Specialty… not expensive Introduced by an acquaintance, Tran Thi Mai (living in Phu Nhuan district, Ho Chi Minh City) bought a bag of pink rice and was told to cook it like normal rice, without pre-soaking like many other colored rice. When you bring the rice home, pour the water into it and it turns pink, when cooked, the rice is light red, medium flexible but still spongy, delicious, just like the white rice the family often eats. Colored rice on the market is quite diverse According to Dr. Dao Minh So, Head of the Plant Breeding Department at the Southern Institute of Agricultural Science and Technology, the traditional colored rice varieties left by grandparents are often spongy, delicious, and the area is increasingly shrinking. due to the cultivation time of 5-6 months, only one crop can be grown per year, low yield. “The process of breeding improved rice varieties, suitable for new farming conditions, we accidentally created some colored rice varieties (pink, red, purple, black). Through nutritional analysis, especially especially iron, antioxidant content is much higher than white rice, so we really want this rice line to develop.To be honest, we can’t compare this colored rice with traditional colored rice because rice tradition has not been analyzed,” said Dr. So. Dr So said that the research process lasted for decades, by 2020 the red (or pink) rice variety named SR20 has been selected and is being tested on a large scale in many locations in the Southeast and the Mekong Delta. The authors cooperated with an enterprise in Ho Chi Minh City to process rice from the above material area to bring SR20 rice to the market, mainly consumed in Ho Chi Minh City. “Colored rice is always rich in micronutrients, high in anthocyanins antioxidants, but the market is mainly brown rice (whole rice), not everyone can eat it, before cooking. Therefore, when cooperating with DN, I asked them to process the milled form (with some bran remaining) with the goal of turning this colored rice into a daily consumer product like ordinary white rice but still retains most of the nutrients and antioxidants.Red rice with bran is more difficult to store, spoils quickly, but we overcome it by milling to where we can sell it, it is better to sell in small quantities rather than using preservatives. manage or fumigate” – Dr. So confided. The rice variety SR20 is cultivated for a short time (more than 3 months while traditional rice lasts for 5-6 months), has a good yield (5-7 tons/ha), has good resistance to pests and diseases, so the price is equivalent to many varieties. rice. Wider market According to a reporter’s survey, colored rice is sold mainly in the form of brown or milled to preserve nutrients, with the selling price ranging from 25,000 to 100,000 VND/kg. Colored rice brands sell at high prices mainly because of internationally certified organic rice; The rest average price is at 40,000 – 50,000 VND/kg. As one of the first agents to sell branded bags of rice in Ho Chi Minh City, Mr. Phan Thanh Hieu, Director of Phuong Nam Food Joint Stock Company, admitted that the consumption of colored rice is getting better and better. “If in 2015, the consumption of colored rice was only about 1 ton/month, now it’s about 5 tons/month. In addition to retail, we also wholesale to retail stores and sell to a number of units. processing with orders of several hundred kilograms Young people and office workers today are using colored rice more and more due to the application of a healthy diet to be healthier and more beautiful, not just a group of customers who have needs. In addition, now there are enterprises applying Japanese technology to process brown rice into pre-packaged rice, which is very convenient for busy young people who do not have time to cook, just need to heat up and eat immediately. “- Mr. Hieu shared. Consumers often have a stereotype that colored rice will be very dry and hard, but in fact, the colored rice that Phuong Nam Food Joint Stock Company is trading is soft and easy to eat. “This is rice from the rice variety of the author group Ho Quang Cua, who created the famous ST25 rice around the world. After the success of ST25 rice, it also created an effect for the consumption of other types of rice of the same author” – Mr. Hieu evaluated. Also just launching organic purple brown rice products for the first time to the market, Mr. Lam Anh Tu, Director of Hoa Nang Agricultural Products Co., Ltd (HCMC), said that the enterprise’s goal is to diversify products. “This is purple rice from the purple ST variety of the author group Ho Quang Cua, which is grown on the raw material of shrimp rice; it is an improved variety of colored rice, so the rice is soft, not difficult to eat as many people think. Moreover, brown rice is also very tasty. The whole bran shell should be safe during cultivation, otherwise residues of