An Assessment of Longan Production Development in Son La Province, Vietnam

Longan is among Vietnam’s most important fruit crops, playing a vital role in both economic development and rural livelihoods. It is extensively cultivated across northern and southern provinces, making a substantial contribution to farmers’ income and local economic growth (Hau & Hieu, 2019). Beyond meeting domestic demand, longan has increasingly become a valuable export commodity, thereby strengthening Vietnam’s reputation in the global fruit market (Viet & Quoc, 2018). Furthermore, longan cultivation promotes agricultural diversification, generates rural employment, and contributes to poverty reduction, particularly in mountainous provinces such as Son La.

Longan cultivation in Son La province was introduced spontaneously during the 1960s–1970s, primarily to meet household consumption needs (Pham Minh Ha, 2018). Over the past decade, however, the crop has expanded rapidly, with the cultivated area increasing from 7,900 hectares in 2015 to over 19,000 hectares in 2023, producing more than 138,000 tons (Son La Provincial Statistics Office, 2024). This growth has elevated longan to the position of the largest fruit crop in Son La, and the province has become the leading longan-producing region in northern Vietnam (Hung et al., 2020). Beyond its economic value, longan is considered a strategic crop for poverty reduction and rural development, particularly in Song Ma district, which alone accounts for over 7,500 hectares of production (Son La Provincial Statistics Office, 2024). Nevertheless, longan production continues to encounter significant challenges. Unstable climatic conditions, frequent pest and disease outbreaks (Hanh et al., 2019), limited adoption of VietGAP and GlobalGAP standards, inadequate infrastructure, and weak linkages in marketing constrain its development (Nguyen Mau Dung, 2020). In this context, this study seeks to provide a comprehensive assessment of the current state of longan production in Son La, identify major constraints, and recommend strategic solutions to foster more efficient and sustainable growth in the coming years.

METHODOLOGY

Secondary data on longan cultivation area, yield, production, and consumption were collected from the Son La Statistical Yearbook, as well as summary and sectoral reports issued by the Provincial People’s Committee, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, and the Department of Industry and Trade. In addition, the study conducted focus group discussions with local officials, farmers, and longan cooperatives, together with structured interviews of 72 farming households in Song Ma and Mai Son districts—the two largest longan-producing areas in the province. These activities aimed to gather insights into both opportunities and challenges in longan production and marketing, and to identify practical solutions for sustainable development. Descriptive statistics and comparative analysis were employed as the main analytical methods in this research.

RESULTS AND DICUSSIONS

Current status of longan production in Son La province

Change in longan cultivation area during 2015-2024 period

Although longan cultivation was first introduced to Son La during the 1960s–1970s by migrant households from Hung Yen who came to reclaim land and develop local livelihoods, large-scale development of the crop has only taken place in recent years. This expansion has been strongly driven by provincial policies, including the implementation of Conclusion No. 121-TB/TU (November 30, 2015) of the Standing Committee of the Son La Provincial Party Committee on fruit tree cultivation on sloping land by 2020; Resolution No. 28/2017/NQ-HDND (March 15, 2017) of the Provincial People’s Council on support for garden rehabilitation and fruit tree planting; and Resolution No. 80/NQ-HDND (April 4, 2018) approving the provincial master plan for fruit tree development to 2020; Resolution No. 128/2020/NQ-HDND (February 20, 2020) promulgating on policies to encourage investment in agriculture and rural areas in Son La province.

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Figure 1: Changes in Longan Cultivation Area in Son La Province, 2015–2024

(Source: Son La Provincial Statistics Office, 2025)

According to the report of the Son La Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the total fruit crop area in the province (including Docynia indica, locally known as Son Tra) reached over 73,000 hectares in 2024, of which longan accounted for about 20,000 hectares, or 27% of the total fruit crop area (Fig. 1). The cultivated area of longan in 2024 was 2.5 times higher than in 2015, with an average annual growth rate of 110.7%. Nevertheless, the share of longan in the province’s total fruit crop area has shown a declining trend, largely due to the rapid expansion of other fruit crops, which increased 3.1 times during 2015–2024. The rapid expansion of both fruit crops in general and longan in particular has mainly resulted from crop conversion policies, whereby sloping land previously used for upland rice, maize, and cassava has been shifted to fruit cultivation to improve economic returns. Specifically, during 2015–2024, approximately 1,000 hectares of upland rice, nearly 9,000 hectares of upland maize, and about 100 hectares of cassava land were converted to longan cultivation.

