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.
The Investment, Trade and Tourism Promotion Centre of Son La province, in coordination with relevant departments and agencies, held the opening ceremony of the Son La Agricultural Products and Safe Food Week 2026 in Hai Phong city on the evening of June 18.
If Son La captivates visitors during the day with its lush tea hills, vibrant flower seasons, and majestic natural landscapes, then at night, travellers are immersed in the unique cultural activities of the province's ethnic communities. Under sparkling lights, graceful xoe dances, the resonant sounds of khen (panpipe), and community cultural exchange activities create a colourful nighttime atmosphere. Each experience offers a journey into local life, customs, and traditional cultural values that have been preserved through generations, contributing to Son La's distinctive appeal.
The provincial Steering Committee for the search for, recovery and identification of martyrs’ remains held a meeting on June 15 to review lessons learned ahead of the province-wide collection and handover of samples of fallen soldiers' remains. Colonel Sa Minh Nghĩa, Political Commissar of the provincial Military Command and standing deputy head of the steering committee, chaired the event.
The Son La provincial People's Committee, in collaboration with the Embassy of India in Vietnam, organised the celebration of the International Day of Yoga under the theme “Yoga – For Healthy Aging” at Moc Chau Island Tourist Area in Moc Chau ward on June 14.
The provincial People’s Committee on June 14 held the closing and awards ceremony of the Son La “Excellent Grassroots Security Protection and Order Protection Forces” Contest 2026.
Son La province currently has more than 85,000 hectares of fruit trees, with an annual output of over 500,000 tonnes. Alongside the expansion of production scale, increasing attention is being paid to finding stable markets and improving product value. The application of technology and e-commerce to bring agricultural products into the digital space, from livestreaming to introduce products to developing online stores and sales channels on social media, is becoming a new direction for local agricultural sale.
Ha Trung Chien, member of the provincial Party Committee’s Standing Board and Standing Vice Chairman of the provincial People's Committee, on June 12 chaired a meeting with departments and agencies to review the progress of disbursing funds allocated for science and technology, innovation, and digital transformation in 2026.
A delegation of the Lao Front for National Development (LFND), led by Somsak Phinkeo, President of the LFND Committee of Bokeo province, and Vannakeo Santhy, President of the LFND Committee of Oudomxay province, offered incense at the Memorial House for Heroes and Martyrs at Son La Prison on June 12.
Permanent Vice Chairman of the provincial People's Committee Ha Trung Chien chaired a meeting on June 12 to review the progress of the investment and construction of inter-level primary and secondary boarding schools in Xuan Nha, Chieng Son, Long Sap, Phieng Khoai, Long Phieng, and Yen Son communes.
As each exam season arrives, the blue shirts of youth and student volunteers once again become a familiar sight at test venues across the country, standing alongside candidates and their parents to provide support. During this year’s national high school graduation exam, the image of energetic and dedicated volunteers has continued to resonate, underscoring the pioneering and volunteering spirit of Vietnam’s younger generation in serving the community.
Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Minh Tien chaired a hybrid meeting on June 11 on the disbursement of public investment capital for 2026. The event saw the presence of leaders of provincial departments, agencies and sectors, and was connected online to communes and wards with assigned public investment plans for this year.
Ha Trung Chien, Member of the provincial Party Committee’s Standing Board, Standing Vice Chairman of the provincial People's Committee, and head of the provincial Steering Committee for the 2026 National High School Graduation Examination, led a delegation to inspect the exam organisation in Phu Yen and Gia Phu communes on June 11.
For generations, the traditional brocade weaving craft has been closely tied to the daily life of the Thai and Muong ethnic communities in Gia Phu commune. Beyond preserving the distinctive cultural values of these ethnic groups, brocade products have now been diversified in design to meet market demand, helping to create jobs and improve incomes for local residents.
The provincial People's Committee, in coordination with Northern Wind Energy JSC, held the groundbreaking ceremony for the Risen Phu Yen Wind Power Plant project in Nam Hong hamlet, Muong Coi commune on June 11.
The steering committees for the search for, recovery and identification of martyrs’ remains of Military Region 2 and Son La province, and To Hieu ward on June 11 jointly organised DNA sample collection for the identification of fallen soldiers’ remains at the ward Martyrs’ Cemetery. This move forms part of the nationwide 500-day campaign to accelerate the effort.
After nearly two days of conducting the Son La provincial Defensive Zone Exercise 2026 with urgency, seriousness, and high responsibility, the Military Region 2 Exercise Steering Committee, in coordination with local authorities, held the closing ceremony of the exercise on June 10.
The Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Son La province (VFF Son La) on June 10 held talks with a delegation from the Lao Front for National Construction (LFNC) chapters of Bokeo and Oudomxay provinces.
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