Export-oriented specialized cultivation zones attract businesses

Dong Nai is considered one of Vietnam’s major hubs for industrial crops and fruit production, ranking among the country’s leading localities in terms of cultivation area, output, and value.
Since being upgraded to a city and introducing more preferential policies to develop agricultural infrastructure, Dong Nai has become an increasingly attractive destination for businesses and major investors.

Chinese enterprises explore processed cocoa products at the Golden Cashew Festival held in Dong Nai City in 2026.

This new wave of investment is expected to provide momentum for the young city to realize its goal of developing a green, modern, and high-tech agricultural sector.

New wave of investment

One of Dong Nai’s major advantages is that its key agricultural products have already been clearly planned and organized into concentrated production zones and specialized farming zones. These areas produce export-oriented, high-value products that suit the natural conditions of each locality. To date, the city has established more than 300 concentrated production zones. As a result, despite being an industrial city, Dong Nai remains an attractive destination for agricultural investors.

Nguyen Nam Tu, Director of S.VN Investment Group Joint Stock Company based in Hanoi, said:

“Dong Nai City is one of the country’s largest raw material zones, offering abundant agricultural products, industrial crops, and fresh fruit. Therefore, our company has acted as a bridge to bring several Chinese investors to participate in the Conference on Connecting Consumption of Agricultural Products organized by Dong Nai City during the Golden Cashew Festival 2026.” According to Tu, participating investors included some of China’s leading e-commerce enterprises and large fuel corporations operating extensive convenience store systems and service stations. These companies came to Dong Nai seeking opportunities to cooperate and import agricultural products and fresh fruit. “We have signed memorandums of understanding with cooperatives and enterprises in Dong Nai to promote agricultural exports in general, particularly cashew products, to international markets, especially West Asia, Central Asia, and Russia,” he said.

Tu added that this week, the company will export its first 15 containers of durian sourced from northern cultivation areas of Dong Nai City to the Chinese market. “As concerns emerge regarding cadmium contamination affecting fruit production areas in the Mekong Delta, agricultural exporters, particularly fruit exporters, are shifting their focus toward the Central Highlands and the Southeast region, including Dong Nai City,” Tu explained. “To seize this major opportunity, local authorities must leverage geographical advantages and accelerate the development of planting area codes, export packaging facility codes, and agricultural traceability systems to transform Dong Nai into a major export-oriented production hub.”

Speaking at the Banana Export Ceremony and Agricultural Export Promotion Event held in early April 2026, Le Viet Binh, Deputy Chief of the Southern Office of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, said agricultural and fruit exports contribute significantly to Vietnam’s total agricultural export turnover. “Dong Nai is among the leading localities in developing commodity agriculture, with numerous industrial crops and fresh fruit products already reaching major international markets. Accelerating the development of planting codes, attracting investment in packaging facilities, and strengthening quality control are helping the city improve competitiveness and gradually meet international standards,” Binh said.

Creating an investment environment through policy

Following Dong Nai’s elevation to city status, businesses have placed high expectations on stronger investment in infrastructure supporting agriculture. In particular, businesses expect more comprehensive transport networks to facilitate container transport of export goods, alongside improved power infrastructure to support agricultural production, processing, and exports.

Dong Nai currently has more than 513,000 hectares of perennial industrial crops and nearly 100,000 hectares of fruit cultivation. Among these, key crops with export advantages and among the top in the country in terms of area include: over 176,000 hectares of cashew trees, over 23,000 hectares of durian, and over 20,000 hectares of bananas.

Lieu A Kieu, Director of Kelly Swangle International Co., Ltd., based in Ho Chi Minh City, commented: “Dong Nai is currently Vietnam’s banana export capital, and export-oriented banana cultivation areas continue expanding rapidly. Farmers here possess extensive cultivation experience and technical expertise.” The company plans to focus its investment in these specialized farming zones, including expanding hundreds of hectares of banana plantations with officially certified planting area codes. “Vietnamese bananas in general, and Dong Nai bananas in particular, are increasingly meeting international market requirements and performing well even in demanding markets,” she said. Beyond raw material development, the company also aims to invest in modern large-scale processing and export facilities located directly within cultivation areas. “We hope the new Dong Nai City will prioritize planning specialized export farming zones integrated with processing, packaging, and logistics facilities to create a favorable environment for businesses seeking long-term investment,” Kieu added.

Sharing similar expectations, Vu Thai Son, Chairman of the Dong Nai Cashew Association, emphasized: “Dong Nai is not only the country’s cashew capital but also a major center for cashew processing and agricultural processing industries.” According to Son, one of the industry’s biggest challenges remains its heavy dependence on imported raw materials. “The most sustainable solution is to develop specialized high-yield cashew production zones,” he said. He also called on local authorities in major cashew-growing areas to prioritize origin certification systems and simplify customs procedures, export documentation, phytosanitary procedures, VAT refund processes, and machinery import procedures.

By Binh Nguyen – Translated by Mai Nga,Minho