Vietnamese agricultural products have now ranked among the world's top exporters and are present in many major markets. However, behind these impressive growth figures, the challenge lies in increasing the value of agricultural products within the supply chain. And deep processing technology combined with a circular economy model is the solution.

The paradox behind billion-dollar export figures.

In an overview report on the agricultural sector at the technology demonstration and networking event themed “Deep Processing Technology for Agricultural Products: Increasing Value - Expanding Markets Towards a Circular Economy ,” Dr. Tien Tien Nam, Director of the Experimental and Practical Training Center at Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry and Trade, stated that in 2025, Vietnam's export turnover of agricultural, forestry, and aquatic products will reach over 70 billion USD, with agricultural products alone accounting for over 37 billion USD. Thanks to this, Vietnam has become one of the top 10 agricultural exporting countries in the world.

However, Dr. Tien Tien Nam also pointed out a major paradox: Vietnam's deep processing rate remains very low, at only about 23%. The majority of Vietnamese agricultural products are still exported in raw or fresh form (52%) or only minimally processed (25%). Compared to other countries in the region, our deep processing rate lags far behind Malaysia (44%), Thailand (over 50%), and China (68%). This means that the added value generated is not truly commensurate with the production potential.

Another serious "bottleneck" is the post-harvest loss rate. According to data provided by Dr. Tien Tien Nam, the estimated losses due to post-harvest losses in the agricultural sector amount to 3.5 to 4.1 billion USD annually. In particular, the fruit and vegetable sector alone has a loss rate of 20-40%, significantly higher than the regional average (only 10-20%).

Furthermore, the estimated amount of agricultural by-products in 2025 is approximately 156 million tons, but the recycling and reuse rate is extremely low, only reaching 10-35%. This amount of by-products and losses could even translate into an equivalent of about 104 million tons of CO2 emissions, creating significant pressure in the context of increasingly stringent emissions and carbon footprint requirements in international markets (such as Europe and the US).

The inevitable path to enhancing the value of agricultural products.

Commenting on the importance of addressing these bottlenecks, Dr. Thai Doan Thanh - Vice Rector of Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry and Trade, emphasized that agriculture is one of the sectors that contributes significantly to Vietnam's GDP. Agricultural products, especially post-harvest processed products, are of great importance to the economy; therefore, Vietnam must invest heavily in this sector to enhance product value.

Dr. Thai Doan Thanh shared that post-harvest deep processing technology will be a crucial direction to increase the competitiveness of Vietnamese agricultural products in the coming period. To achieve this, close cooperation between the three "stakeholders" (the state, universities, and businesses) is key to solving problems related to the development of science and technology and creating practical value. Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry and Trade is promoting research and innovation activities in the field of food processing, closely linked to businesses, markets, and the circular economy orientation.

From the perspective of management and technology transfer, Mr. Vuong Dinh Thanh - Acting Director of the Information, Statistics and Application Center for Advanced Science and Technology of Ho Chi Minh City, believes that in the context of a market increasingly demanding quality, traceability and sustainable development, deep processing technology is a crucial link to enhance competitiveness.

According to Mr. Vuong Dinh Thanh, deep processing not only helps improve product quality, reduce post-harvest losses, and optimize raw materials, but also opens opportunities for Vietnamese agricultural products to participate in higher-value supply chains. At the same time, the application of the circular economy model will open up new avenues for effectively utilizing by-products and developing green agriculture.

To achieve this goal, the Center is constantly innovating its technology networking activities to better meet the actual needs of businesses.

"We hope that technology networking activities will not only focus on introducing solutions, but also create more opportunities for businesses to access, evaluate, and gradually integrate technology into their production processes," Mr. Thanh shared.

It is clear that deep processing is not simply about creating a new product, but rather a strategy for businesses to improve quality, extend shelf life, mitigate seasonal risks, and meet the stringent standards of the global market. Investing systematically in technology and effectively utilizing the research-application network will be the most complete solution to Vietnam's agricultural export challenges in the future.

Source: Vietnam.vn