Local carriers increase flights in peak season

The national flag carrier Viet Nam Airlines plans to increase its number of flights by 707, or nearly 100,000 seats on 16 domestic routes, during the summer peak season. On average, 20 additional flights will be offered every day.

The local Air Mekong carrier has also increased its number of flights between Ha Noi and Phu Quoc Island to 10 flights per week; between HCM City and Con Dao to 12 flights per week; and between HCM City and Phu Quoc three flights a day. Air Mekong operates 34 flights a day; more flights will be added on weekends.

Jetstar Pacific will this month begin to add 48 more flights between Ha Noi/ HCM City and Da Nang.

Sai Gon Giai Phong (Liberated Sai Gon)

Association forecasts coffee output will drop

According to the Viet Nam Coffee and Cocoa Association, the country's coffee output in the 2012–13 season is expected to drop by 15 per cent compared to last year's season.

The decline is attributed to a rising ratio of old to new trees, with the former now taking up 35 per cent of all coffee-cultivation areas. The productivity of old coffee trees is only half of that of young coffee trees, according to the association.

Because local consumption of coffee is expected to rise between seven and 10 per cent, coffee export volume is anticipated to fall.

Thanh Nien (Young People)

Trade deficit hits US$158m in first half

According to the General Customs Department, total export-import value reached US$106.82 billion in the first half of the year, a rise of 13.9 per cent compared to the corresponding period last year.

Of the total, exports were $53.33 billion and imports $53.49 billion, an increase of 22.7 per cent and 6.3 per cent, respectively, compared to the same period last year.

The country's trade deficit was $158 million, or 0.3 per cent of total export and import value. The General Department of Statistics earlier in the year projected that the trade deficit would be $685 million for the first half of the year, or 1.3 per cent of total export-import value.

Dau Tu (Investment)

Delta province faces high water levels

Up to 5,500ha of rice from this year's summer-autumn crop has been flooded by rising water levels in rivers in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta province of Long An, according to the province's Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Sai Gon Times Daily