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Tag: asia

  • Rumor in China says the U.S. will allow Qualcomm to ship 5G chips to Huawei

    Rumor in China says the U.S. will allow Qualcomm to ship 5G chips to Huawei

    Huawei consumer chief Yu Chengdong (you might know him by his Americanized name of Richard Yu) denies that the company is getting access to 5G Snapdragon chips. He calls reports that the U.S. is easing chip restrictions on Huawei inaccurate which means that unless the manufacturer releases some official news, the upcoming Mate 60 line will still be forced to use a Snapdragon chipset tweaked to work with 4G and not 5G.
    Could Huawei regain the ability to use 5G chipsets on its phones? In 2020, exactly one year to the day that the U.S. placed the company on the Entity List preventing it from accessing its U.S. supply chain, the U.S. expanded its export rules. Chip foundries using American technology to manufacture chips were not allowed to send cutting-edge silicon to Huawei. With its recent flagship models, Huawei has used Qualcomm’s Snapdragon chips tweaked so they do not work with 5G signals.
    For example, last year’s Mate 50 line and this year’s P60 series were powered by the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 although to receive 5G signals, users could purchase a specific case that supported those signals. But this all could be changing according to Huawei Central. Industry sources are saying that the U.S. has loosened its export rules to allow Qualcomm to ship 5G chips to Huawei.
    But it is all speculation until there is an official announcement from the U.S. or Huawei. Still, back in January, Qualcomm’s President, of Technology Licensing (QTL) & Global Affairs, Alex Rogers, said that the U.S. hasn’t stopped Qualcomm from selling chips to Huawei. Rogers stated, “So I don’t think it’s fair to characterize it as the latest restrictions on Huawei. What we’ve seen in our news reports the effect that Commerce is considering not issuing new licenses outweighs. And we haven’t heard anything from Commerce itself” (italics added).
    Huawei released an amazing phone last year in the Mate 50 Pro, and being limited to 4G connectivity (unless you bought the 5G case) didn’t seem to hinder sales inside China where long lines and sellouts greeted the device. Now back to its old schedule of releasing two flagship models a year (the photography-focused P series is launched in the first quarter followed by the technologically advanced Mate series in the fourth quarter), the Mate 60 line is expected to be released later in 2023.
    If the U.S. does allow Huawei to use 5G chips for the Mate 60 series, the manufacturer’s domestic rivals might sweat a little. After all, China is still the largest smartphone market in the world, and after showing that it can still make solid flagship phones even with U.S. restrictions, having one of those restrictions eased will only make Huawei more dangerous in its home market.
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  • The Apple Watch Ultra gets an automatic “eye-saving” feature in watchOS 10

    The Apple Watch Ultra gets an automatic “eye-saving” feature in watchOS 10

    The watchOS 10 update will bring widgets to the Apple Watch that will be controlled via the timepiece’s Digital Crown. And with Smart Stack, Apple Watch widgets will bundle together based on the user’s typical schedule. For example, when the Apple Watch user gets up first thing in the morning, the weather widget will be on the top of the stack. The calendar widget could be on the top of the stack when a previously recorded appointment is drawing near.

    Another cool feature that watchOS 10 will bring to the premium Apple Watch Ultra is Auto Night Mode. Using the ambient light sensor, the watch will know when light levels are low enough to automatically warrant turning on Night Mode. In Night Mode, the Apple Watch Ultra removes the blue light that negatively affects your eyes by straining them and turns the entire interface red and black to make it more visible at night and less irritating to your eyes.

    The Night Mode currently is enabled manually by swiping to Apple Watch Ultra’s Wayfinder screen which shows elevations, location coordinates, and more. With the Wayfinder face on the watch, turn the Digital Crown to turn on Night Mode and turn it the other way to turn it off. Again, with watchOS 10, the Apple Watch Ultra will use ambient light sensors to automatically determine whether to activate the feature.
    It is important to note that the Night Mode feature works only with the Wayfinder watch face on the Apple Watch Ultra so if you plan on using Night Mode manually or automatically, you are going to need to have this watch face selected for the timepiece. It isn’t known whether having Auto Night Mode enabled will be the default setting for watchOS 10 on the Apple Watch Ultra although it probably should be. That’s because enabling Night Mode in watchOS 10 on Apple’s premium smartwatch might be more of a pain since spinning the Digital Crown in that build will control the new widgets.
    To make things easier, Apple Watch Ultra users will probably want to ensure that Night Mode using the Wayfinder face is enabled if it isn’t activated by watchOS 10.
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  • Portable power stations sought after amid load shedding

    Portable power stations sought after amid load shedding

    Portable power stations have become sought-after items in northern Vietnam as unpredictable power cuts urged residents to store electricity in advance.

