Attracting investment in agricultural processing sector

VFI Son La Food Processing Factory in Mai Son Industrial Park.

Since the beginning of the year, Son La province has had two new processing plants put into operation. These are the VFI Son La Food Processing Plant and the BHL Modified Starch Plant. In addition, the DOVECO Son La Vegetable Processing Center has also installed a Tetra Recart paper canning line, the first Swedish technology in Vietnam for vegetables and fruits, opening up great opportunities to increase the value of agricultural products and ensure sustainable output for farmers.

Processing line at BHL Modified Starch Factory, Mai Son Industrial Park.

The inauguration of the BHL modified starch factory marks a strong strategic shift in the processing industry, escaping dependence on low-value raw products. Completely different from regular starch, modified starch is produced using high technology, creating products with outstanding features in heat resistance and high adhesion. This high-quality product becomes an essential raw material for high-end industries such as: Food, pharmaceuticals, paper and textiles, helping Son La agricultural products to be competitive and widely exported into the global supply chain.

Mr. Vu Hung Binh, General Director of BHL Son La Group, shared: With nearly 10 years of experience in starch production and processing, we have proactively invested and upgraded technology, aiming at deep processing to improve product quality and value. In early 2025, the BHL Son La Modified Starch Factory project was started and after nearly 8 months of construction, it was completed and put into operation. The factory is located on an area of 1.64 hectares in Mai Son Industrial Park, with a design capacity of 300 tons/day and night, equipped with two of Asia's leading modern production lines and an automatic control system, allowing the production of more than 1,000 product codes of 5 main lines. This is a breakthrough to help BHL's products meet international standards and promptly put into production in the 2025 - 2026 cassava crop year.

Workers at Doveco Son La Vegetable and Fruit Processing Center during a production shift.

After 2 years of Doveco Son La Vegetable and Fruit Processing Center, Dong Giao Food Export Joint Stock Company was inaugurated and put into operation with a modern agricultural processing factory complex, with a total capacity of 52,000 tons of products/year. In 2025, Doveco Son La will continue to operate the Swedish technology paper canning line (Tetra Recart) for the first time in Vietnam, with a capacity of 6,000 boxes/hour, equivalent to 6-8 million boxes/year.

Mr. Pham Ngoc Thanh, Deputy General Director of Dong Giao Food Export Joint Stock Company, said: The new line allows packaging of many high-end agricultural products of Vietnam and Son La, such as: sweet corn, pineapple juice, beans... thereby promoting consumption, export and creating jobs, increasing the value of the agricultural chain for farmers and cooperatives in the region.

Vegetable and fruit sorting and processing line at Doveco Son La Vegetable and Fruit Processing Center.

The success of new processing projects is a direct result of the province's efforts in planning and developing synchronous infrastructure in industrial parks and clusters, creating a foundation for businesses to invest. From 2021 to now, the province has deployed and completed 10 new projects, bringing the total number of processing facilities to 21 factories and nearly 600 small-scale facilities, with the participation of many prestigious domestic and foreign corporations. Currently, the province has 9 large-scale coffee processing facilities, meeting over 50% of the province's fresh coffee output; more than 20 tea processing enterprises and cooperatives; 1 sugar factory with a capacity of 5,000 tons of sugarcane/day; 2 cassava processing factories; 4 vegetable and fruit processing factories; 1 cow's milk processing factory. The value of exported agricultural and food products in the 2021-2025 period increased sharply, from 104.1 million USD in 2021 to an estimated 208 million USD in 2025, with key products including: Coffee, tea, cassava and cassava products, bananas, mangoes, longans, and passion fruit.

Workers and engineers install processing lines at VFI Son La Food Processing Factory.

Mr. Ha Nhu Hue, Director of the Department of Industry and Trade, said: Currently, the Department is synchronously implementing solutions to create a favorable and effective investment environment. The focus is on attracting investment in deep processing, maximizing existing capacity, and accelerating the progress of key projects in Mai Son Industrial Park. At the same time, the Department prioritizes the development of technical infrastructure of industrial clusters, encouraging businesses to expand their scale, apply advanced technology, improve product quality and comply with environmental requirements. The goal is to bring Son La agricultural products deeply and sustainably into the global supply chain, bringing practical benefits to people and businesses.

The agricultural processing industry has become a lever to help Son La agriculture make a breakthrough. In the coming time, the province will focus on attracting investment, speeding up project progress and improving product quality, aiming to firmly bring Son La agricultural products to the international market and increase farmers' income.

Source: https://baosonla.vn/cong-nghiep-ttcn/thu-hut-dau-tu-vao-linh-vuc-che-bien-nong-san-ZQbFySmvR.html