fertilizers will be left here. Therefore, the organic farming material area of ​​enterprises is an advantage,” said Mr. Tu. It is easy to confuse purple sticky rice with purple rice According to some bags trading enterprises in Ho Chi Minh City, the market for colored rice is mainly active in the domestic segment, with very little export. “The market is confused between purple rice and purple sticky rice (also known as sticky rice) due to the very similar appearance, especially with the product with the whole bran (processed brown) while the price of purple rice is high. much higher than purple sticky rice due to the different yield of the two varieties. Worryingly, purple rice has a low glycemic index and purple glutinous rice has a high glycemic index, so consumers need to be careful. The simplest way to distinguish is to break the rice grain in half, if the inside is opaque white like glutinous rice, it is purple rice, if it is white, it is purple rice “- a representative of a business revealed. According to physician Dinh Cong Bay, General Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Medicinal Association, it is always better to eat raw rice (whole bran or milled) than well-milled rice because it retains nutrients in the bran layer. However, when using this rice, consumers should pay attention to choose safe cultivated rice, organic rice because the bran layer on the outside is easy to be contaminated with chemical residues if farming is not good. For new varieties of rice crops, breeding units should publish the research process to create varieties as well as specific scientific evidences about the active ingredients in them for consumers to know and choose.

Designer Lily Hoang recycles old fabrics into luxury handbags. (Photo: Thu Minh / Vietnam +) Coming to Amily store (Thai Ha, Dong Da), you will be immediately attracted by small and beautiful fashion items such as sparkling stone handbags, luxurious designs mixed with a little classic. But few know that they are made from old fabric and recycled plastic thanks to the skillful hands of the Amily artists. Extend the life cycle for each item The AmReborn (I Reincarnate) project has just been launched since mid-March, but has quickly received the love and support of many people. This is a project cherished for more than a year by Lily Hoang, founder of Amlily, a handmade party accessories maker. Since she was a child, she has loved the food handmade beautiful. As an adult, working in design and fashion, she has the opportunity to pursue her passion. A display corner of recycled products. (Photo: Thu Minh / Vietnam +) Lily Hoang’s first recycled product set was a set of bags, purses and fashion accessories made from peacock covers. She gave things to her mother and she was very touched, encouraging her daughter to continue to be creative. Sharing the significance of the AmReborn project, Lily Hoang said recycling can help people store souvenirs in a different form. At the same time, recycling is also a way for people to save and reduce consumption costs when taking advantage of second hand. In addition, the most important meaning of recycling is to help reduce waste in the environment, extending the life cycle of each item. “I do it first because myself is also someone who cares about the environment. After that, I hope everyone will join hands to protect the environment more together, ”said Lily Hoang. AmReborn is currently implementing the activity of “giving away old goods – getting new things back.” Each person can exchange 5 second hand items for a recycled gift from AmReborn. Second hand collection is also the first activity for AmReborn to source products to recycle. In particular, the proceeds from the sale of recycled goods will be used to build the “Am Thank Fund”. Lily Hoang intends to use this fund to donate to people with difficult circumstances, people with disabilities … It is known that the project AmReborn Lily Hoang has also created jobs for many people with special circumstances: autistic people, people with inferiority complex in the LGBT community, housewives, students, … Lily Hoang’s AmReborn project became clearer and came true. “They are very concerned about community issues, are conscious of environmental protection, so they also affect me a lot. You have been with me for a long time, when there are people who share the same direction and support, I believe the project will go on for a long time, ”shared Lily Hoang. The handbag is carefully recycled from the old fabric. (Photo: NVCC) Tran Thi Mai (Thai Ha, Dong Da), a recycling artist in Amlily also said: “I am a person who is very concerned about the environment. From going to the market, I also carry cloth bags, containers, and do not use plastic. So when Mrs. Ly gives the project idea, I support it very much. The first is to be economical, the second is to be able to