Can Tho starts US$ 6.3 mln agricultural processing plant

On August 1, Tam Ngoc Co., Ltd. held the groundbreaking ceremony for the Tam Ngoc Agricultural Processing Plant Project at Tra Noc II Industrial Park, Phuoc Thoi Ward, Can Tho City. The project covers an area of approximately 21,800 square meters with a total investment of about 160 billion VND (USD 6.3 million), and is expected to become a vital link in the Mekong Delta's agricultural value chain.

According to the design, upon completion, the factory will have a processing capacity of approximately 100-200 tons of raw materials per day, focusing on developing deep-processed product lines such as soft-dried fruits, Individual Quick Freezing (IQF), and freeze-drying. The initial phase is expected to reach about 4,000 tons of soft-dried fruits per year; subsequent phases will expand by an additional 2.000 tons of IQF products and 200 tons of freeze-dried products.

At the ceremony, Mr. Nguyen Le Duy Anh, General Director of Tam Ngoc Co., Ltd., stated that the enterprise is not merely investing in a factory to increase production capacity, but aims to build a modern processing foundation, enhance competitiveness, and take Vietnamese agricultural products deeper into global value chains.

According to Mr. Duy Anh, about 70-80% of the plant's revenue will come from exports, concentrating on high-demand markets such as the European Union, North America, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and the Middle East. The company aims to fulfill international standards regarding quality, food safety, and social responsibility, while developing a circular agriculture model linked to raw material zones, processing plants, and organic fertilizer production plants.

One of the project's highlights is its orientation toward forming a closed loop ecosystem, in which by-products generated from the processing procedure will be utilized to manufacture organic fertilizers to serve back the growing areas. This model helps reduce waste, improve soil quality, decrease dependence on chemical fertilizers, and lay the foundation for clean, traceable raw material zones.

Ms. Tran Ngoc Suong, Chairwoman of Ba Suong Group, highly appreciated the project's development orientation and stated that constructing a factory must be attached to raw material zones suitable for local soil and climate conditions. According to her, the enterprise needs to develop step-by-step, expanding raw material zones wherever the factory investment reaches, to ensure sustainability.

"The factory will serve as the development nucleus of the industrial park, tied to raw material zones and the partnership of local authorities," Ms. Suong emphasized.

Representing the local government, Mr. Nguyen Cong Duy, Vice Chairman of the Thoi Hung Commune People's Committee, stated that Tam Ngoc has contributed to resolving local employment and purchasing agricultural produce for local farmers. Thoi Hung Commune is gearing toward high-tech agricultural development and building concentrated raw material zones, and will continue coordinating with enterprises to form production-processing-consumption linkage chains.

According to Mr. Duy, the local administration will create favorable conditions within its authority for the enterprise to execute the project, while supporting connections with residents and raw material cultivation areas.

When operational, the project is expected to create stable employment for approximately 500-700 workers, while driving demand for transportation, packaging, materials, and other auxiliary services. The factory's large demand for raw materials will also contribute to forming linkage chains with cooperatives and farmers, providing stable outlets for fruits and agricultural produce across the region.

The groundbreaking of the Tam Ngoc Agricultural Processing Plant not only adds processing capacity to Can Tho City, but also opens a new direction in developing the processing industry linked with raw material zones, circular economy, and high-value exports, contributing to elevating the position of Mekong Delta agricultural products in the international market.

Can Tho city is the largest urban center in the Mekong Delta region and a centrally-governed municipality of Viet Nam, famous for the Cai Rang floating market, lush fruit orchards, and a rich network of rivers.

$ 1 = VND 26,490 - Source: Vietcombank.