Remove two basic 'bottlenecks' for Son La's fruit and vegetable industry

According to the Steering Committee for Production, Processing, Consumption, and Export of Agricultural Products (Steering Committee 598) of Son La province, identifying agriculture as a field with many advantages and potential, Son La province has attracted economic groups and businesses to link with organizations and individuals in developing raw material areas.

These linkages are implemented through contracts linking production and consumption associated with investment in agricultural product processing factories, bringing products into the consumption chain at domestic supermarkets and trade centers, and exporting agricultural products.

Director of the Son La Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Ha Nhu Hue said that as of now, the province has 560 agricultural product processing factories and facilities (including 17 factories and 543 facilities). Son La has attracted businesses to invest in vegetable and fruit processing factories in the province, such as Nafoods Group's processing factory of passion fruit, vegetable, tuber, and fruit for export in Moc Chau district; the high-tech agricultural products preservation and processing factory of IC Food South Korea Group in Van Ho district; the Van Ho fresh fruit and herbal processing factory of TH Group in Van Ho district; and the DOVECO Son La Fruit and Vegetable Processing Center of Dong Giao Foodstuff Export Joint Stock Company.

To ensure supply for these facilities, a large and organized raw material area has been built by Son La. Specifically, the raw material area supplies to the DOVECO Fruit and Vegetable Processing Center in Mai Son district, with a capacity of 100,000 tons of all kinds of products/year.

According to the leader of Son La's agricultural sector, in recent years, the province has directed the effective organization of trade promotion activities. Agricultural product exports are increasingly expanding, and many demanding markets have accepted Son La's safe agricultural products. These are the things that need to be done immediately to remove two basic "bottlenecks": building standard raw material areas and deep processing.

Domestically, the work of promoting the consumption of agricultural and forestry products in the province continues to receive attention and is implemented effectively, such as organizing or participating in events.

"For example, Safe Fruit and Agricultural Product Week; Northwest Agricultural Product Trade Fair; Moc Chau Plum Picking Festival; Yen Chau Mango Festival; Song Ma Longan Festival, etc.," Mr. Ha Nhu Hue named some festivals that attracted attention.

In addition, Son La province also organizes and supports cooperatives to participate in Weeks to introduce and sell agricultural products at supermarkets and shopping centers (Hapro Hanoi Trade Corporation; Big C Retail Group; Vingroup; AEON Vietnam Co., Ltd.; Lotte Supermarket, etc.).

The Son La government also encourages businesses in the province to link with cooperatives to control households in implementing the production process of exported fruits and to link with qualified businesses to help the province export fruits.

As a result, in 2023, the value of agricultural products exported reached USD 177.8, an increase of 8.99% compared to 2022. Of which, the value of fresh agricultural products reached USD 34.6 million, and the value of processed agricultural products reached USD 143.2 million. The output of agricultural products participating in export reached 173,033 tons. The whole province currently has 300 planting area codes with an area of 4,608.45 hectares for export. The target of agricultural product exports reaching USD 186 million in 2024 is very feasible.

Son La province is supporting the maintenance and development of 285 safe agricultural and aquatic product supply chains, including 38 safe vegetable chains with an area of 318 hectares and an output of 12,646 tons/year; 178 safe fruit chains of mango, longan, plum, passion fruit, avocado, orange, grapefruit, strawberry, dragon fruit, etc., with an area of 4,298 hectares and an output of 49,519 tons/year; 5 coffee chains with an area of 2,160 hectares and an output of 4,518 tons/year; 10 tea chains with an area of 544 hectares and an output of 7,535 tons/year, etc.