(VOVWORLD) - Son La province has identified agriculture as a spearhead economic sector thanks to its vast potential and advantages, particularly in fruit cultivation. In recent years, the locality has rolled out a range of measures to create further breakthroughs in agricultural development, aiming for economic growth of 8% or more this year.
 Luong Van Quynh (R), Director of the Muong Sang Fruit Tree Cooperative, tends plump trees. (Photo: Thu Thuy) |
One of the most effective approaches Son La has implemented is to promote the establishment of agricultural cooperatives toward modern, large-scale, specialized commodity farming, while accelerating the adoption of advanced, high-tech solutions to create transformative change in agriculture.
Luong Van Quynh, Director of the Muong Sang Fruit Tree Cooperative, said that the cooperative was established in 2017 with 14 members but now they have 30. “Before forming the cooperative, farmers worked independently on small, fragmented plots, without shared technical guidance or market access. Following the establishment, we’ve connected with each other, learned from one another, improved cultivation methods, and reached more markets," said Quynh.
 Song Ma is the longan hub of Son La province, covering 7,600 ha. (Photo: Thu Thuy) |
As of June this year, Son La had 900 cooperatives in operation, 650 of which are in agriculture, and 6 agricultural cooperative alliances. Many of these cooperatives have recently modernized by incorporating value chains and close links between businesses, farmers, and markets.
Dinh Cao Khue, Chairman of the Dong Giao Export Food Company, said, "We’ve developed a wide range of partnerships, focusing mainly on agricultural production cooperatives and modern cooperatives. Based on these, we’ve established key raw material zones that ensure balanced benefits for farmers, cooperatives, and businesses."
Most agricultural cooperatives in Son La have adopted technical advances, followed VietGAP and GlobalGAP standards, set up registered growing area codes, expanded high-quality fruit tree cultivation, and are experimenting with new varieties in greenhouses and net houses.
Many fruit growing models have generated significant returns—tens of thousands of USD per hectare annually. Across Son La province, there are 20,000 hectares of fruit trees under safe production protocols. Lots of growing zones have been granted export codes to reach demanding markets like China, the US, Japan, and the Republic of Korea.
Tran Van Ngoc, Director of the Hung Loc Agricultural Services Cooperative in Chiềng Khương Commune—one of Son La’s largest longan-growing areas—said that Son La province has offered training for cooperatives in cultivation techniques and the scientific cycles needed for flowering.
“Cooperatives then share this knowledge with farmers. This coordination has helped Song Ma longans achieve outstanding quality. The local administration has also helped farmers adopt non-toxic processing technology, enabling dried longan to be easily exported abroad," according to Ngoc.
 Generating an annual output of 380,000 tons, Son La is the largest fruit granary in the north and the second largest in Vietnam. (Photo: Thu Thuy)
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In recent years, Son La has maintained its position as the largest fruit producer in northern Vietnam and the second largest nationwide and is considered a “national agricultural phenomenon”.
Nguyen Thanh Cong, Deputy Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, said the province is restructuring industries and sectors and revising its growth model toward the agricultural, forestry, and fishery sectors earning 3.38 million USD in 2025, up 4.9% from last year. He added this year, Son La has set 28 socio-economic targets, with clear objectives for agriculture.
“We now have 308 safe production chains and are aiming for 350, 213 growing area codes, aiming for 300; and 204 OCOP items, targeting 250. We plan to increase our 9 high-tech agricultural zones to 15. Out of 84,000 hectares of fruit trees, we aim for at least 60% to be cultivated under large-scale, clean production,” Ngoc noted. Son La also plans to make it the processing hub for agricultural products in the northern midlands and mountain region, said Ngoc.
Looking ahead, Son La will continue to develop agriculture through high-tech, safe, and organic farming, integrating digital transformation into production, processing, and distribution. The province will also strengthen the branding of its agricultural products, expand market reach, boost e-commerce trade promotion, and target sustainable export growth. In addition, capital, technology, and land policies will continue to encourage businesses, cooperatives, and farmers to invest in agricultural production, helping to achieve the GRDP growth target of 8% set for Son La this year.