Doveco Gia Lai - A Leading Agricultural Exporter in the Central Highlands
Doveco Gia Lai is a leading enterprise in the processing and export of agricultural products in Vietnam. With a large-scale and state-of-the-art processing plant in Gia Lai, Doveco aims not only to expand its market and increase exports but also to create sustainable employment opportunities for tens of thousands of farmers in the Central Highlands region by integrating them into the production and supply chain for the plant.
The Central Highlands is a region with enormous potential for agricultural economic development, particularly in the production of vegetables, tubers, and fruits for export. Additionally, this region is identified as a key area by the government for promoting investment and development to stabilize the livelihoods and improve the quality of life for its residents, especially for the ethnic minority communities living in the area.
Therefore, in recent years, alongside efforts to boost investment to help people use their economic models, develop livestock farming, and shift from small-scale farming to large-scale farms with high-value crops for export, the government and local authorities have also been calling on many capable enterprises to invest in Gia Lai Province for mutual development.
Seizing this opportunity, in 2018, Dong Giao Food Export Joint Stock Company (Doveco), swiftly invested in constructing a large-scale and state-of-the-art agricultural processing center in the Industrial Cluster and Small Industrial Zone of Mang Yang District, Gia Lai Province, with a total area of nearly six hectares.
The project is comprised of a complex of three modern factories equipped with state-of-the-art machinery and technology produced by Italy, Germany, and Japan. These include a concentrated fruit juice and ready-to-use puree processing plant with a capacity of 10,000tons per year, a frozen fruit and vegetable processing plant with a capacity of 10,000tons of products per year, and a canned fruit and vegetable processing plant with a capacity of 10,000tons of products per year.
Doveco Gia Lai has a large source of raw materials, ensuring sustainable processing for export demands. Photo: Thanh Hoa/VNP
Upon commencement of operations, the center was able to process approximately 300tons of passion fruit per day, 500tons of pineapple per day, and 200tons of mango per day. Additionally, the center can also process hundreds of tons of bananas, avocados, dragon fruit, sweet corn, peanuts, and sweet potatoes.
For instance, in 2021, despite facing numerous economic challenges due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the center still managed to produce over 32,800tons of various fruits and vegetables, achieving an export turnover of 68.95 million US dollars.
To ensure a stable supply of raw materials and create opportunities for local residents to participate in the production chain, Doveco has early prioritized the development of sustainable raw material areas. By partnering with local farmers, providing them with training, technical assistance, and support, Doveco aims to promote sustainable farming practices, improve agricultural productivity, and enhance the quality of agricultural products.
With a commitment to ensuring benefits for all parties, especially the interests of laborers, Doveco has entered into partnership agreements with over 500 households to cultivate various crops such as passion fruit, pineapple, pink peppercorns, soybeans, and bamboo shoots on nearly 4,000ha of land. These efforts are concentrated in the districts of Phu Thien, Kong Chro, Ia Pa, Dak Po, Ia Grai, Dak Doa, Mang Yang, Kbang, and An Khe in Gia Lai Province. Additionally, they are also expanding to source materials from other regions in the provinces of Kon Tum, Dak Lak, Dak Nong, and Lam Dong.
To encourage local residents to participate in the production chain with peace of mind, Doveco has provided farmers with high-quality seeds, fertilizers, and has transferred agricultural techniques. The enterprise has guided local farmers to produce according to food safety and hygiene standards to ensure that products meet the required standards from production to processing and export. It also offers support policies in case of risks, natural disasters, and is commited to purchasing the entire product output.
In addition to partnering with local residents, Doveco has also independently developed its own raw material areas to proactively serve its processing and export needs. Accordingly, Doveco has leased 250ha of land for passion fruit cultivation in Ia Grai District; implemented soybean cultivation models in the districts of Dak Doa, Phu Thien, and Ia Pa districts; pineapple cultivation in Ia Pa District; and sweet corn and water spinach cultivation in Mang Yang District and An Phu Commune (Pleiku City).
With abundant raw material sources and a large production capacity, Doveco's products are currently exported to 50 countries, focusing mainly on markets such as Japan (10%), the US (13%), Israel (27%) and EU (33%). Doveco's strategic export products include frozen pineapple (14.6%), canned pineapple (13.8%), concentrated pineapple juice (25%), concentrated passion fruit juice (24%), frozen lychees (8.5%), frozen plums (3.8%), water spinach (3.1%), and other products (7.2%). In the domestic market, Doveco's products are available in almost all major and minor supermarkets and hold a significant market share./.
Currently, Doveco Gia Lai has over 13,000ha of raw material areas in Gia Lai, Kon Tum, Dak Lak, Dak Nong, and Lam Dong provinces. It reaches an estimated annual revenue of 2,000 billion dong (78 million US dollars) and export turnover of 80-90 million US dollars, creating employment opportunities for tens of thousands of local workers in the agricultural sector and approximately 1,000 employees working directly at the factory.
Story : Thanh Hoa
Photos: Thanh Hoa/VNP & Doveco’s Files
Translated by Nguyen Tuoi