Elevating the value of Vietnamese fruit

From lush banana plantations in Bau Ham commune to a frozen-fruit processing plant in Xuan Dong commune, farmers and entrepreneurs in Dong Nai are adding value to local produce through production linkages, deep processing, and expanded export markets.

Dried banana fibers are made into handicraft products for export.

Their efforts are helping Vietnamese fruit compete in international markets while creating new opportunities for sustainable development in the local agricultural sector.

Bringing Dong Nai bananas to international markets

Amid lush stands of Cavendish bananas in Bau Ham commune, Ly Minh Hung, Director of the Thanh Binh Clean Agricultural Production and Consumption Linkage Cooperative, inspects each banana bunch ahead of the harvest. He has helped bring Dong Nai bananas to international markets while finding new ways to add value to the crop by turning banana plant by-products into products such as banana fiber and banana powder for export to Japan.

Born and raised in an area with a strong agricultural tradition, Hung realized early on that enabling farmers to make a living from their crops requires not only efficient production but also stable outlets for their products. This realization led him to spend years studying markets, learning from others' experience, connecting with businesses, and developing production areas that meet export standards.

After Cavendish bananas proved well adapted to local conditions and capable of meeting the requirements of demanding markets, Hung boldly expanded the growing area while encouraging local households to participate in linked production. To date, the raw-material area he has helped develop has expanded to nearly 500 hectares of bananas for export. Banana bunches grown under uniform production processes provide the cooperative with a stable source of income while also creating livelihoods for many local households.

But Hung has not stopped at exporting fresh bananas. He was concerned to see thousands of banana stems discarded after each harvest. To him, they were not waste but a source of raw materials with considerable potential. After repeated research and trials, the discarded banana stems have been processed into banana fiber for the handicraft industry and banana powder for export to Japan.

“I am also working toward establishing a craft village centered around bananas, where local people can both grow and process the crop to create a wide range of high-value products for domestic and international markets,” Hung said.

Frozen fruit for export

While Ly Minh Hung chose bananas, Truong A Vung, Director of Toan Thang Fruit Co., Ltd. in Xuan Dong commune, has opted to invest in processing to extend the shelf life of Vietnamese fruit.

Born and raised in Xuan Dong commune, Vung spent many years working in import and export before recognizing the significant potential of the fruit-processing industry. He then decided to invest in a processing plant, focusing initially on preliminary processing and freezing before gradually moving toward deeper processing.

According to Vung, Vietnamese fruit is of high quality and popular in many markets around the world. However, one of the industry's biggest weaknesses remains post-harvest preservation, which has not kept pace with the expansion of growing areas. During harvest seasons, bumper crops often lead to falling prices, preventing farmers from fully realizing the value of their produce.

Against this backdrop, since 2015, his company has shifted toward exporting seasonal fruits such as durian, mango, dragon fruit, pineapple, jackfruit, and rambutan in preliminarily processed and frozen forms. According to Vung, this approach helps extend shelf life, ease pressure on the market during harvest seasons, and preserve product quality until the fruit reaches consumers.

Vung recalled that one of the most difficult periods came when the COVID-19 pandemic broke out. With the movement of goods almost at a standstill, many types of fruit were at risk of spoiling because they could not be exported. Even then, his company continued purchasing, preliminary processing, and freezing produce, thanks to support from relevant agencies and local authorities. As a result, when export activities recovered, shipments were quickly brought to market, enabling the company to restore production, helping secure outlets for produce from local growing areas and generating capital for further investment and expansion.

According to Vung, Vietnam's fruit-processing industry still has considerable room for growth. In the next few years, the trend is expected to move beyond preliminary processing toward deeper processing to create higher value-added products and enhance competitiveness in international markets. The company is therefore investing in a deep-processing plant, including freeze-drying technology, to diversify its export products.

To realize this goal, Vung expressed his hope that relevant agencies would continue creating favorable conditions for businesses investing in fruit processing. At the same time, farmers need to develop clean growing areas, follow safe production standards, and minimize pesticide residues. Only when raw materials meet quality requirements can processed products compete effectively in demanding markets.

According to the Department of Agriculture and Environment, Dong Nai currently has more than 104,000 hectares of fruit trees. Several key crops, including mangoes, bananas, durians, and pomelos, continue to expand in terms of both cultivated area and production. As of June 2026, the city had 270 growing-area codes and 76 export packing facilities shipping products to markets including China, the United States, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and Thailand.

By To Tam – Translated by M.Nguyet, Minho