Table 1: Changes in Longan Cultivation Areas by Districts During 2015-2024 Periods (Ha)

(Source: Son La Provincial Statistics Office, 2025)

The data presented in Table 1 indicate that longan is cultivated across all districts and cities of Son La province. During the period 2015–2024, the cultivation area of longan increased in all districts and cities, with Song Ma emerging as the district with the largest longan-growing area in Son La. Notably, Song Ma also recorded the most extensive land conversion to longan cultivation, totaling 3,378 hectares. In addition to Song Ma, longan has been extensively developed in other key districts such as Mai Son, Yen Chau, and Moc Chau. It can thus be asserted that longan has become one of the principal fruit crops in many districts of Son La province.

The predominant longan varieties cultivated in Sơn La include Hung Yen variety, early-ripening cultivars (PH-S99-1.1, PH-S99-2.1), and late-ripening cultivars (PH-M99-1.1, PH-M99-2.1). In recent years, an increasing number of farming households have adopted staggered and off-season fruit production strategies to enhance economic returns. In 2024, the total area dedicated to staggered and off-season fruit cultivation exceeded 500 hectares, of which nearly 250 hectares were allocated to longan, accounting for approximately 50%.

Development of Organizational Forms in Longan Production

In Sơn La province, longan cultivation is predominantly undertaken by farms, smallholder households, agricultural cooperatives (HTX), and a limited number of companies and enterprises. In recent years, an increasing number of fruit-growing households and farms—particularly those engaged in longan production—have established fruit cooperatives, facilitated by the support of local authorities, with the aim of fostering more efficient and sustainable fruit production. As of 2024, Son La had more than 200 fruit-growing cooperatives, representing over 40% of all agricultural cooperatives in the province and marking an 8.73-fold increase compared with 2015. In addition, there were 14 companies involved in fruit cultivation. Among these, 135 cooperatives and four companies were directly engaged in longan production (Table 2).

Table 2: Number of Agricultural Cooperatives Engaged in Longan Production in Son La Province

(Source: Son La provincial Department of Agriculture and Environment, 2025 and authors’ calculation)

Most agricultural cooperatives do not possess land of their own; instead, their production land is contributed by cooperative members. In addition to sharing knowledge and supporting one another in production to improve product quality, cooperatives play an essential role in seeking markets for the consumption of members’ products. However, cooperatives also face significant challenges. The majority of them do not have dedicated headquarters—often using the director’s private residence as their office—while their physical facilities and equipment remain very limited. Furthermore, cooperative management boards are largely composed of farmers, which creates substantial difficulties in implementing cooperative activities, particularly in relation to market access and product distribution.

Application of Science and Technology in Longan Production

In recent years, Sơn La province has actively tested and introduced into production 20 high-yield and high-quality fruit varieties with suitable growth periods, aimed at extending the harvesting season and enhancing product value. Among these are two late-ripening and two early-ripening longan cultivars. In addition, the province has implemented policies to encourage the application of grafting techniques and the replacement of low-yield, low-quality local longan varieties with improved cultivars. Support is provided in the form of a one-time subsidy for the purchase of planting materials, not exceeding VND 50 million per project or production plan, and financial assistance for graft-based orchard rehabilitation (Resolution No. 28/2017/NQ-HĐND, dated March 15, 2017, of the Provincial People’s Council on regulations regarding subsidies for the rehabilitation of mixed orchards and the cultivation of fruit trees).

By the end of 2019, graft-based orchard rehabilitation had been supported for 25,943 households; financial assistance was also provided for the establishment of 640 hectares of newly planted fruit orchards and 10 fruit-tree nurseries across districts and cities, with total funding amounting to VND 16.8 billion. Many longan-producing households benefited from these support programs to improve their orchards. In parallel, several households and cooperatives invested in expanding water-saving irrigation systems (e.g., drip irrigation) for their fruit orchards. The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in Son La province, in coordination with district-level agricultural extension agencies, has also strengthened farmer training programs. These primarily target households with large fruit orchards that are capable of adopting and investing in advanced technical innovations, while also serving as demonstration models to disseminate production knowledge to other farmers in the region. Specialized technical training and study visits to demonstration models on fruit cultivation, orchard management, and harvesting practices have been organized for organizations and individuals involved in concentrated fruit production in the province. Since 2019, Sơn La has further promoted and implemented organic production models, with longan designated as one of the seven fruit crops selected for development.

