts are demonstrating the tricks of the profession and applied advanced techniques on five patients in Khanh Hoa General Hospital via an advanced video conferencing system.

A series of reports on the latest research on the treatment of cardiovascular diseases will also be introduced by Vietnamese and foreign experts coming from France, Japan, Australia, Ho Chi Minh city, Can Tho and Hanoi.

The conference runs until June 15.

Central region faces big challenges in erasing leprosy

The central region, particularly the Central Highlands, is facing big challenges in further reduce the incidence of leprosy, a conference heard on June 13.

Hundreds of researchers and doctors attended the 17th Dermatology Conference of Central-Central Highlands region held in the central province of Binh Dinh.

According to reports at the event, the average annual detection rate of leprosy cases in the central region has been kept at under 1 per 100,000 since 2005, but the rate is higher in several Central Highlands provinces. Kon Tum recorded the highest rate of 2.79 per 100,000, followed by Gia Lai with 2.04 per 100,000. Most newly-discovered leprosy cases are in remote mountainous areas. In particular, the number of child patients of this disease in the first five months of this year increased by 3.17 percent compared to the same period last year.

Regional doctors blamed the situation on a lack of dermatologists at district and communal clinics, while local people have little knowledge of the disease, which keeps them from receiving prompt diagnosis and treatment.

They also voiced concern about the appearance of some rare skin diseases in the region.

Participants agreed on the need to increase training for local medical workers and expand educational campaigns on leprosy in remote areas, while focusing efforts on detecting new cases and preventing the spread of infection.

Vietnam is implementing a national programme of action with the aim of eradicating leprosy by 2015.

Mekong Delta seeks to better protect submerged inland region

A forum held in Tan An city, Long An province, on June 13 discussed the promotion of environmental protection and biodiversity in submerged inland eco-system areas in the Mekong Delta.

Held by the World Wildlife Fund, the event brought together a crowd of domestic and foreign experts who discussed improving sustainable livelihood models in the region.

Participants discussed regional planning and the management of aquaculture resources, while proposing plans to build and perform regional strategies in the above-mentioned fields.

Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Bui Cach Tuyen urged relevant ministries and sectors and the regional localities to raise public awareness about using sustainably ecological services in submerged areas to conserve biodiversity and adapt to climate change.

He also stressed the need to conduct investigations and gather statistics on natural resources, especially biological ones, in submerged areas in the region.

The regional localities should foster international links in the environmental field and effectively use foreign assistances to protect biodiversity, Tuyen suggested.

The Mekong Delta region, with about 3.9 million ha of submerged area, is the largest plain in Vietnam, and is home to over 17 million people.

The region’s food output accounts for over 50 percent of the entire country, and 90 percent of Vietnam’s total rice production for export. Large aquaculture zones are also located here, helping the country become one of the biggest aquatic product exporters in the world.

Vietnam, Italy agree to further boost labour cooperation

Vietnam and Italy have agreed to increase delegation exchanges and the sharing of experience to further strengthen bilateral labour cooperation, especially in sustainable job generation and migrant labour management.

The two sides reached the consensus at a June 13 working session between a visiting delegation of the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs and its Italian counterpart in Rome.

They also agreed to prioritise their labour cooperation in the coming time and pledged to work more closely with each other at international forums such as the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) and the International Labour Organisation (ILO).

Vietnam always wishes to learn from other nations’ experience in creating sustainable jobs and managing migrant workers, Minister Pham Thi Hai Chuyen said.

The Italian side, led by Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Policies Franca Biondelli, introduced the Vietnamese delegation its Public-Private Partnership vocational training model and policies as well as experience in labour market management.

Chuyen informed the host of the latest developments in the East Sea, stating China’s illegal placement of the oil rig Haiyang Shiyou-981 and its provocative acts in Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf have been seriously affecting Vietnamese fishermen’s regular activities in the country’s waters.

Vietnamese students honoured at Russian Olympiad awards

Five Vietnamese students walked away with honours at the 13th Russian Olympiad which was wrapped up in Moscow on June 11.

First prize in public speaking went to Nguyen Thi Minh Nguyet, an 11th grader from Nam Dinh-based Le Hong Phong high school. She was also presented a certificate of merit for the best answer in the “Reading Comprehension” category.  

Another 11th grader Nghiem Ba Tri from Hanoi-Amsterdam high school swept the poetry reading and general examination categories with two first prizes.

The six-day gruelling contest attracted over 200 students from 29 countries around the globe competing in an array of educational categories including lectures on western topics, Russian pronunciation, young speaker and young poetry reader.

