Son La province attracts investment in agricultural processing
Processing is considered the decisive stage in the agricultural value chain, helping diversify products and optimise profits. Son La province has been actively attracting investment into the agricultural processing sector, creating a solid foundation for transforming agricultural structures, building agri-product brands, and increasing farmers’ incomes.
The VFI Son La Food Processing Plant in the Mai Son Industrial Park.
Since the beginning of this year, Son La has had two new processing plants put into operation: the VFI Son La Food Processing Plant and the BHL Modified Starch Factory. In addition, the DOVECO Son La Fruit and Vegetable Processing Centre has installed the Tetra Recart paper carton production line - Sweden’s first technology applied in Vietnam for fruits and vegetables, opening up major opportunities to enhance product value and ensure sustainable sale for farmers.
The processing line at the BHL Modified Starch Factory in the Mai Son Industrial Park.
The inauguration and operation of the BHL Modified Starch Factory mark a strategic shift for the processing industry, moving away from dependence on low-value raw products. Unlike regular starch, modified starch is produced using advanced technology and offers superior properties such as heat resistance and strong adhesion. This high-quality product has become an essential raw material in advanced industries such as food, pharmaceuticals, paper, and textiles, helping Son La’s agricultural products become more competitive and capable of entering deep into global supply chains.
Vu Hung Binh, General Director of BHL Son La Group, shared that the BHL Modified Starch Factory project started construction in early 2025 and, after nearly eight months, was completed and put into operation. The factory covers 1.64 hectares in the Mai Son Industrial Park with a design capacity of 300 tonnes per day and is equipped with two state-of-the-art production lines and an automatic control system. It can produce more than 1,000 product codes across five key categories. This breakthrough enables BHL products to meet international standards and produce in time for the 2025-2026 cassava season.
Workers at the Doveco Son La Fruit and Vegetable Processing Centre during a production shift.
At the Doveco Son La Fruit and Vegetable Processing Centre, after two years of operation, the modern processing complex has reached a total capacity of 52,000 tonnes per year. In 2025, Doveco Son La continues to operate the Swedish Tetra Recart packaging line - the first of its kind in Vietnam, with a capacity of 6,000 cartons per hour, equivalent to 6-8 million cartons per year.
According to Pham Ngoc Thanh, Deputy General Director of Dong Giao Food Export Joint Stock Company, the new line allows the packaging of many premium agricultural products from Vietnam and Son La, including sweet corn, pineapple juice, and various beans, thereby promoting consumption, boosting exports, creating jobs, and increasing the value of the agricultural supply chain for farmers and cooperatives in the region.
The fruit and vegetable sorting and preliminary processing line at the Doveco Son La Fruit and Vegetable Processing Centre.
Since 2021, the province has implemented and completed 10 new projects, raising the total number of processing facilities to 21 factories and nearly 600 small-scale establishments, involving many reputable domestic and international corporations. Currently, the province has nine large-scale coffee processing facilities, meeting over 50% of the province’s fresh coffee cherry output; more than 20 enterprises and cooperatives processing tea; a sugar factory with a capacity of 5,000 tonnes of sugarcane per day; two cassava processing plants; four fruit and vegetable processing plants; and one dairy processing plant. Agricultural and food export value has grown strongly from 104.1 million USD in 2021 to an estimated 208 million USD in 2025, with key export products including coffee, tea, cassava and cassava-based products, banana, mango, longan, and passion fruit.
Workers and engineers install the processing line at the VFI Son La Food Processing Plant.
According to Ha Nhu Hue, Director of the provincial Department of Industry and Trade, the department is currently implementing comprehensive solutions to create a favorable and efficient investment environment. The focus is on attracting investment into deep processing, maximising current capacity, and accelerating key projects in the Mai Son Industrial Park. At the same time, the department prioritises developing technical infrastructure in industrial clusters and encourages businesses to expand production, apply advanced technologies, improve product quality, and meet environmental requirements.
