A season greeting from Ashik Eqbal Tokon of Bangladesh

B: Antonia Napolitano of Italy shared with us his interest in radio and shortwave broadcast and wants to listen to more about Vietnam’s culture and lifestyle. He wrote: “I am strongly passionate about international broadcasting and ‘Voice of Vietnam’ is one of my favorite stations which I listen to regularly.”

A: He continued: “Congratulations to the Voice of Vietnam for updating us about happenings in Vietnam, a country with a rapidly growing, sustainable economy which is ranked as one of the 20 countries with the largest contribution to the global economic growth by the International Monetary Fund.”

B: Thank you, Napolitano for tuning in to VOV and sending feedback on our broadcast.

A: We received multiple congratulations from our listeners for Vietnam's Ong Cua ST25 rice which has won the first prize at the World’s Best Rice competition, at the 2023 International World Rice Conference Summit in Cebu, Philippines.

Ho Quang Cua is dubbed as father of ST25 rice,

B: This is the second time Vietnam has won the contest’s top award. Previously, the Ong Cua ST25 rice won the World’s Best Rice Contest in the Philippines in 2019 and took the second place at the World’s Best Rice Contest 2020 held in the US.

A: According to Ho Quang Cua dubbed as father of ST25 rice, the current rice variety is the result of rice cultivation by a new method, adding that it is different from the ST25 that won the top award in 2019.

B: Ho Quang Cua remembers the year 1991 when he began researching premium fragrant rice. At that time, as a farmer-scientist, he and his colleagues were determined to restore the once famous rice variety of Soc Trang province. Mr. Cua recalls: “We had to traverse a long journey of 25 years to reach the title ‘the world’s best rice’. Soc Trang had begun to export its best rice, ST, to Europe in the early 20th century but it faded. Our aspiration was to restore its position as the most delicious rice variety.”

A: After two and a half decades of tireless efforts, the ST rice strain made the top three in the world for three consecutive years in 2017, 2018, and 2019. Cua said: “We have improved the rice strain by our own experience and the experience of people in other areas. In 2017 we began to near our target, to make this high-yield, short-term rice strain of Southeast Asia the world’s top rice. The rice strains which have previously won were low-yield tenth-month or winter crop rice with less potential to dominate the market.” 

A: This week, we received a great assortment of seasonal greetings from listeners around the world. Thank you! Your seasonal greetings have brought the festive atmosphere to VOV. Thank you very much and we wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

B: Sanil Deep of India wrote: “TO A HEALTHY AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR 2024. You have a wide variety of well-presented programs. I like the current format of your programs. “Letter Box” is a very popular listener participation program where the listeners from all corners of the world meet each Wednesday. “Letter Box” still maintains its high standard keeping the program colorful. I never miss the ‘Saturday Music Section’ and the ‘Sunday Show’. The ‘Music Section’ is one of my favorite programs in which I am able to enjoy traditional songs.”

A: Reporting the reception of VOV programs, he wrote: “Nowadays reception on the frequency of 12020 kHz varies between 11:30 and 13:30 hours UTC. At 11:30 hours there is heavy QRM from China Radio International. Reception on 11885 kHz is perfect at 16:00 hours and it is very strong nowadays without any QRM. This is the best frequency for the time being. The parallel frequency of 7220 kHz shows a fair signal every day.”

B: Thank you for tuning in to VOV and sending us your detailed reception report which is very useful to us. Our stories are also available on the internet at vovworld.vn or our VOV Media app. We hope you enjoy your time with our stories.

A: Malik Allah Bachaya of Pakistan sent wishes of happiness and success to VOV5 for the New Year 2024 and wrote that he listens to our program regularly saying it is a source of entertainment and information about Vietnamese traditions, culture and customs. All the programs are informative and interesting.

B: Ashik Eqbal Tokon of Bangladesh expressed his interest in our weekly ‘Sunday Show’ and sent a detailed reception report for our broadcast on the frequency of 7220 kHz with SINPO of between 3 and 4. “I’m writing to express my heartfelt appreciation for the extraordinary shortwave broadcast I had the pleasure of tuning in to on November 26th, from 16:00 to 16:30 UTC. The reception quality on 7220 kHz was nothing short of exceptional, earning an all-around SINPO rating of 44434. Using my trusty Grundig YB400 receiver and a simple telescope antenna, I was immersed in a world of auditory delight, courtesy of your ‘Sunday Show’. The strong signal and crystal-clear reception made the entire experience a true auditory feast. It’s heartening to witness the continued excellence in broadcasting that VOV consistently delivers.”

A: He continued: “The ‘Weekend Music Session’, featuring tracks from the album “Dancing in Love”, was a sheer delight. The melodies had an enchanting quality, and I found myself transported to a realm of joy and relaxation. Such curated musical journeys are a testament to VOV’s thoughtful curation and dedication to providing a pleasurable listening experience.”

B: Thank you Mr. Ashik for your regular report. We highly appreciate your positive feedback and comment and your Christmas greeting card and hope to continue to hear from you.

A: Ding Lu of China reported listening to our broadcast from 10:00 to 10:30 UTC. His frequencies are 9840 kHz and 12020 kHz with very strong signing. “The listening effect is very clear,” he said.

B: Ding Lu wrote: “Time has come to the last month of 2023. I don’t know how many years I’ve been listening to ‘Voice of Vietnam English’ radio. But I have always enjoyed listening to the program. Through the ‘Voice of Vietnam English’ broadcast, I have a deeper understanding of Vietnam. I also like the scenery and food in the country. I hope to visit Vietnam in person one day.”

A: Ding Lu, we hope to welcome you to Vietnam and to our station one day.

B: Jayanta Chakrabarty of India expressed his special interest in VOV’s “Letter Box” segment and sent us greetings for a Happy and Merry Christmas. “May this festive season bring joy and happiness to you and your families,” he wrote.

B: Jose Ignacio Cos Lezama of Spain expressed his interest in stories about Peru and Latin America while Johnny Antonio Ramirez Lopez of Peru said he is excited with the opening of the Vietnamese Embassy in Peru.

A: We really appreciate your love for Vietnam and your efforts to promote Vietnam in your country. We wish you every success.

B: Thank you all for your interest in VOV, for sharing your love of our country, and for sending us your feedback. We hope to see you soon in Vietnam.

A: We welcome your feedback at English Service, VOVWorld, the Voice of Vietnam, 45 Ba Trieu street, Hanoi, Vietnam. Or you can email us at englishsection@vov.vn. You’re invited to visit us online at vovworld.vn, where you can hear both live and recorded programs. Once again, thank you all for listening. Goodbye!