Sanitation workers hold their breath

HCM City authority has demanded agencies pay for their sanitation services so that thousands of sanitation workers in the city can get their wages.

The request was made after the HCM City Urban Environment One Member Co, Ltd (CITENCO) sent a petition to the committee and the city's Department of Natural Resources and Environment about its contracts for supplying sanitation services.

CITENCO and the department have signed a contract to provide basic services such as collecting and dumping garbage.

In the past five months, the company has provided services worth more than VND300 billion (US$14.2 million). However, it has not received any payments.

The delay has seriously affected the enterprise and at least 1,800 sanitation workers have not been paid for five months.

The department said that legal procedures were holding up payments.It said it had not yet been authorised to sign the contract with the company. Thus, there was no legal basis for the department to pay the costs.

To solve the problem, the municipal People's Commmittee deputy chairman Nguyen Huu Tin has agreed to authorise the department to sign the contract with the company.

He also asked the department to hire an experienced consultancy unit to bid for collecting and transporting garbage from 2015-20.

Currently, about 7,500 tonnes of garbage is produced in HCM City daily.

Viet Nam Railways has decided to stop charging people who want to enter train stations to pick up or see off their relatives and friends.

The move, directed by Transport Minister Dinh La Thang in a recent meeting with Viet Nam Railways, aims to improve customer services in the railways sector.

Following the decision, people will be issued free passes when they want to enter a train station to pick up or see off relatives or friends.

The incident that triggered the change occurred on May 25, when a man at Ha Noi Train Station tried to purchase three tickets to get into the station for VND2,000 (9 cents) each.

He attempted to pay the vendor with a VND20,000 (US$1) note, but was rudely told to go and find smaller currency. This led to the man sending a text message to Minister Thang to report the case, and the ticket vendor was subsequently disciplined.

Viet Nam Railways has instructed train stations to set up 24 hour hotlines to deal with customer complaints.

Train station staff have also been asked to sign a commitment to treat customers politely

Streptoccoccus suis kills 58-year-old man

The Preventive Health Centre in central Thua Thien-Hue Province has announced the first human fatality caused by a new case of Streptococcus suis bacteria that affects pigs.

The 58-year-old resident, who lived in the province's Huong Toan Commune, died three hours after being hospitalised at the local Hue Central Hospital, after showing severe symptoms, including heart irregularities. He was the seventh person infected with Streptococcus suis.

Last year, a total number of 16 people in the province became infected with S. suis.

Three suspects arrested for looting assets in Formosa

Police from the central Ha Tinh Province's Duc Tho District have remanded into custody Dang Anh Hung, 23, for looting assets on May 14.

Hung admitted to the police that he took advantage of a social disorder on May 14 to steal the assets from Hung Nghiep Formosa Ha Tinh Co Ltd in the Vung Ang Economic Zone.

Previously, the police found in Hung's house two laptops, a camcorder, a DVD player and mini loudspeakers, as well as two universal serial buses.

Police from the province's Cam Xuyen District today arrested Trinh Xuan Canh, 32, and Nguyen Huu An, 30, for looting assets from Formosa project invested by Taiwan (China).

The police also seized a 200-metre electric wire and a Panasonic welding machine from the two suspects.

On May 14, a parade in the economic zone opposing China's illegal placement of a drilling rig in Viet Nam's exclusive economic zone turned into a clash with foreign experts and workers at the project.

Some people took advantage of the situation to set fire to the houses of foreign workers and stole the company's assets.

Gov't calls for tests on truck drivers

The Government Office has released a notification requesting the increased supervision and check-up on the health of truck drivers.

According to notification No. 4047, the number of traffic accidents from the beginning of the year until now has decreased against the same period last year. However, it remained a "worry" as the number of traffic accidents were still on the higher side.

It also said that many accidents occurred due to the driver's stressed mental condition, or loss of control at the wheel.

Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, who is also chairman of the National Traffic Safety Committee, requested chairmen of local People's Committees and heads of local Traffic Safety Committees, to urgently direct relevant State agencies to complete the health examination of truck drivers within their areas of responsibilities.

They have also been requested to report to the National Traffic Safety Committee and the Transport Ministry before July 15.

The Deputy PM also said cities and provinces that had failed to organise health examinations for truck drivers needed to immediately start the work.

The Ministry of Health was requested to urgently develop and issue a decree stipulating the health standards for truck drivers, and regulations for the alcohol test on drivers of public vehicles. It was requested to complete the task within the third quarter of the year.