turn the things that we rarely use into useful ones, we use them more often, for longer and reduce the amount of waste in the environment. ” I reincarnated , How about you? Many people know of this project sent second hand to AmReborn with the desire to “regenerate” them. In a way, the mementos – heirlooms filled with memories of the previous generation for the next generation are revived in a modern, convenient, economical way but still retain the precious meaning of the past. Old things such as clothes, clothes, skirts, blankets, … with all materials collected by AmReborn and used as much as possible for recycling. Lily Hoang said: To create a new item from old materials, AmReborn must classify fabrics, design and design suitable for that fabric or according to the request of the orderer. To make products more fashionable and beautiful, you need to attach stones, draw or embroider them. But AmReborn also minimizes the use of new items, takes advantage of all that can be recycled, does not create additional burden on the environment in the future. With many years of experience in designing handmade fashion products, Lily Hoang and a team of AmReborn artisans recycle many unique products. The things that seemed to be the time to leave were joined, patched up to create a harmonious whole, extending the life cycle. Finished products can be handbags, purses, flower buttons, necklaces, headbands, shoes, sandals, … All products are handmade. Artisan studded the recycled products to be more eye-catching and trendy. (Photo: Thu Minh / Vietnam +) Since it is recycled, each item is very special. It contains a story, bringing memories from the past to the future that everyone loves. Bui Hao (Thai Ha, Dong Da) when coming to AmReborn to donate old things, shared: “Following AmReborn on Facebook for a long time, I think this is a very good activity. My important items and gifts such as clothes that are no longer in use but if I want to keep them for a long time, can be recycled into bags or other suitable items for me. Furthermore, recycling it into something for a longer time can limit the waste going to the environment. ” Reusing is not only economical, but also shows a respectful attitude toward objects and the environment. The humanistic project of Lily Hoang and her associates makes people wonder what to do with old items, important gifts, and memorabilia that are sometimes left in a corner of the closet./.

Old South American bananas are selling cheap lottery There are both yellow and green bananas sold here. The common point is that the goods sold here are large in size compared to normal, many people call “giant” bananas. On Nguyen Oanh street (Go Vap district), just on a short road, there are 2 places selling “cheap” old bananas at the price of 6,000 VND / kg, attracting quite a lot of buyers. Young men selling here said that because they cannot be exported this year, bananas are so cheap. Dong Nai banana retail in HCMC is only 6,000 VND / kg Ms. Tran Thi Mai, a nearby house, said she bought a large bunch, weighing up to 6 kg, to try it. “I bought it when the fruit was still green, but the next day it was ripe, soft and sweet, and they would sell it for a long time. Normally, this banana has to cost 10,000-15,000 VND / kg.” – Ms. Mai said. Bananas are cheap, consumers can choose freely, can buy less than 1 bunch Mr. Do Ngoc Chat, Director of Viet A Agrifood Co., Ltd. (Ho Chi Minh City) – specializing in the official export of fruit to China, said that due to the Covid-19 epidemic, the main market for bananas was China, the purchasing power decreased. Old bananas at supermarkets are also on a discount, from the original price of 20,900 VND / kg to 12,000 VND / kg “But the banana area increased a lot. Previously, Vietnam mainly competed with bananas from the Philippines, now there are many newly opened farms in Cambodia and Laos with an area of ​​thousands of hectares. We currently buy bananas that meet export standards. about 5,000 VND / kg while before and immediately after Tet is 14,000 VND / kg. This price, farmers do not have much income because the cultivated area is small, mostly less than 1 ha “- Mr. Chat said. Bananas that are too old can only be sold domestically And Mr. Ly Minh Hung, Director of Thanh Binh Cooperative (Dong Nai), specializing in old South American bananas, said that the banana industry was oversupply. “Farmers grow spontaneously in bulk while large farms follow the contract to spread crops less affected. Bananas are too cheap, farmers keep waiting for price increases, but bananas are too old, too size to be exported. The oversized banana here farmers sell only 2,000 VND / kg, many people suffer losses.With bananas that are too big can only be sold fresh in the domestic market, plastic and dried banana processors are also excluded because it was not uniform. ” – Mr. Hung explained.