Vietnam's expanding fruit and vegetable exports are increasing demand for cold storage, which is becoming a strategic component in the value chain. However, the current cold storage network remains unevenly distributed, with facilities concentrated in selected southern areas while production regions lack on-site capacity.
Nguyen Thanh Tung, chairman of the board of directors of New Era Cold Storage Joint Stock Company in Phu An Thanh Industrial Park, Ben Luc commune, Tay Ninh province, said cold storage enables businesses to store goods, reduce pressure for urgent sales, lower costs, and improve export quality as markets tighten technical and carbon requirements. He noted that although demand is high, facilities are mainly concentrated in Tay Ninh due to expressway and seaport connectivity.
This concentration has resulted in excess capacity in infrastructure hubs, while fruit and vegetable production regions in the Central Highlands and the Mekong Delta continue to lack preservation infrastructure. Produce must be transported long distances for freezing and storage, increasing logistics costs, spoilage risks, and emissions.
Dang Phuc Nguyen, general secretary of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association, stated that demand for cold storage is rising in line with growth in deep processing and frozen exports. However, major growing regions, particularly in the Central Highlands, still lack adequate on-site facilities. After harvest, products are transported to other provinces for freezing, increasing transport costs and losses.
Nguyen said cold storage planning should prioritise raw material regions with suitable transport and energy infrastructure to minimise losses and improve efficiency. Facilities should align with agricultural production areas rather than be concentrated solely along logistics corridors or near seaports.
Tay Ninh is positioning itself as a regional logistics centre following administrative consolidation. New Era Cold Storage Joint Stock Company operates an automated facility with a capacity exceeding 110,000 pallets. Provincial authorities state the project supports fruit and vegetable exports and contributes to regional logistics development.
During a working visit, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Phung Duc Tien said that achieving a US$100 billion agricultural export target by 2030 requires improvements in quality, preservation, and deep processing. He stated that cold storage should be treated as essential infrastructure within production and export supply chains and integrated into overall planning to avoid fragmented development.
He added that facilities must meet green transition and digital transformation requirements in line with international standards.
Experts note that digital transformation, combined with compliance with environmental standards, will influence Vietnam's competitiveness in supplying agricultural products.
The focus for the sector is balanced development of cold storage linked directly to production regions, supported by transport, energy access, and modern technology, alongside appropriate investment policies.
Source: Vietnam+