The Ministry of Transport was requested to co-operate with the Health Ministry, to step up inspection and supervision over the health examination for truck drivers, including conducting surprise examinations and repeated checks to ensure strict action against health clinics that granted health certificates illegally.

The Ministry of Information and Communications was asked to direct the media to continue their coverage of traffic safety issues and raise public awareness. — VNS

Summer heats up rabies threat

With the onset of hot weather, the country faces a high risk of rabies though this year the number of fatalities has come down by almost half to 22, according to the Preventive Medicine Department.

Of the deaths this year, 19 occurred in northern Viet Nam, with the others concentrated in the central region.

Last year, 99 of the 261,000 people who were bitten died.

Figures from the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology show that Viet Nam edged closer to eradicating rabies deaths in 2003 when the figure declined to 34 deaths, down from 410 in 1995. However, the number of deaths has since surged, jumping to 131 in 2007, 110 in 2011, and 98 in 2012.

Tran Dac Phu, the department's head, said rabies claims the most lives of any infectious disease in the country, killing on average100 people per year. More than 90 per cent of rabies cases had been linked to dogs, he said, warning that unvaccinated dogs were spreading the disease.

He explained that most of the fatalities were occurring in northern provinces and cities due to the low rate of animal vaccinations.

Last year, only 46 per cent of pet animals had been vaccinated against rabies.

Nguyen Trung Cap, deputy head of emergency at the Ha Noi-based National Hospital for Tropical Diseases, said most rabies-infected people were being brought in for treatment late, after contracting the disease.

People who are bitten on the face or neck should get the vaccine within 12 hours, he added.

Associate Professor Dr Tran Nhu Duong, deputy head of the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, warned that the hot and humid conditions between May and August would be conducive to the development of the virus.

Rabid dogs were visibly more aggressive and more eager to bite people than normal dogs, he said.

The high risk of a rabies outbreak was also being aided by people allowing their pets to wander outside their homes un-muzzled, heightening the risk of the disease spreading among cats and humans, he said.

If bitten by a dog or a cat, people should use water or soap to clean the wound, decontaminate it with 45-70 per cent alcohol, and go to the nearest health centre to receive the vaccination, he added.

Illegal elephant tusk seized in Kon Tum

Local border soldiers in the Central Highlands province of Kon Tum yesterday seized nearly 14 kilogrammes of elephant tusk while it was being smuggled through the area.

Hoang Dang Bao, head of the Bo Y International Border Guard Station, said the man smuggling the tusk, A Chap, 30, was a resident of the village. Chap said he had brought the illegal ivory in from Laos and stored at his house while he sought out customers.

The estimated value of the ivory is about VND1 billion (US$47,000).

Ten tonnes of chicken seized in Quang Binh

Police seized about 10 tonnes of chicken being transported on a truck in central Quang Binh Province's Quang Xuan Commune.

The origin of the frozen chicken could not be verified and the haul was being taken from Ha Noi to central Da Nang City for consumption.

Ho Quoc Khanh, the truck's driver, said he had been hired by a woman in northern Hai Phong City to transport the poultry. Khanh later failed to present papers verifying the origin of the meat.

The case is under investigation.

Overloading regulations get blame for slow flow of goods

The tightened controls on overloaded trucks, enforced by the Transport Ministry since April, has been blamed for the increase of goods unloaded at ports in the northern city of Hai Phong.

At Dinh Vu Port, there are now 12,000 containers being stored, which is one-and-a-half times higher than usual. This has resulted in a shortage of space, making it difficult for the port to receive additional shipments. Other ports, including Hong Dieu, Vat Cach, Le Quoc, Duy Linh and Tien Manh, report having similar storage problems for the past two months.

President of Hai Phong Association of Road Transport Companies, Le Van Tien, said that since the ministry tightened controls over the loading of trucks on the nation's roads, as many as 60 per cent of container trucks belonging to local firms are no longer qualified to carry containers.

"Most of the trucks were registered to carry much less weight than the load of containers," he said.

In order to have the trucks lawfully run on the roads, transport firms had to shift to using other trucks or arrange for trucks that were suitable for the goods they were carrying, Tien said.

He said that investment to comply with these changes has been difficult for the firms because most face shortages of funds and suffer from increased fees and fuel costs.

"A road map is needed for the firms to adapt," he said, implying that the ministry's overloaded truck regulations have been carried out too quickly.

