Dong Nai – the city of national “capitals”

Dong Nai City is home to some of Vietnam’s most distinctive economic strengths, with several sectors earning recognition as national “capitals,” including industry, crop production, and livestock farming.

A view of Nhon Trach 5 Industrial Park (IP) in Phuoc An commune.

With a strategic location and an increasingly integrated infrastructure network, underpinned by strengths in transport connectivity, logistics, seaports, and international gateways such as Long Thanh International Airport, Phuoc An Port, and Hoa Lu International Border Gate, Dong Nai City is steadily emerging as one of Vietnam’s key growth poles.

The nation’s industrial capital

Dong Nai City has long been recognized as Vietnam’s industrial capital. At present, Dong Nai has 89 planned IPs covering more than 39,000 hectares. Of these, 58 IPs have been established, while 44 are already in operation, with an occupancy rate of 76%. Major IPs in the southern part of Dong Nai City have recorded high lease rates, whereas industrial parks in the northern area still offer considerable room for investors.

With access to all five transport modes: road, rail, inland waterways, maritime transport, and aviation, Dong Nai is leveraging its advantages to position itself as a major connectivity hub for both domestic and international investors. To date, the locality has attracted investment from 51 countries and territories, with more than 2,200 projects worth over US$45 billion. In domestic investment, the city has drawn more than 2,500 projects with registered capital nearing VND605 trillion.

Dong Nai City is also moving toward the development of additional IPs, with a focus on attracting high-tech and future-oriented industries.

Economic experts describe Dong Nai as a locality rich in potential, diverse in economic identity, and ambitious in its development aspirations. The concentration of multiple economic “capitals” across sectors, they argue, provides a solid foundation for the city’s ambition to become a modern, civilized, and livable urban center.

A major fruit-growing hub

Beyond its industrial strength, Dong Nai is widely viewed as the fruit-growing “heartland” of Southeastern Vietnam.

The city currently has more than 90,000 hectares devoted to fruit cultivation, with mango, rambutan, durian, and dragon fruit accounting for over 60% of the total area. Long Khanh rambutan and Tan Trieu pomelo were granted geographical indication status years ago. During the peak fruit season from May to July each year, many farmers across the city capitalize on the beauty of orchard landscapes to develop eco-tourism activities. Visitors can not only explore and experience fruit gardens but also learn about modern cultivation techniques while enjoying lush green surroundings.

To maintain and expand efficient cultivation zones, the former Dong Nai Provincial People’s Committee (now the Dong Nai City People’s Committee) issued Plan No. 206/KH-UBND at the end of 2025 on the development of key fruit and industrial crops for the 2025-2030 period. Under the plan, total fruit-growing acreage across the city is targeted to reach around 126,000 hectares by 2030, with annual output projected at 3.15 million tons. As for the five key fruit varieties, pomelo, durian, jackfruit, mango, and banana, their combined cultivation area is expected to exceed 94,000 hectares by 2030, generating an annual output of more than 2 million tons.

The country’s largest cashew-product export hub

Beyond fruit cultivation, Dong Nai is also home to major industrial crops, including pepper, rubber, cashew, and coffee, with a combined cultivation area exceeding 500,000 hectares. Under the city’s development plan, the total area devoted to these industrial crops is projected to remain above 420,000 hectares by 2030. At the same time, Dong Nai is charting specific development orientations for each crop, focusing on the formation of concentrated production zones.

Cashew is one of Dong Nai’s flagship industrial crops, with cultivation acreage ranking among the largest nationwide. The city also leads the country in cashew exports, accounting for nearly half of Vietnam’s total export volume. Reflecting the distinctive quality of its cashew kernels, Dong Nai’s cashew products from former Binh Phuoc Province received geographical indication status in 2018, reinforcing their long-standing reputation in international markets.

At present, Dong Nai has nearly 150,000 hectares of cashew plantations, generating an annual output of more than 247,000 tons. The city continues to expand cultivation areas for the crop, targeting 163,000 hectares by 2030, with projected annual output exceeding 293,000 tons.

Concentrated production zones are spread across 14 communes and wards, including Xuan Hoa, Xuan Loc, Dinh Quan, La Nga, Bu Gia Map, Phu Rieng, and Dong Phu.

To raise the value of exported cashew products, enterprises are continuing to modernize equipment and processing technologies, promote deep processing, and strengthen the value chain. Meanwhile, producers are diversifying value-added products from the cashew tree, including refined oil from cashew shells, alcohol distilled from cashew apple juice, plywood made from cashew wood, and products derived from shell residue. The goal is to gradually increase the deep-processing rate of cashew kernels to 25–30%.

The land of “white gold” in Vietnam’s Southeast region

With a cultivation area exceeding 285,000 hectares and an annual output of more than 468,000 tons, Dong Nai’s rubber sector also ranks among the country’s leaders, concentrated in localities such as Hon Quan, Dong Phu, Loc Ninh, and Xuan Duong.

In Dong Nai, rubber is more than just an industrial crop. It has long been regarded as a symbol of vitality and prosperity across the Southeastern region. For decades, rubber cultivation has sustained generations of residents and created jobs for tens of thousands of workers.

Visitors to Dong Nai, whether traveling along National Highway 20, National Highway 13, or the city’s internal road network, can easily spot vast rubber forests stretching across the region’s red basalt landscape. During the leaf-changing season, these forests transform into striking scenes of shifting colors and falling foliage, creating a distinctive landscape that leaves a lasting impression on travelers.

The livestock “capital”

If Dong Nai’s industrial parks, rubber forests, and lush fruit orchards have earned the locality the title of a national “capital,” its livestock industry is equally formidable, distinguished by large-scale production, widespread application of high technology, and an important role in the national food supply chain.

A high-tech egg-laying chicken farming model in Tan An commune. Photo: Binh Nguyen

After the administrative merger, Dong Nai City has gained even greater advantages in maintaining its position as the country’s livestock “capital.” The city ranks among Vietnam’s leading localities in pig farming, with a herd approaching 4.2 million pigs, while its poultry population stands at approximately 36.5 million birds. Dong Nai also holds strong advantages in attracting investment in animal feed production, breeding stock development, and veterinary medicine distribution systems. These sectors not only meet local livestock production needs but also supply products and services to numerous provinces and cities nationwide. To date, the city has established integrated livestock value chains and safe product distribution networks serving both domestic consumption and export markets.

Visitors to Dong Nai City can discover the distinctive strengths behind these economic “capitals” while experiencing local specialties that reflect the locality’s unique agricultural, industrial, and cultural identity.

By N.Lien – Translated by M.Nguyet, Minho