Northwest Vietnam forges regional links to take control of agricultural value chains

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At the Forum on Connecting Agricultural and Forestry Production and Trade in the Northwest region, a representative from the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Son La Province stated that the locality currently has nearly 120,000 hectares of fruit trees and long, term industrial crops, with yields reaching 510,000 and 102,000 tonnes respectively. Key crop areas such as mango, longan, plum, coffee, and tea have expanded significantly since 2016, helping Son La become one of Vietnam’s leading agricultural provinces.

The province now boasts 216 plantation area codes for export, 201 safe product supply chains, over 5,500 hectares meeting VietGAP standards, and nearly 30,000 tonnes of sustainably certified coffee. Processing and distribution have also developed rapidly, with nearly 560 processing facilities, thousands of longan drying sites, and modern cold storage systems facilitating access to major supermarket chains and e, commerce platforms.

However, challenges remain. The mountainous terrain results in dispersed production and high logistics costs, while climate change affects yields and crop quality. Low off, season planting rates, inconsistent crop varieties, limited deep processing, and underdeveloped packaging continue to hamper exports. Furthermore, long, term contract linkages between businesses and farmers are weak, land is degrading, and mechanisation lags behind.

According to Ms. Cam Thi Phong, Deputy Director of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Environment, Son La aims to stabilise 90,000 hectares of fruit trees and 25,000 hectares of coffee by 2030, replanting with high, quality varieties, expanding VietGAP, certified areas, increasing the use of water, saving irrigation systems, issuing more plantation codes, and boosting deep processing rates. The province also calls on the Ministry to support international trade promotion and strengthen the "Son La Fruits" brand to enhance the competitiveness of the region’s produce.

Speaking at the Forum, Mr. Nguyen Thanh Cong, Vice Chairman of the Son La Provincial People's Committee, stressed that the true value of such forums lies in generating tangible, practical outcomes for the entire Northwest. He noted that Son La has effectively implemented a two, tier administrative model, which helps streamline procedures across its 75 communes and wards.

For example, agricultural services like plantation code registration, extension advice, animal husbandry, and plant protection can now be handled uniformly across all communes. "At Son La’s Agricultural Service Centres, all requests are received and resolved transparently according to state regulations," Mr. Cong said, adding that the system provides greater convenience for farmers and enterprises alike.

He described the forum as a bridge for regional provinces like Son La, Dien Bien, and Lai Chau to strengthen ties and avoid working in silos. “Son La has experienced many failures and challenges,” he said, “but the biggest lesson has been the importance of regional connectivity, information sharing, coordinated planning, and organised production.”

Mr. Cong called for greater involvement from major corporations and processing plants capable of large, scale material procurement and meaningful participation in building a sustainable, modern agriculture. “As provincial leaders, we commit to working with businesses to reform administrative procedures and create the most favourable investment environment, especially in the fields of agriculture, farmers, and rural areas”, he affirmed.

Son La, as a regional hub, hopes to drive technology transfer and the application of advanced science and techniques, helping Northwest agriculture grow in line with public expectations, the scientific community, and private sector aspirations. “My final message is this: only with unity can the Northwest prosper, not just in agriculture, but across its entire economy,” he concluded.

In his closing remarks, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Tran Thanh Nam commended the delegates for their insightful and heartfelt contributions, calling them practical suggestions for unlocking the full agricultural potential of the Northwest, a region rich in resources but facing many structural constraints.

The Deputy Minister urged local leaders to pay close attention to post, merger zoning following recent administrative restructures. He recommended a commune, by, commune review to identify core crops and appropriate production scales, which should then be incorporated into the region’s overall agricultural development plan.

According to him, building certified raw material zones is a fundamental requirement for participating in global supply chains. He cited Son La’s 50,000 hectares of certified pineapple and passionfruit plantations, with standardised varieties, infrastructure, and cultivation practices, as a successful model worth replicating.

Beyond zoning and production, provinces need to strengthen value chain linkages through integrated cooperation between businesses and farmers. Closed, loop production models with standardised inputs and outputs should replace fragmented, contract, based transactions.

He also emphasised the role of technology in enhancing deep processing capacity and post, harvest preservation. Cooperatives must work with major enterprises to build cold storage, sorting, and packaging facilities at the grassroots level to meet international quality standards.

To reduce production costs and improve competitiveness, the region should develop satellite facilities and commercial seed supply systems, while also upgrading its OCOP (One Commune One Product) offerings with unique local characteristics.

Regarding quality control and traceability, the Deputy Minister assigned the Vietnam SPS Office to coordinate with Customs and local authorities in updating and standardising plantation data. This step is crucial for ensuring transparency and facilitating agricultural exports.

“Whoever controls the raw material zones will control the entire agricultural value chain”, Deputy Minister Tran Thanh Nam concluded. More than a technical recommendation, this is a strategic direction for sustainable agricultural growth across the Northwest.