    Quang Minh in Hai Phong has been looking to buy a portable power station for his household, which has been experiencing load shedding of up to several hours at a time in recent weeks.

    The product that he plans to buy is made in China and sold at VND2.3 million (US$98). It can be used for many devices his family use regularly such as Wi-Fi routers, fans, rice cookers, and lamps.

    In contrast to power generators, the portable stations operate without noise and can be easily operated by both adults and children, he said.

    Users say that a station can meet a household’s basic requirement within a day.

    Vu Xuan Tung, an electronic store owner in Hanoi, said that in the past portable power stations are only bought campers, but recently many people buy them as a backup power source in case of power cuts.

    His store has been running out of power stations recently and sometimes customers have to order up to seven days in advance.

    Most stations are made in China, including some that are advertised to have a German brand. Their prices are around several million Vietnamese dong. Some high-end products can be priced more than VND10 million.

    A Facebook group of 10,000 members, which often sold battery-powered fans in the past, has changed its focus to portable power stations in recent weeks.

    Group admin Vien Duong said that power stations can be used for many devices, not just a fan, and therefore is preferred amid power cuts.

    A survey of nearly 400 readers on June 12-13 showed that around 53% were looking into buying a portable power station, while 7% had bought one.

    Northern Vientam has been experiencing frequent load shedding these days as hydropower plants were shut down due to low water levels.

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  • Bitcoin Suisse’s Profits Crash Amid Crypto Slump

    Bitcoin Suisse’s Profits Crash Amid Crypto Slump

    Bitcoin Suisse saw profits plunge in 2022, making it all the more urgent for the crypto start-up to restructure its business model. At the same time, it is bringing on prominent people to its board of directors as it sets the path to become an institution.

    Bitcoin Suisse’s operating income fell to 37 million Swiss francs from 84 million Swiss francs in 2022 from the previous year, its CEO Dirk Klee, said in an interview with finews.com, adding that trading collapsed in the face of various scandals in the crypto industry.

    The market correction also impacted Bitcoin Suisse own holdings, deposited across trading centers worldwide, which fell by around 23 million Swiss francs. «Proprietary trading» category is not proprietary trading in the conventional sense, but rather corresponds to current assets used for operational business, Klee said.

    Although the setback was also due to the large drops in the value of altcoins (alternative digital assets), Bitcoin Suisse will continue to maintain these holdings, Klee said. Admitting these were not «pretty numbers,» for Klee they show the volatility in crypto brokerage.

    Furthermore, the company can stomach the results which were expected due to the market situation. Bitcoin Suisse continues to be solidly financed and «very well prepared» for a possible upturn in the crypto industry, he added.

    Bitcoin Suisse has had to cut one in four jobs at the company since the end of 2021. Overall, the headcount has fallen from over 300 to around 220 full-time positions during this period. A major round of layoffs occurred last January, but Klee says that some measures were cushioned by natural employee turnover.

    The recent market turmoil that followed the lawsuits filed by the US Securities and Exchange Commission against leading crypto exchanges Binance and Coinbase has even led to many inquiries from customers, Klee said. «We expect that the turmoil could prove positive for solid and Swiss-based providers like us,» he added.

    Philipp Roesler, the former leader of the German Free Democratic Party (FDP), who also served as a finance minister and vice chancellor under Angela Merkel, is joining Bitcoin Suisse’s board of directors according to Klee.

    The crypto company is hoping to gain from Roesler’s international network. The 50-year-old former politician, who lives in Zurich, has a strong affinity for crypto and is active in Switzerland’s crypto scene, Klee said.

    Marco Menotti, worked for 15 years at UBS, before moving to the Swiss stock exchange SIX’s executive board in 2018. He left SIX in mid-2022 to pursue various mandates at smaller companies.

