Processing technology extends the “Lifespan” of agricultural products

As international agricultural markets impose increasingly stringent requirements on quality, traceability, and sustainability, deep processing has emerged as a critical pathway for enhancing the value of vietnam’s agricultural sector.

According to Associate Professor, Doctor Pham Anh Tuan, Director of the Institute of Agricultural Engineering and Post-harvest Technology, applying advanced preservation technologies could extend the storage life of agricultural products by 1.5 to two times compared with current levels. This improvement allows many types of fruits and vegetables to be transported by sea rather than relying on air freight, which carries significantly higher costs.

In practice, air freight costs can be five to seven times higher than sea transport. Extending shelf life through post-harvest technologies therefore enables businesses to significantly reduce logistics expenses while expanding access to distant markets such as europe and north america.

Several fruit exporters have already successfully adopted post-harvest treatment technologies combined with modern packaging and cold storage solutions. As a result, the shelf life of many fruits, including lychee and mango, has nearly doubled, enabling shipments in refrigerated containers instead of the air transport previously required.

However, experts note that one of the current weaknesses of vietnam’s agricultural sector remains the cold chain supply system. Cold storage infrastructure, preservation facilities, and refrigerated transport remain insufficient and unevenly distributed across production regions.

At the same time, the proportion of enterprises investing in advanced processing technologies remains relatively limited. Many agricultural products are still exported in raw or minimally processed forms, resulting in modest value addition.

From a business perspective, many companies have proactively invested in deep processing technologies to enhance product value. Speaking to reporters from the Newspaper of Industry and Trade, Nguyen Thi Yen Ha, head of research and development at the Asia Food Chemicals Joint Stock Company, noted that the food industry is evolving rapidly, and vietnamese technology is gradually catching up with global trends.

According to Ha, the company has developed several preservation additives capable of extending product shelf life to as long as two years, meeting the standards of demanding markets such as europe and the americas.

Meanwhile, Ninh Van Man, director of the factory at the Binh Minh Agricultural Products Investment Production Co., Ltd., said the company is focusing on developing freeze-dried agricultural products. This technology preserves the nutritional value and natural flavor of raw materials while extending shelf life to up to one year.

As a result, the company has greater flexibility in sales and exports to markets such as japan and europe.

“For fresh agricultural products, storage time typically ranges from one week to one month, which makes them vulnerable to price pressure. Once processed, products can be stored for much longer, allowing businesses to better manage market conditions and increase product value,” Man said.

Similarly, Pham Hoc Thanh, Deputy Director of the Dong Giao Food Export Joint Stock Company, noted that international markets are increasingly favoring convenient processed foods that still maintain high nutritional value.

According to Thanh, investment in processing can raise the value of agricultural products by 30 - 50%, and in some cases even double their value compared with exporting them in fresh form.

In recent years, Dong Giao has made significant investments in fruit and vegetable processing technologies while expanding modern packaging lines. The company has gradually shifted from metal packaging to environmentally friendly paper-based containers in response to the growing trend of green consumption.

Toward a sustainable agricultural value chain

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, vietnam generates approximately 156.8 million tonnes of agricultural by-products each year. If effectively utilized, these by-products could be processed into a wide range of high-value products such as functional foods, bio-based materials, animal feed, and organic fertilizers.

Technologies for extracting bioactive compounds from agricultural products and by-products, including polyphenols, proteins, and cellulose are opening new development pathways for the processing industry.

Utilizing agricultural by-products not only increases production value but also promotes a circular economy in agriculture, reduces emissions, and improves the efficiency of biomass resource use.

Vietnam’s exports of agricultural, forestry, and fishery products have also shown positive momentum. In the first two months of 2026, total export turnover of the sector reached approximately USD 11.3 billion, up 17.1% compared with the same period last year. Agricultural products continued to play a leading role, contributing USD 6.09 billion.

Experts believe that, in the long term, investment in preservation technology and deep processing will help vietnam’s agricultural sector shift from exporting raw materials to exporting higher-value products. This transformation will strengthen competitiveness and enable deeper integration into global value chains.

Amid intensifying competition in agricultural trade, extending the “lifespan” of agricultural products through advanced preservation and processing technologies is not merely a technical solution but a key strategy for enhancing value and expanding markets for vietnamese agricultural products.