Hoang Minh Tuan, president of northern Lao Cai Province's Enterprises Association, said that the tightened controls over trucks pushed up transportation costs and that both goods owners and transport firms were waiting to see if the April regulation was strictly enforced.

In the past, the Transport Ministry paid improper attention to truck loading, leading to the large increase in overloaded trucks traveling on roads – which is blamed for causing damage to the nation's roads.

Deputy director of Hai Phong Transport Department Nguyen Duc Tho said that his office asked the Transport Ministry to upgrade loading and unloading systems at inland water ports and railway stations in the city to reduce the burden on road transportation.

The city also urged the improvement and construction of railways that linked the major sea ports.

Tho said that municipal authorities asked port operators to make full use of their capacity in transferring goods.

"Goods owners will be fined if they have their goods remaining at the ports for excessive periods," he said.

Port operators were encouraged to help goods owners and transport firms with transport costs so that goods could be moved out of the ports as soon as possible, Tho said.

HCM City districts support new rural areas

People's Committees of District 5, District 12 and Tan Phu in HCM City yesterday signed support agreements with the Hoc Mon District People's Committee to help the later's communes implement new rural area programme in 2014-15.

Under the support agreement between District 5 and Hoc Mon, District 5 supports Xuan Thoi Dong, Ba Diem and Thoi Tam Thon communes.

Meanwhile District 12 helps Dong Thanh and Xuan Thoi Thuong communes. Tan Phu helps Nhi Binh, Tan Xuan and Xuan Thoi Son communes.

The three districts will spend a total of VND2.1 billion (US$100,000) to support the eight communes building new houses and repairing dilapidated houses for the poor, providing scholarships for poor students, health insurance cards for the poor and monthly allowance for the poor.

Tan Phu, for example, will help build four new houses worth a total of VND160 million, repair eight dilapidated houses at a cost of VND160 million, provide monthly allowances for eight poor households worth a total of VND24 million, provide 21 scholarships worth a total of VND24.8 million and 29 health insurance cards. On May 19, District 6 signed a support agreement with Hoc Mon to support Tan Thoi Nhi and Tan Hiep communes in building new rural programme. District 6 will spend about VND680 million to support Tan Thoi Nhi and Tan Hiep communes.

The support agreements are under the City Party Committee's policy of supporting communes that participate in new rural area programmes.

In 2010-13, Hoc Mon's first commune - Xuan Thoi Thuong - was selected to implement in the national new rural programme. The commune has fulfilled all 19 criteria set under the programme, which include proper transportation and irrigation facilities, housing development, poverty alleviation, environmental protection and social and political stability.

In 2013-15, Hoc Mon has implemented the new rural area programme in other nine communes which now achieve from 10 to 15 of the 19 criteria.

Hoc Mon has 11 communes and Hoc Mon Town. Trung Chanh Commune and Hoc Mon Town do not implement the new rural area programme and are developed into civilised urban areas.

HCM City expands horticulture

Farmers in suburban districts like Binh Chanh, Thu Duc, Cu Chi and Hoc Mon are abandoning traditional crops to grow flowers and ornamental plants to earn a higher income.

Farmer Nguyen Van Lu of Cu Chi District's Tan Thong Hoi village, for example, started his orchid garden five years ago after losing money cultivating rice.

Lu said the land in his village was unfavourable for rice cultivation as it was often flooded in the rainy season.

He and his neighbours have for years tried to find appropriate crops that would bring them good income.

Lu took a free training course, and then grew orchids and earned VND1billion (US$ 47,390) a year on one hectare.

Dendrobium, Mokara and Vanda are popular orchids planted in HCM City.

Nguyen Van Trong in Go Vap District's Ward 12 grows hoa dong tien (gerbera) and earns VND500 million a year.

HCM City plans to expand cultivation areas for flower and ornamental trees to 2,130ha this year, up from last year's 2,090ha, of which 780ha will be for orchids and mai apricot plants that are popular during Tet (Lunar New Year), according to the city's Agriculture and Rural Development Department.

The soil and climate of the city are suitable for flowers and ornamental tree cultivation, officials from the department said.

In 2006, the city had only 1,115 ha of flowers and ornamental trees.

The city's Biotechnology Centre each year opens many classes to offer instruction in hi-tech cultivation and grafting methods to farmers to help them reduce investment costs and increase production.

The centre plans to import several new species of orchids from other countries this year.

The city in recent years has offered bank loans with preferential interest rates to farmers involved in flowers and ornamental tree cultivation.

Last year, 213 farmers received bank loans totalling more than VND300billion (US$14.2million).

VNN/VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/ND