Since the beginning of the year, Son La’s Steering Committee for Agricultural Production, Processing, Distribution, and Export (Committee 598) has proactively coordinated efforts to address bottlenecks and support farmers in production, processing, and sales, particularly during peak harvest season.

Authorities have conducted on-site meetings and launched trade promotion initiatives, including an OCOP market livestream for Phieng Khoai hau plums, and showcased local produce at cultural events. Strawberries and hau plums have made their way onto Vietnam Airlines flights and into major retail chains such as Saigon Co.op, BigC, and WinCommerce.

Son La has actively taken part in plum and agricultural produce weeks in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, while participating in 14 trade fairs and exhibitions both domestically and abroad to broaden market reach. At the same time, authorities are embracing technology, guiding businesses in listing products on e-commerce platforms, and providing livestream sales training.

In parallel, local authorities and cooperatives have been directed to work with businesses to sustain production and secure raw material zones supplying fruits and vegetables to major processing firms such as Doveco, Nafoods, and ICFood. They have also provided support in legal procedures related to growing areas, packaging facilities, and international cooperation activities.

Vu Tien Dinh, Deputy Director of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Environment, said the department is tightening oversight of growing area codes to meet export requirements. It has also coordinated with the crop production and plant protection department and importing countries’ agencies to inspect growing areas and packaging facilities upon request.

Data on growing areas and packaging sites is regularly updated on the national system, while producers are being guided to use the digital platform farmdiary.online to manage raw material zones in real time.

The province currently maintains 216 growing area codes, including 211 designated for export, covering nearly 2,912 hectares, and 16 for domestic quality control, along with eight packaging facility codes for mango, longan, passion fruit, macadamia, and others.

Deep processing is regarded as a key to enhancing the value of agricultural products. A milestone for the sector, Dong Giao Foodstuff Export JSC (Doveco) has inaugurated Vietnam’s first Tetra Recart carton canning line for fruits and vegetables using Swedish technology. The new facility is located at the Doveco Son La Fruit and Vegetable Processing Centre.

Dinh Cao Khue, Chairman and CEO of Dong Giao Foodstuff Export JSC, said the new Tetra Recart line has a capacity of 6,000 cartons per hour, allowing for extended shelf life while preserving flavour and nutritional value, meeting the standards of demanding export markets.

Since the start of the year, the centre has purchased and processed 10,775 tonnes of fruits and vegetables, including 4,125 tonnes of mango, 4,000 tonnes of pineapple, 350 tonnes of passion fruit, 750 tonnes of sweet corn, 50 tonnes of edamame, and 1,500 tonnes of assorted produce.

In the first seven months of this year, Son La sold more than 277,100 tonnes of fruit, reaching 54.4% of its full-year target and generating nearly 2.9 trillion VND (110.62 million USD). Key fruit categories saw strong demand.

Specifically, plum sales topped 100,000 tonnes, raking in nearly 1 trillion VND, including 2.5 tonnes exported to the EU. Mango sales reached 94,312 tonnes - 94.3% of the yearly plan - yielding over 570 billion VND. Banana sales hit 41,010 tonnes, valued at more than 160 billion VND, while 9,308 tonnes of off-season longans in Song Ma were sold.

Nguyen Thanh Cong, Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee and head of Committee 598, said Son La is stepping up the application of science and technology, deepening crop specialisation, and improving product quality. The province is also working to strengthen linkages between farmers, businesses, and scientists in pursuit of a green, sustainable agricultural sector.

Current priorities include timely harvesting and distribution of in-season longan, strict management of raw material zones, and intensified trade promotion.

Strong leadership, coupled with coordinated efforts in trade promotion, deep processing, and quality control, has boosted the value of local produce and opened new opportunities for farmers and businesses to expand into global markets.