To enhance the value of agricultural products, Son La province has issued many policies in recent years to attract businesses to invest in agricultural processing industries. At the same time, it has promoted close linkages from production, processing, and consumption. Currently, the province's agricultural processing industry has developed in the right direction and achieved many positive results.
After two years of operation, Doveco Son La has become a leading unit in industrial-scale agricultural processing. With a designed capacity of 52,000 tons of vegetables and fruits per year, and three processing, freezing, and canning lines meeting international standards, the company recently inaugurated a paper carton production line for vegetables and fruits with a capacity of 6,000 cartons per hour, making Doveco a key player in agricultural processing in the Northwest region.
Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Tran Thanh Nam: The inauguration of the Tetra Recart technology line is a breakthrough in the development of deep-processed agriculture. I believe that DOVECO and Son La will continue to develop their potential, build a sustainable raw material area, and boost agricultural exports to the world.
To sustain its production and business operations, Doveco has built a sustainable production chain with thousands of farming households, forming a raw material area of over 5,200 hectares of fruit trees and vegetables. By 2025, Doveco expects to purchase and process 80,000 tons of various agricultural products; contributing to increasing the value of agricultural products made in Son La, and maintaining a sustainable value chain.
Mr. PHAM HA NAM – Deputy Director of Doveco Son La Vegetable and Fruit Processing Center: For agricultural products in general, and vegetables and fruits in particular, the quality and yield are very good compared to other localities. Because Son La has a very large diurnal temperature range, the quality and sugar content are better than in the lowlands.
During the period 2021–2025, Son La attracted 11 large-scale agricultural processing projects with a total registered capital of over 3,200 billion VND. The value of processed industrial production increased by an average of 8.45% per year; in 2024 alone, it reached nearly 5,400 billion VND. Son La is actively inviting businesses to invest in industrial clusters and concentrated processing zones in Mai Son, Van Ho, and Moc Chau, promoting the development of agricultural processing industries.
Mr. NGUYEN THANH CONG – Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Son La province: In 2025, Doveco inaugurated its Tatra Recart processing line from Sweden. We started construction on a series of five factories in Mai Son Industrial Park to form a large processing area, including the BHL starch processing plant which is about to be inaugurated; the Mavin complex, a very large complex for processing animal feed and agricultural products; the VFI's dried fruit and grain factory which is about to be inaugurated; and the investment approval granted to the Korean investor Dream Plastic, preparing for the 3-in-1 coffee factory in Mai Son Industrial Park.
The Mai Son Industrial Park is currently a key highlight in the development of the province's agricultural processing industry. In Phase I, the industrial park attracted 9 investment projects with a total registered capital of over 1,400 billion VND. Over the past 8 months, 5 businesses have been exploring and proposing investment in the industrial park. Among them, the Dream Plastic Mai Son Factory Project has been granted an investment approval decision. It is expected that 3 more investment projects will be attracted in 2025.
Mr. BUI DUC DUNG – Head of the Management Board of Industrial Parks in Son La Province: The Management Board of Industrial Parks has implemented many comprehensive solutions to improve the investment and business environment. Specifically, we have intensified propaganda about the province's potential and advantages in the field of agricultural product processing industry development. We have adjusted the detailed planning of Mai Son Industrial Park. We have invested in completing the industrial park's infrastructure; we have accelerated administrative reform, reducing the processing time for administrative procedures under the Board's authority by 30-50%.
The BHL Son La Modified Starch Processing Plant project is preparing for its inauguration and trial operation in October 2025. This is one of three projects that received investment approval and investment approval in 2024. The project has a total investment of over VND 244.8 billion, a designed capacity of 90,000 tons of product per year, equivalent to 300 tons per day, producing modified starch from cassava starch. The investment in this project demonstrates the confidence of businesses in developing the agricultural processing industry in Son La.
Mr. VU VAN BINH – Director of BHL Son La Modified Starch Processing Plant: Right next to us is a cassava starch processing plant. The products from that plant are sold internationally, mainly to China. Recently, exporting has become very difficult due to China's policies. Considering the province's investment environment and the necessity for our business to survive, we are compelled to engage in deep processing.
With 17 industrial-scale agricultural processing plants, over 540 small-scale agricultural processing facilities, and a series of large-scale factories under construction, Son La has a crucial foundation to achieve its goal of increasing the proportion of processed agricultural products to 60-70% and exceeding US$500 million in agricultural export value by 2030. Son La is gradually realizing its goal of becoming the agricultural processing center of the Northwest region.