    Both Roesler and Menotti will stand for election at the annual general meeting on June 29. The Zug-based crypto broker has undoubtedly scored a coup with Roesler’s candidacy on Bitcoin Suisse’s board. However, Roesler’s candidacy is not about gathering celebrities on the board of directors – but about helping the crypto startup on its way to becoming an institution, Klee said.

    Furthermore, Roger Studer is leaving the board after a three-year term to concentrate on various other mandates. Studer headed investment banking at Zurich-based Vontobel and led a financing round for Bitcoin Suisse as an investor in 2020, before becoming an entrepreneur.

    Bitcoin Suisse is currently preparing to apply for a Swiss banking license after withdrawing its previous application in 2021. Part of these preparations include the commissioning of a crypto-compatible core banking system and strengthening of governance and compliance, Klee told finews.com

    Bitcoin Suisse, which has had a strong trading focus, is aiming to position itself as an asset manager going forward. A shift that could also result in more steady earnings.
    Staking, a service whereby the entity – in this case, Bitcoin Suisse – holds tokens and coins to validate blockchain transactions and gives customers token rewards in return, is also in focus.

    The Zug-based company says it is already among the five largest providers worldwide of staking services.

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  • Vietnam lacks a million tons of coal for power production

    Vietnam lacks a million tons of coal for power production

    Thermal power plants in northern Vietnam are short of over one million tons of coal for power production for this and next month, which could intensify electricity shortage in the region.

    Vietnam’s main coal suppliers Vinacomin and Dong Bac Corp were obliged to provide 4.39 million tons to utility firm Vietnam Electricity (EVN) for power production in June and July, but so far they are 1.64 million tons short.

    Since a unit of EVN has been able to purchase 600,000 tons from other sources, the amount of coal needed for EVN to operate its thermal power plants is 600,000 tons this month and 400,000 next.

    This amount is even more necessary since hydropower plants in the north are at record low water levels, which means thermal power plants will need to run at full capacity, EVN CEO Tran Dinh Nhat said at a meeting on June 12.

    The Ministry of Industry and Trade has recently said that five major hydropower plants in the north were shut down this month, creating a shortage of 5,000 megawatts of power for northern Vietnam.

    Water levels will likely remain low in the next 10 days, according to weather forecasts.

    Load shedding has been frequent in different northern areas in the last several weeks, disrupting daily life and manufacturing.

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  • Online exports expected to be economic growth driver

    Online exports expected to be economic growth driver

    Online exports are seen as a “launchpad” that helps businesses maintain sustainable revenue and increase exports in the context of rising inflation and consumers tightening their spending, according to insiders.

    Tran Thi Yen Phi, CEO of DSW Services and Trading Company Ltd, said the operation of online stores on cross-border e-commerce platforms has helped the firm improve its revenue.

    Vice Director of Proline Vietnam Production and Trading Co., Ltd Nguyen Xuan Hai Yen said online export is the most efficient and cost-effective way for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to quickly reach customers.

    Meanwhile, Roger Lou, National Director of Alibaba.com in Vietnam, said despite significant challenges and obstacles, a number of sectors of Vietnam such as agriculture and food and beverage have achieved record-breaking export figures.

    The official expressed the belief that global e-commerce can help Vietnamese SMEs increase their production scale, and effectively exploit international markets towards further expanding their exports.

    Amazon Global Selling’s report in 2022 showed that Vietnam’s retail revenue from cross-border goods reached VND80 trillion ($3.4 billion) in 2022, and can hit VND250 trillion by 2026.

    Amazon Head of Global Selling Vietnam Gijae Seong said Vietnam boasts advantages to promote exports through online platforms.

    Last year, nearly 10 million Vietnamese items were offered on this e-commerce platform, up 35% compared to the same period of 2021.

    In its latest survey, Access Partnership stated that Vietnam’s export revenue through e-commerce platforms is likely to reach nearly VND300 trillion by 2027 if domestic firms are supported to promote online exports.

    Addressing a recent workshop, Lai Viet Anh, Vietnam e-Commerce and Digital Economy Agency under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, said with an annual retail e-commerce growth rate of over 20%, Vietnam is being classified among the countries with the sharpest e-commerce growth rate in the world.

    This is a potential industry and coming in line with the Government’s digital economic policy, she stressed, adding that the MoIT has been deploying programs to support SMEs in enhancing cross-border selling skills, and exploiting features of global e-commerce platforms.

