Winter-spring potato cultivation in Vietnam is expanding through production and consumption linkage programs involving food processors and growers, according to farmers and provincial authorities.
In the winter of 2025, the family of Vu Ngoc Huu in Son Qua 5 village, Hiep Hoa commune, consolidated 5 hectares for cultivation, including 2.5 hectares under a contract with Orion Vina Food Co., Ltd. The agreement guarantees a purchase price of VND 8,500 per kilogram, equivalent to about US$0.34 per kilogram. With yields of roughly 8 to 9 tons per hectare, Huu's family earned between VND 25 million and 30 million per hectare, or about US$1,000 to US$1,200, after costs. He said, "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 to 2026 winter-spring season, the family of Doan The Anh in the Yen Lam neighbourhood of Que Vo district joined a potato production model implemented by PepsiCo Vietnam on 50 hectares. The system uses integrated pest and disease management, precision irrigation, fertilizer injection, weather monitoring via smartphones, and drones for crop observation and pesticide application.
According to Duong Duc Hong Tuan, deputy director of the Department of Agricultural Production and Plant Protection, around 1,000 hectares of potatoes are planned under buyback programs during the 2025 to 2026 winter-spring season. Processing varieties include Atlantic and Bliss, while Marabel, Diamant, Eben, Aladin, and Actrice are grown for fresh consumption. Average yields are projected at 18 to 20 tons per hectare, with total output estimated at 18,000 to 20,000 tons.
Anh said, "Last winter-spring season, my family planted 10 hectares of potatoes under a program in collaboration with PepsiCo Vietnam." He added that yields reached 36 to 37 tons per hectare, about 30% higher than traditional methods, with net returns of around VND 150 million per hectare, or about US$6,000, after costs. This led him to expand planting to 50 hectares.
Province-wide, more than 5,000 hectares of potatoes are planned for the winter-spring season, mainly in Que Vo, Bong Lai, Phuong Lieu, Hiep Hoa, Tan Yen, and Son Dong. Remaining volumes are sold through private traders or exported to China and Cambodia.
Nguyen Quang Huy of Orion Vina Food Co., Ltd. said, "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."
Authorities estimate 5,000 to 7,000 hectares of arable land are suitable for winter-spring potato cultivation, depending on soil and location.
Source: Vietnam.vn / ArgenPapa