Development of Safe Production Chains and Production Area Codes in Longan Cultivation

In order to meet the increasing demand for high-quality fruit products from consumers as well as from demanding export markets, many cooperatives and fruit-growing households have adopted production processes compliant with VietGAP and GlobalGAP standards. In parallel, they have applied for production area codes to enable product traceability and have established linkages to develop safe fruit supply chains. By the end of 2024, the province had 178 safe fruit supply chains, covering a total area of 3,657 hectares and yielding approximately 44,720 tons per year. The major products included mango, longan, plum, dragon fruit, custard apple, passion fruit, strawberry, and avocado. Compared with 2016, the number of safe supply chains increased by more than 150, the cultivated area expanded by over 3500 hectares, and production output rose by over 40.000 tons. Specifically for longan, there were around 20 safe production supply chains, concentrated primarily in Sông Mã district, which accounted for 15 chains with a combined area of around 200 hectares and an annual output of approximately 1,500 tons.

In accordance with the Regulation on the certification of aquaculture, crop, and livestock products produced and preliminarily processed in compliance with Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), issued under Circular No. 48/2012/TT-BNNPTNT dated September 26, 2012, by the end of 2024, a total of around 100 enterprises and cooperatives engaged in fruit production in Sơn La had been granted VietGAP certification, covering 1,500 hectares of various fruit crops. Among these, nine cooperatives specialized in longan production with a cultivated area of approximately 173 hectares. Despite these efforts, the proportion of fruit cultivation areas certified under Good Agricultural Practices remains relatively modest, accounting for only about 1.65% of the province’s total fruit-growing area. This limitation can be attributed to fragmented terrain, scattered fruit cultivation plots, the prevalence of intercropping systems involving multiple fruit species, and generally low production capacity, which together constrain the ability of producers to meet GAP standards.

In addition, to comply with the traceability requirements for fruit exports through official trade channels in importing countries, Sơn La province has recently intensified the implementation of production area codes. By December 2024, a total of 216 codes had been issued, covering approximately 3,000 hectares. Among these, 205 codes were allocated for export markets, including 105 for China, 31 for the United States, 39 for Australia, nine for New Zealand, three for the European Union, and three for other destinations. Notably, 108 codes were designated specifically for longan production. Despite this progress, the overall area certified with production codes remains relatively limited, largely due to the stringent criteria governing code approval. These include a minimum production area of six hectares for each certified zone, the requirement to cultivate a single fruit crop, and strict regulations regarding orchard management, pesticide application, harvesting, and post-harvest handling. Moreover, farmers’ awareness and understanding of traceability standards for export markets remain constrained, further limiting the broader adoption of production area codes (Son La DARD, 2024).

Trade Promotion and Market Development

Son La province has made notable progress in strengthening the branding and market positioning of its longan products. In 2017, the province successfully registered and obtained certification for the Song Ma Longan brand, alongside the implementation of broader brand development strategies for Sơn La longan and the acquisition of certification trademark protection in China. Building on this foundation, the province has actively undertaken a series of trade promotion and market development initiatives designed to expand longan consumption both domestically and internationally. These initiatives include the Week of Longan and Safe Agricultural Products at the Sơn La City Trade Center, the Week of Sơn La Longan and Safe Agricultural Products at Big C Thang Long Supermarket in Hanoi, and the Conference on Promoting the Consumption of Sơn La Longan at the Vietnam Fruit Experience Center in Pingxiang, Guangxi, China. Between 2019 and 2024, further large-scale promotional events were held, such as the Week of Safe Agricultural Products, the Week of Safe Longan, the Song Ma Longan Festival, the Export Launch Ceremony of Son La Mango and Longan, and the Conference on Promoting the Export of Safe Agricultural Products to the Chinese Market in Lang Sơn province. Collectively, these efforts have played a pivotal role in enhancing the visibility, reputation, and competitiveness of Son La longan, thereby fostering stronger consumer trust and integration into global value chains.

Results of Longan Production and Market Performance

Within the total area currently under longan cultivation, approximately 16,848 hectares (accounting for 85%) are in the harvesting stage. Longan output has continuously increased in recent years and is projected to rise further as newly planted areas enter their productive phase. In 2023, total longan production reached 138,108 tons, which is 3.35 times higher than the 2015 harvest, with an average annual growth rate of 116.7% during the 2015–2023 period (Table 3). On average, longan yield in Sơn La province is around 9 tons per hectare, while cooperatives adhering strictly to technical standards can achieve yields of 15–18 tons per hectare. With farm-gate prices ranging from 10,000 to 20,000 VND per kilogram, one hectare of longan can generate revenues between 90–180 million VND per year, and in cases of high-yield, high-quality production, revenues may reach up to 400 million VND per year. Longan production has thus become a major source of employment and income for numerous farming households across Sơn La province