    According to a report on the Vietnam E-Business Index (EBI) 2023 conducted by the Vietnam E-commerce Association (Vecom), Vietnam’s e-commerce market is expected to grow by 25% by the end of 2023.

    The booming e-commerce sector in 2023 and development in the subsequent years is aided by a series of growth drivers such as the wave of digital transformation, consumers’ trust, technological infrastructure, and favorable mechanisms and policies issued by the Vietnamese Government, the report said.

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  • Olive oil maker Cobram Estate introduces subscription model

    Olive oil maker Cobram Estate introduces subscription model

    The olive harvesters at Cobram Estate are working around the clock at Boort and Boundary Bend to bring in this year’s crop. Each day half a billion olives are picked.

    For the past 15 years a machine called Colossus has been getting the job done, but a new harvester called Optimus has joined the team, and it is tipped to be faster and more efficient.

    Both machines operate in a similar way, straddling the olive tree, before the fingers on their rotating picking heads comb the olives off the branches.

    Cobram Estate’s joint chief executive Leandro Ravetti says Optimus has six picking heads compared to Colossus’s two.

    “That gives you more flexibility but at the same time, more intensity in the action, allowing you to go faster,” he said.

    There are two Optimus harvesters at Boort this season, but Mr Ravetti thinks that number will increase in the coming years, as 40 percent of the company’s trees is still to reach maturity.

    “We need new harvesters to cope with them, but also our Colossus is an ageing group of machines and we’re looking at phasing them out and as they need replacement,” Mr Ravetti said.

    “Rather than buying a new Colossus, we’ll probably be looking at buying more new Optimus and gradually making the overall process a lot more efficient.”

    Mr Ravetti says introducing the Optimus harvester, designed in Argentina, should mean that the company’s need for seasonal workers will remain stable, even as more trees reach maturity.

    Roughly half of Cobram Estate’s olives are grown at Boundary Bend and Mr Ravetti says the new machines will eventually make their way to the groves further north.

    “Boort has the largest amount of younger trees, so naturally, the growth of harvest was going to happen here,” he said.

    “So hopefully by the time that all the machines at Boort are Optimus, the machine is going to be really well designed and very reliable.

    “That will be the time to start replacing the machines at Boundary Bend.”

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  • Halve car registration fees to boost sales

    Halve car registration fees to boost sales

    Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has asked the Ministry of Finance to halve registration fees for locally-made or assembled automobiles starting July 1.

    A draft decree on the issue should be submitted to the Government for approval before June 15, he said.

    The cut will be in effect until the end of this year to boost falling demand.

    The registration fees are calculated based on car prices in each locality. The rates are 12% in Hanoi and Hai Phong, and 10% in HCMC.

    The Vietnam Automobile Manufacturers Association (VAMA) said credit tightening and rising interest rates have diminished market liquidity, and automobile companies are struggling to cope with high inventories.

    In the first four months VAMA saw 92,801 cars sold, down 30% year-on-year.

    Experts have predicted that total vehicle sales this year will unlikely reach last year’s figure of half a million units.

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  • MacBook Air 15 sold for $1,400 in Vietnam

    MacBook Air 15 sold for $1,400 in Vietnam

    MacBook Air 15 M2 2023 is sold for VND32.9 million (US$1,394) for internal memory of 256 GB on Apple Store Vietnam.

    Apple Store Vietnam and local electronics retailers have also announced selling prices of MacBook Studio Ultra and Mac Pro 2023 at VND109 million and VND194 million or more, respectively.

    The prices were announced right after Apple unveiled new devices at the 2023 Apple Worldwide Developers Conference in California on Tuesday morning (Vietnamese time).

    The most advanced Mac Pro 2023 is sold on Apple Store Online Vietnam for VND306.5 million

    Selling prices at local electronics chain Di Dong Viet are similar to those at Apple Store Online Vietnam; and those at FPT Shop are VND100,000 lower, and those at Hoang Ha Mobile VND1 million lower than those at Apple Store Online Vietnam.

    According to Tuan Minh, manager of Hoang Ha Mobile, the 15-inch MacBook Air M2 is attracting attention thanks to its large screen, and it is suitable to people who like compact devices, large screens for entertainment and basic tasks with at a reasonable price.

    Nguyen The Kha, mobile telecommunications division director at FPT Shop, said Apple’s new devices are expected to reach Vietnamese users in early July.

