Aiming to build Son La into an agricultural processing center in the Northwest region
Son La is one of the largest agricultural regions in the country. In recent years, the province has focused on deep processing industry, aiming to build Son La into an agricultural processing center in the Northwest region.
By 2025, the whole province will have 560 factories and agricultural processing facilities (including 17 factories and 543 facilities); There are over 40 cold storages, contributing to extending preservation time, reducing post-harvest losses and reducing the pressure on consumption of fresh fruit products.
Thanks to increased deep processing, export value of Vietnamese agricultural products has continuously increased, contributing significantly to total export value of goods. However, agricultural processing activities in localities still face many limitations, causing situation of agricultural products having good harvests and losing prices to continue.
Therefore, in addition to reorganizing production and applying science and technology, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Tran Thanh Nam said that it is necessary to improve capacity of deep processing and post-harvest preservation, in which, management agencies and cooperatives need to continue to coordinate with large enterprises to build a system of preliminary processing, packaging and cold storage at cooperatives, cooperative groups and collection agents, ensuring quality of agricultural products according to market requirements.
Completing puzzle in deep processing
Completing puzzle in deep processing, on the morning of July 2, Tetra Pak, the world's leading corporation in the field of food processing and packaging, in cooperation with Dong Giao Food Import-Export Joint Stock Company (Doveco) officially inaugurated the Tetra Recart® paper box production line for fruits and vegetables with the first Swedish technology in Vietnam.
Mr. Adolfo Orive, Chairman and CEO of Tetra Pak, said that the launch of the Tetra Recart® production line is a meaningful step forward for the Vietnamese food industry. Through modern packaging technology, we support domestic manufacturers to improve product quality, improve operational efficiency and meet the increasing expectations of domestic and international consumers. At the same time, we contribute to shaping future of food industry in Vietnam.
New production line will package many types of high-end Vietnamese agricultural products such as sweet corn, pineapple juice, beans, etc. in lightweight, recyclable packaging. These products will be available in retail channels nationwide from July 2, 2025, providing consumers with a modern and sustainable packaging option.
In addition to the technological factor, the deployment of this line at Doveco's largest factory will support the consumption and export of local agricultural products, as well as create more job opportunities and promote the agricultural value chain of farmers and cooperatives in Son La and neighboring provinces.
Mr. Dinh Cao Khue, Chairman of Doveco, said that with Swedish technology, this paper packaging solution extends shelf life without the need for preservatives or refrigeration; high-speed processing combined with heat sterilization preserves flavor, structure and nutrition. The capacity of 6,000 boxes/hour optimizes operation, reduces packaging weight, cuts costs and waste and meets increasing demand for convenient, safe and sustainable products. Operation of the Swedish technology paper canning line takes place in the context of the strong growth of the Vietnamese food and beverage industry, expected to reach a scale of 96.68 billion USD by 2025 and continue to maintain a compound annual growth rate of 6.74% until 2030. In the context of the food and beverage industry constantly changing to meet the needs of consumers for convenience, quality and sustainability, innovations will play a particularly important role in this transformation process.
Vice Chairman of Son La Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Thanh Cong assessed that paper canned products meet 3 very important requirements in the processed food industry including: Environment; closed product line, product quality remains the same up to 99%; input costs in paper boxes may be higher than iron boxes, but in the overall production, it will reduce input costs, facilitate transportation, and strengthen the trust of people and businesses in the entire supply chain.
“Expected production of 6-8 million boxes per year will provide a new development direction for Doveco and Son La. The province is committed to accompanying businesses in building a production chain, developing Son La and Son La agriculture towards green agriculture, organic agriculture and a circular economy,” said Mr. Nguyen Thanh Cong.
The first paper canning line for vegetables and fruits with Swedish technology in Vietnam worth 4 million USD was officially put into operation at Doveco; at the same time, the first shipment of sweet corn packaged in paper packaging with Swedish technology in Vietnam was exported to the Japanese market, opening a new direction for the Vietnamese fruit and vegetable industry.
Experts say that the production area may not change but productivity, quality and level of deep processing will determine economic efficiency. Promoting deep processing not only helps increase export value but also contributes to expanding the market, reducing dependence on raw exports and improving the ability to adapt to fluctuations in the global market.

Source: Vitic/ congthuong.vn