Table 3: Longan Production and Exported Quantity in Son La Province, 2018–2023

(Source: Son La Department of Agricultue and Rural Development, 2024)

Longan produced in Sơn La is primarily consumed domestically through direct sales to enterprises, cooperatives, and individual or organizational buyers within the province, from where it is distributed to the northern provinces such as Hanoi, Lang Son, Quang Ninh, Hai Phong, Nam Dinh, and Thanh Hoa. In recent years, due to trade promotion and marketing activities, Son La longan has also been incorporated into the distribution networks of major supermarkets, including Big C, Lotte, and Hapro. Moreover, since 2017, Sơn La longan has been exported to several international markets, primarily China, as well as the United States, France, Japan, Singapore, and Cambodia, with exported longan accounting for approximately 3–10% of total provincial production. Nevertheless, the number of companies engaged in longan export remains limited, and a significant proportion of exports continues to occur via informal cross-border channels.

Challenges in Longan Production Development in Son La Province

Despite significant achievements in the development of longan production, the sector continues to face substantial challenges. Insights drawn from focus group discussions with farmers and local officials, alongside interviews with longan-producing households and cooperative representatives in Son La (Table 4), reveal that the primary constraints affecting longan production encompass multiple dimensions, including structural, technical, and market-related factors. These challenges not only limit the efficiency and productivity of longan cultivation but also constrain the sector’s capacity to fully capitalize on domestic and international market opportunities.

Table 4: Key Challenges in Longan Production Development in Son La Province

(Note: 1 = Very difficcult; 2= Quite difficult; 3 = Normal; 4 = Quite favourable; 5 = Very favourable)

(Source: Farmers’ survey, 2024)

+ Natural conditions: while Son La benefits from a large area suitable for longan cultivation and significant diurnal temperature variation that enhances fruit quality, farmers face considerable challenges. The fragmented and terraced terrain, limited access to irrigation water, and the recent occurrence of frost and cold damage due to climate change have negatively affected both productivity and product quality. Moreover, Son La’s considerable distance from Hanoi and key border gates, coupled with an underdeveloped transportation infrastructure, further increases the costs of transporting longan to major consumption markets..

+ Longan Farmers’ knowedge and skills: the majority of longan-growing households in Sơn La are ethnic minorities residing in remote areas. As a result, their awareness and technical skills in longan cultivation remain limited, with production largely following traditional practices based on personal experience. The transfer of scientific knowledge, technical innovations, and market information to these farmers also faces significant challenges.

+ Quality management of crop varieties and agricultural inputs: most farmers independently purchase seedlings, fertilizers, and plant protection products from local suppliers. However, monitoring and quality control of these inputs at the supplier level remain challenging. The use of multiple longan varieties within concentrated production areas, combined with the application of fertilizers and pesticides that are not properly regulated, results in inconsistent fruit appearance and quality, as well as potential food safety risks. These issues complicate the issuance of production area codes and hinder the development of safe and traceable longan production chains.

+ Investment capital for longan production: the development of fruit cultivation in general, and longan production in particular, requires substantial financial resources, with relatively long payback periods and considerable risks. Most longan-growing households, however, are located in remote areas and consist predominantly of ethnic minority communities with limited economic means. Accessing bank loans is often difficult, as farmers face stringent collateral requirements, short loan terms, and limited loan amounts. The lack of sufficient capital also restricts the adoption of advanced cultivation techniques and high-tech applications in longan production by both individual farmers and cooperatives.

+ Linkages in longan production and marketing: the number of processing factories and enterprises participating in the longan value chain and export activities in Son La remains limited, and contract-based sales account for only a small proportion of total production. Although the number of cooperatives has increased rapidly in recent years, most are formed through member-contributed land and operate primarily as cooperative groups without dedicated offices, often using the home of the cooperative leader or a member as their headquarters. The management capacity of cooperative boards and accountants remains limited, and they face shortages of capital and production-related equipment. Consequently, the cooperatives’ ability to coordinate production, connect members to markets, and expand product distribution remains constrained and faces significant challenge

+ Access to Agricultural Production Support Policies: although numerous support measures for fruit cultivation, including longan, have been implemented and yielded tangible benefits, the beneficiaries of many of these policies are primarily cooperatives with cultivation areas of 10 hectares or more. Consequently, smallholder farmers and cooperatives with less than 10 hectares of longan cultivation are largely unable to access these supports. Accessing export-related assistance also remains challenging due to stringent requirements such as formal economic contracts, official customs documentation, and export invoices, whereas most farmers and cooperatives lack the capacity to engage in direct export activities.