    Local retailers can deliver Apple devices within one hour, change faulty products within 30 days, and offer direct support on technical issues and warranty, the services have not been provided yet by Apple Store Online Vietnam, he said.

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  • Health Guru launches cauliflower snack

    Health Guru launches cauliflower snack

    Health Guru Cauliflower Puffs are a plant-based, savoury, baked snack, not fried.

    Founders Sarah and Don wanted to incorporate more vegetables into the average diet. Their research suggested an increasing number of consumers replacing meals with healthy snacks.

    “In 2020, puff-based products increased by 17.06% in the natural segment and 8.33% in the conventional [Spins Data, 2020],” they said. “Moreover, cauliflower reported the highest market growth per SKU in the crackers category for the natural channel and the third highest growth in salty snacks.”

    Described as “functional, delicious, and nutritious”, Health Guru Cauliflower Puffs contain no “nasties”, a serving of veggies with an “uncompromising” taste. Pure, freeze-dried cauliflower is the “hero ingredient”, retaining the natural sweetness and nutrients.

    Health Guru Cauliflower Puffs are available in the five flavours of Sea Salt, Salt & Vinegar with Apple Cider, Just BBQ, Bangkok Sriracha, and Vegan Cheddar.

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  • Google Calendar will reportedly introduce new Material You widgets teased years ago

    Google Calendar will reportedly introduce new Material You widgets teased years ago

    Introduced in 2021 with Android 12, the Material You treatment on Google Calendar enabled consumers to personalize the app more seamlessly than before. While some intriguing widgets relied on the background to create personalized colors, the overall design wasn’t really unique. Well, things might be changing now, for Google might currently be working on an update of the Material You widgets.

    Pictures of the revamped widgets were found on a Google News Telegram channel, which activated them using a hidden flag in version 2023.22.1-537255951. So far, so good. What makes these changes interesting, though?

    Let’s first determine which view modes get a revamped widget design. Looking at the pictures, it becomes clear that the changes in question shall apply to the monthly overview of Google Calendar and the agenda view.

    As mentioned, the design changes on the Material You widgets haven’t been officially confirmed yet. Still, keeping in mind that a mere flag in the code allows them to run, it could be safe to say that the revamped design will be coming to Google Calendar sooner or later.

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  • Volvo’s Latest Apple CarPlay Update Brings Navigation, Call Details To Driver’s Display

    Volvo’s Latest Apple CarPlay Update Brings Navigation, Call Details To Driver’s Display

    Volvo Cars is rolling out an important update for Apple CarPlay users in its vehicles worldwide. The over-the-air software update enhances the infotainment system and brings significant improvements to the Apple CarPlay experience. A key enhancement is the integration of Apple Maps and other supported navigation apps directly into the driver display (instrument cluster). This integration allows drivers to access navigation information conveniently while keeping their eyes on the road, improving safety and convenience.

    The update also improves call management by displaying call information on the driver display. Drivers can answer, reject, and end calls using the steering wheel buttons. Additionally, the CarPlay tile in the centre display now provides media information, making it easier to control media playback functions like play, pause, and skip.information

    Speaking on the announcement, Alwin Bakkenes, Head of Software Engineering at Volvo, said, “The latest update on CarPlay features is an excellent example of how we continuously improve and add features and functions together with our technology partners, making our customers’ experience richer over time.”

    In addition to the CarPlay improvements, the update brings various changes to enhance the overall driving experience. Drivers can now switch between different driver support functions using the steering wheel buttons. There is also an option to choose whether the wing mirrors should fold when locking the car. Volvo also says that the update includes minor engine calibration optimizations and bug fixes as well.

    The over-the-air update will become available on Volvo cars with Google built-in.

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  • Soon you’ll be able to send higher-quality images via WhatsApp on iOS and Android

    Soon you’ll be able to send higher-quality images via WhatsApp on iOS and Android

    WhatsApp is rolling out a new feature allowing users to send high-definition (HD) photos on iOS and Android. The feature, which is currently being tested by a small group of beta testers, will allow users to send images without them being heavily compressed, although a light compression will still apply.