Agricultural processing has become a driving force behind Son La’s agricultural breakthroughs. In the coming period, the province aims to continue attracting investment, accelerating project progress, and improving product quality, with the goal of strengthening Son La’s position in international markets and increasing farmers’ incomes.
Continuing the agenda of the first session of the 16th provincial People’s Council (2026–2031 term), after hearing the proposals introducing personnel, the council proceeded to elect the Chairperson and Vice Chairpersons of the provincial People’s Council and heads of its committees on March 29.
The provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism on March 26 organised the closing ceremony of the Son La tennis and pickleball club tournament 2026 after four days of lively competition.
A provincial People’s Council delegation offered incense at the Ho Chi Minh Temple and the Son La Prison Martyrs’ Cemetery on the morning of March 29, ahead of the opening of the first session of the 16th-term provincial People’s Council for the 2026–2031 tenure.
The 16th Son La provincial People’s Council (2026–2031 term) officially opened its first session on March 29. Lo Minh Hung, Standing Deputy Secretary of the provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the 15th provincial People’s Council, chaired the event.
The provincial Youth Union, in coordination with Youth Unions of the Office of the Party Central Committee, the Office of the State President, the Government Office, the State Securities Commission, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, and partner units, on March 28 organised a volunteer pro
Nguyen Dinh Viet, Deputy Secretary of the provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, on March 27 chaired a hybrid conference on the disbursement of public investment funds in 2026.
Lo Minh Hung, Standing Deputy Secretary of the provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the provincial People’s Council, as head of a task force established under Decision No. 1296-QD/TU dated March 21, 2025 by the Standing Board of the provincial Party Committee, on March 26 chaired a meeting to review the Son La provincial Political School's first-quarter performance and outline its key tasks for the second quarter of 2026.
Attendees included Nguyen Duc Thanh, a member of the provincial Party Committee’s Standing Board and head of its Organisation Board, along with representatives of departments and agencies, and task force members.
A delegation from the Posts and Telecommunications Institute of Technology (PTIT), led by its director, Associate Professor Dr. Dang Hoai Bac, held a working session with the Son La Department of Science and Technology on March 26 to discuss cooperation in science and technology, innovation and digital transformation.
The Posts and Telecommunications Institute of Technology, in coordination with the Son La provincial Department of Science and Technology, held a programme to present STEM education equipment to Nguyen Trai Secondary School on March 26.
Cha A Cua, Deputy Secretary of the provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the provincial Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee (VFF Son La), on March 26 chaired a conference to launch the tasks of advisory councils for 2026. Attending the event were Nguyen Manh Hung, member of the provincial Party Committee’s Standing Board and Permanent Vice Chairman of VFF Son La, along with leaders and members of the advisory councils.
Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Dang Ngoc Hau on March 26 held a working session with the Department of Finance and related units regarding the disbursement of aid to Lao provinces in accordance with Government Decree No. 305/2025/ND-CP on Vietnam’s overseas aid.
The provincial Union of Literature and Arts Associations on March 26 held the closing ceremony of the first creative writing camp for literature and arts 2026.
The provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism organised the opening ceremony of the Son La tennis and pickleball club tournament 2026 on March 26.
The provincial Border Guard Command held a ceremony on March 26 to commemorate the 95th anniversary of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union (HCYU) (March 26, 1931 – 2026). The event was attended by leaders of the provincial Border Guard Command, along with a large number of youth union members from affiliated units.
With a score of 95.55, Son La province ranked 14th among the 34 provinces and cities nationwide on the citizen and business service index in the first quarter of 2026.
Politburo member and Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung received Ibaragi Ryuta, Governor of Japan’s Okayama prefecture, in Hanoi on March 27. Attending th
The People’s Committee of Chieng Coi ward on March 27 held a conference to announce the Hun Hamlet Agricultural Tourism Project for the 2025–2030 period, with a vision to 2035.
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