Key Solutions to Promote Sustainable Longan Production in Son La Province

- Development of concentrated longan production zones: It is essential to finalize and publicize the planning of concentrated longan production areas within the province, thereby encouraging farmers to consolidate fragmented plots and shift to longan cultivation in designated zones. Farmers in these planned areas should be incentivized to invest in varietal improvement through grafting, adopt safe production practices, and establish cooperatives that meet requirements in terms of production scale and food safety standards, enabling them to register planting area codes for product traceability. Furthermore, the promotion of contractual linkages between processing and exporting enterprises and longan-growing cooperatives or households should be prioritized, thereby fostering sustainable and efficient longan production chains.

- Strengthening state management of plant varieties and agricultural inputs: Greater emphasis should be placed on inspection and supervision of seedling suppliers, alongside the establishment of high-quality, disease-free nurseries to ensure the provision of reliable longan varieties for both new plantations and grafting-based orchard renovation. At the same time, state management over input suppliers—including fertilizers and plant protection chemicals—should be reinforced in order to safeguard food safety standards in longan production.

- Enhancing investment in infrastructure towards synchronization and gradual modernization to support production, processing, and marketing: It is necessary to upgrade inter-provincial, inter-district, and inter-communal transportation systems to ensure that vehicles can conveniently access production areas, thereby reducing transportation costs and minimizing post-harvest losses. In addition, continued investment in the upgrading or construction of new irrigation works is essential for water storage and supply during periods of drought, which in turn contributes to improved productivity and product quality. Investment should also be directed towards facilities for preliminary processing, packaging, preservation, and processing of longan in compliance with quality standards, thereby supporting sustainable production, consumption, and export of longan in the province.

- Improving the capacity of longan farmers: Efforts should be made to raise farmers’ awareness of food safety and compliance with regulations when engaging in contractual linkages with enterprises. Agricultural extension services need to be strengthened, with training programs aimed at improving technical skills in production, harvesting, preliminary processing, and product preservation. Furthermore, farmers should be equipped with knowledge of market dynamics and e-commerce in order to cope with marketing challenges, while also adapting to the development of the digital economy in the coming period

- Promoting trade and product marketing: Greater emphasis should be placed on coordinating with relevant agencies of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, as well as local authorities in other provinces and cities, to organize trade promotion conferences and product showcases in major domestic and international markets. At the same time, trade promotion activities within Son La province should be maintained, such as the Song Ma Longan Festival and the Safe Longan Week. Support should also be provided to enterprises and cooperatives to facilitate their participation in product promotion events, brand development, and the establishment of quality standards for fruit products, thereby meeting domestic and export market requirements regarding quality, design, and specifications.

- Improving support policies for longan production and consumption: It is necessary to review and refine policies that support both the production and consumption of longan, as well as other fruit crops, with particular attention to ensuring that longan farmers can effectively access such policies. At present, more than 50% of longan cooperatives operate on a scale of less than 10 hectares, making them ineligible for support under existing regulations. Therefore, it would be appropriate to reconsider the size-based eligibility criteria so that a greater number of longan cooperatives can benefit from policy support. In addition, regulations on support for enterprises, cooperatives, and farmers engaged in fruit export should be revised and simplified, thereby reducing administrative procedures and facilitating easier access to these support measures.

CONCLUSIONS

In recent years, the area under longan cultivation in Sơn La province has expanded rapidly, making it the largest longan-growing province in northern Vietnam. By 2023, Son La’s longan area reached 19,729 hectares with an output of 138,000 tons, representing increases of 2.5 and 3.35 times, respectively, compared with the area and output in 2015. Longan has become the province’s leading fruit crop, making a significant contribution to job creation and income generation for farming households. In addition to individual farmers, longan is also produced by 135 cooperatives, 4 enterprises, and 16 certified safe longan production chains. Various trade promotion and product marketing activities have been implemented to foster domestic consumption and strengthen exports. Nevertheless, longan production in Sơn La still faces numerous challenges, including fragmented and mountainous terrain, insufficient irrigation water, underdeveloped transportation infrastructure, limited financial capacity of farmers, inadequate technical skills and market knowledge, weak linkages between farmers, cooperatives, processing enterprises, and distributors, as well as shortcomings in supportive policies for longan development. To promote sustainable longan production in the coming period, several key solutions are required, including: (i) the development of concentrated longan production zones; (ii) strengthened state management of plant varieties and agricultural inputs; (iii) enhanced investment in infrastructure for production, processing, and marketing; (iv) capacity building for longan farmers; (v) intensified trade promotion and product marketing; and (vi) improvement of policies supporting longan production and consumption.

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