    As per WABetaInfo‘s reporting, the new option is available in the latest beta version of WhatsApp on Android (v2.23.12.13) and iOS (v23.11.0.76). However, this option is just that — an option — and not the default setting. This means that it will need to be selected anytime you want to send an image with lighter compression.
    The current photo-sending options include “auto,” “best quality,” and “data saver,” but none of these options allow for no compression at all. Like other popular messaging applications, WhatsApp utilizes automatic compression of photos and videos to minimize their size and facilitate expedited image transfers.

    Once you’ve chosen an image, you can send it at a higher quality by tapping the new HD icon at the top. However, the option only appears if you are trying to send an image with higher resolution.

    It doesn’t look like this feature will extend to videos, which is a shame considering that WhatsApp is used by many as an alternative to iMessage/RCS when sending videos cross-platform. However, there is a workaround to this by attaching the movie as a document instead of a media file.

    It is unknown when this feature will roll out to the masses as it is only just now rolling out in beta. However, The new HD photo and lightly compressed image feature is a significant improvement to WhatsApp’s media sharing capabilities and will allow users to send higher quality photos and videos to friends and family without worrying about file size or compression.
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  • Twitter Blue subscribers now have up to one hour to edit tweets, possible mailing list functionality

    Twitter Blue subscribers now have up to one hour to edit tweets, possible mailing list functionality

    The new Twitter Blue, rebranded and relaunched upon Elon Musk’s takeover of the popular social networking site, launched late last year with some exclusive features for its subscribers. One of these features is the ability to edit your sent tweets, albeit only for a limited time, a limit which has now been increased.
    Previously, the amount of time Twitter Blue subscribers had to edit a sent tweet was within 30 minutes of posting. This was considered a reasonable amount of time to fix a spelling mistake or to quickly fix any grammar issues noticed after the fact.
    However, there are instances in which you won’t notice a mistake until someone points it out, and that can happen at anytime and not just within a half hour window. To help with this, Twitter has recently announced a change in their policy pertaining to the editing of tweets and has extended this time frame to a full hour.
    This change is also reflected on Twitter’s Help Documentation, explaining how editing tweets actually work. To the surprise of many, editing tweets does not extend to replies, but only to original tweets and quote tweets.
    Edit Tweet: This highly requested feature gives you a 1 hour window to make a limited number of changes to published Tweets. Use it to make updates, tag someone, or reorder the media you attached. Edit Tweet currently only applies to original Tweets and quote Tweets.
    Meanwhile, Musk continues to experiment with new features within the platform. The latest announced via a tweet, seemingly in response to Twitch’s new controversial guidelines restricting streamers and causing a lot of backlash within that community and criticism from Musk himself.
    Though no further details have been shared on this announcement, it is safe to assume that this will function as sort of a mailing list for creators to keep of their subscribers should they ever want to leave the platform. It is unclear at this point how the opt-in process will work, but one could discern that it will be something that can be done in-app either while subscribing to a creator or anytime thereafter.
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  • Black Thorn durian gaining popularity in Vietnam despite high prices

    Black Thorn durian gaining popularity in Vietnam despite high prices

    Farmers grow it in the Mekong Delta and their trees have borne fruits this harvest season.

    The most expensive durian variety in Vietnam costs nine times the price of Ri6 and 2.5 times that of Musang King, another premium variety originating in Malaysia.

    A woman named Loan in Ho Chi Minh City’s District 5 said she recently paid VND5.6 million for three Black Thorn durians weighing a total seven kilograms.

    “It has a thin rind and a lot of flesh that is really delicious and soft.”

    Lan in Hanoi said: “I’ve waited for one week now to buy two Black Thorn fruits.”

    But since it is a recent entrant, there is not much Black Thorn grown in Vietnam yet.

    A farm could only supply 50-100 kg at a time, and that is not enough to meet demand, fruit sellers said.

    As the first to grow the variety, Thuc in the delta’s Ben Tre Province said he has been growing it since 2019 and now has around 20 trees.

    He said each season would produce 60 kg of fruits on average.

    “I’m about to harvest 200 kg of them but cannot meet the demand. This variety grows well in the Mekong Delta, so we will grow more.

    He sells the durians at VND450,000-500,000 per kilogram at his farm.

    In Can Tho too farmers are growing Black Thorn.

    Trader Dang Mang Khuong said the variety is better than Musang King since it weighs 1.5-3kg each and has four or five locules each.

    Farmers also said Black Thorn has a faster growth rate compared to Ri6 and some other varieties.

    A tree starts to fruit after two to three years, they added.