Vietnam: Commercial potato production paves the way for crop restructuring

Farmers can expand production with confidence

In the winter of 2025, Mr. Vu Ngoc Huu’s family, from Son Qua 5 village, Hiep Hoa commune, accumulated 5 hectares of land for cultivation, including 2.5 hectares under a potato production-consumption linkage program with Orion Vina Food Co., Ltd. By participating in this production linkage model, his family received a guaranteed purchase price of 8,500 VND/kg from the company. With an average yield of 800-900 kg, after deducting expenses, Mr. Huu’s family earned between 2.5 and 3 million VND per sao (approximately 1,000 square meters) of potato cultivation. Mr. Huu stated, "Since joining the production linkage program with the company, my family no longer has to worry about prices or markets. The company buys potatoes at a price above the market rate and pays promptly. In particular, the company’s agricultural engineers regularly provide technical guidance, helping my family implement advanced production processes and ensuring the quality and yield of our potatoes."

For the 2025-2026 winter-spring harvest, in addition to traditional potato farming methods, Mr. Doan The Anh’s family, from the Yen Lam neighborhood in Que Vo district, participated in a sustainable potato production-consumption linkage model implemented by PepsiCo Vietnam on 50 hectares. This model incorporated high-tech solutions and emissions-reducing agricultural practices. Instead of traditional potato cultivation, Mr. Anh received guidance on implementing various innovative agricultural solutions to ensure soil health, integrated pest and disease management, precision irrigation systems, fertilizer injection techniques, weather monitoring equipment connected directly to smartphones, and the use of drones to monitor the entire process, from planting to harvesting and pesticide application.

For the 2025-2026 winter-spring growing season, the entire province plans to plant approximately 1,000 hectares of potatoes using a production chain model and product buyback program. The main potato varieties for processing include Atlantic and Bliss; and for fresh consumption, Marabel, Diamant, Eben, Aladin, and Actrice. The average yield is expected to reach 18 to 20 tons per hectare, with an estimated annual production of 18,000 to 20,000 tons, stated Mr. Duong Duc Hong Tuan, Deputy Director of the Department of Agricultural Production and Plant Protection.

Mr. Anh commented, “Last winter-spring season, my family planted 10 hectares of potatoes under a program in collaboration with PepsiCo Vietnam. The new production model helps reduce labor, increase productivity, and improve quality. In particular, the potatoes are now free of pesticide residues, meeting the processing and consumption needs of individuals and businesses, both domestically and for export. Furthermore, the potato cultivation model, which utilizes high technology and mechanization, yields higher productivity than traditional methods. Specifically, potatoes produced using the sustainable model yield up to 36-37 tons/ha, 30% more than traditional methods. Economic efficiency also increased significantly, reaching VND 150 million/ha after deducting costs. Therefore, this winter-spring season, I decided to expand the planting area to 50 hectares.”

Great development potential.

For the 2025-2026 winter-spring growing season, the entire province will cultivate over 5,000 hectares of potatoes, primarily concentrated in the communes and districts of Que Vo, Bong Lai, Phuong Lieu, Nhan Hoa, Dao Vien, Tan An, Canh Thuy, Hiep Hoa, Tan Yen, Luc Nam, Son Dong, and An Lac. To expand production, in recent years, the Department of Agriculture and Environment and local authorities have actively supported farmers in finding and connecting with food processing companies to purchase their produce. The remaining production is bought and sold by private traders in neighboring and southern provinces and exported to China and Cambodia.

According to Mr. Duong Duc Hong Tuan, deputy director of the Provincial Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection, the plan for the 2025-2026 winter-spring harvest is to plant approximately 1,000 hectares of potatoes across the province under a production-buy-buy agreement. The main potato varieties for processing include Atlantic and Bliss; and for fresh consumption, Marabel, Diamant, Eben, Aladin, and Actrice. Average yields are expected to reach 18-20 tons/hectare, with an estimated annual production of 18,000-20,000 tons. With a short growing season (approximately 90-100 days), potatoes generate an income of 120-150 million VND/ha, with a profit of 60-80 million VND/ha, making them very suitable for winter-spring cultivation and aligning with the crop restructuring orientation in many localities.

Mr. Nguyen Quang Huy, Head of the Agriculture Department of Orion Vina Food Co., Ltd., representing the potato purchasing company, stated: "The demand for processed potatoes from Orion Vina is very high, averaging about 60,000 tons annually, but the amount of potatoes purchased domestically is not sufficient to meet the demand, and the company must import the remainder from other countries."

Practical experience demonstrates that winter-spring potato cultivation is one of the three production seasons that provide high income and economic efficiency for many farmers in various locations. According to an assessment by the Department of Agriculture and Environment, the entire province has between 5,000 and 7,000 hectares of arable land suitable for potato cultivation during the winter-spring season. Of this, between 4,000 and 5,000 hectares are planted in winter and between 1,000 and 2,000 hectares in spring, concentrated in areas with a high proportion of sandy loam soil and alluvial riverbanks. If production is systematically organized and a robust value chain is established, commercial potato cultivation has significant development potential, contributing to increased income and economic efficiency for farmers.

Source: https://baobacninhtv.vn/lien-ket-voi-doanh-nghiep-nang-hieu-qua-san-xuat-khoai-tay-postid437997.bbg