When considering sourcing farm produce from Vietnam or doing business locally, many people have come across the production-area name "Da Lat." Don't you find it curious why so many diverse vegetables and flowers come from a Vietnamese highland?
This article systematically explains, from the climatic background of Da Lat agriculture to the characteristics of its main crops and the latest trends in smart agriculture, information useful to people in agriculture and to food importers.
What kind of place is Da Lat?
Da Lat is a highland city located in Lam Dong province in southern Vietnam. Its altitude averages about 1,500 m. Even at the same latitude, it is free from the intense heat typical of the tropics, maintaining an annual average temperature of about 18–20°C.
With a location about 7 hours by car or about 45 minutes by plane from Ho Chi Minh City, access to the large southern consumption centers is also good. The population is about 220,000 (as of 2023), but it is also an industrial city supported by agricultural workers and related industries.
The benefits the highland climate brings to agriculture
There are three reasons why Da Lat's climate is suited to agriculture.
- Low temperature and low humidity: the occurrence of pests and diseases is suppressed compared with the tropical lowlands
- Day-night temperature difference: fruit with high sugar content and firm, tight vegetables grow easily
- A clear distinction between dry and rainy seasons: scheduling of planting is easy to manage
With these conditions overlapping, even temperate-climate crops that are difficult in Vietnam's other production areas can be cultivated.
Main crop ①: a varied lineup of vegetables
One of Da Lat's representative products is vegetables. Temperate vegetables such as lettuce, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots are central, and they are shipped stably throughout the year.
Worth noting is the scale of output. Lam Dong province as a whole reaches an annual vegetable output of about 2.7 million tonnes (2022, Lam Dong Province Agriculture Department data), making it a major supply source for Vietnam's domestic consumption.
Shipping destinations and characteristics of main vegetables
| Vegetables | Main shipping destinations | Characteristics |
|---|---|---|
| Lettuce and leafy greens | Domestic, South Korea, Japan | Low-pesticide cultivation is spreading |
| Broccoli | Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi | Year-round supply is possible |
| Carrot | For domestic processing | High sugar content and good coloring |
| Tomato | Domestic food service and processing | Introduction of high-sugar varieties is increasing |
export to Japan has also begun, in small amounts, and attention from importers is rising year by year.
Main crop ②: the rapid growth of strawberry cultivation
Da Lat is also called "Vietnam's strawberry homeland." This region handles the bulk of the country's strawberry production, with output at a level exceeding about 20,000 tonnes a year.
In addition to local varieties (Da Lat strawberries), varieties originating in Japan have also been introduced. Varieties of the "Sachinoka" and "Tochiotome" lineages have spread among local farmers, and quality is being raised across the board.
Changes in strawberry farming
Open-field cultivation was once mainstream, but a shift to greenhouse cultivation and elevated-bed cultivation is now advancing rapidly. The main aims are reducing disease risk and extending the harvest period. Combinations with tourist farms have also spread, and a new economic model has emerged in which tourists visit Da Lat for "strawberry picking."
Main crop ③: the international presence of the flower industry
Not only farm produce but also flowers are an important export item for Da Lat. Roses, gerberas, carnations, chrysanthemums and the like are said to be shipped at over about 3 billion stems a year (Lam Dong Province Flower Association, 2023).
The export destinations are mainly ASEAN countries, but in recent years exports to China, Japan, and South Korea have also been growing. With improved quality standards and the development of the cold chain, shelf life has improved.
Challenges and possibilities for flower exports
There are several hurdles to entering the Japanese market. Plant-quarantine inspection standards are strict, and transport costs are high. Even so, thanks to high cost-performance, inquiries about importing roses and carnations are increasing, and initiatives are beginning to appear.
Main crop ④: the artichoke, a distinctive specialty
One that cannot be left out when talking about Da Lat is the artichoke. As for why this Mediterranean-native vegetable took root in the Vietnamese highlands, it is said to be the influence of the French colonial era.
Da Lat artichokes are popular at home and abroad as a herbal tea made from the dried stems and flowers. With rising health consciousness, the market for beverages and processed goods using extracts is also expanding.
Annual output is estimated at a scale of about 5,000–7,000 tonnes, and it is an item for which import demand is emerging as recognition in Japan grows.
The state of smart-agriculture adoption
Da Lat has developed as a production area for temperate vegetables, but in recent years it has also drawn attention for the modernization of agricultural technology.
The Vietnamese government has made "agricultural digitalization" a national strategy, and Da Lat is one of its leading model districts. Smart farms combining drip irrigation, hydroponics, and IoT sensors are beginning to spread, especially among large-scale agricultural corporations.
Main smart-agriculture initiatives
| Technology | State of adoption | Purpose of adoption |
|---|---|---|
| Drip irrigation | Widely spread on large farms | Efficient use of water resources |
| IoT environmental sensors | Introduced on trial farms and by advanced farmers | Temperature, humidity, and CO₂ management |
| NFT hydroponics | Increasing on peri-urban farms | Year-round production of high-quality leafy greens |
| Drone pesticide spraying | On trial operation at some farms | labor shortages Response to |
Japan's JICA and Agritech there are also cases where companies take part in technical cooperation, and the trends are watched in the context of Japan–Vietnam agricultural cooperation as well.
Entry of young farmers
In contrast to rural areas where aging is advancing, in Da Lat there is an increase in returnees to farming in their 20s and 30s and in agricultural startups. Cases of young people from agricultural universities running smart greenhouses and working to obtain GAP certification also stand out.
This timing, when a rejuvenation of the workforce overlaps with technological innovation, is also a prime opportunity to bring in Japanese agricultural technology and materials.
Ties to Japan and the outlook ahead
The connection between Da Lat farm produce and Japan is gently but steadily deepening.
Moves by Japanese trading houses and importers to contract directly with local farms and bring some strawberries and vegetables into Japan accelerated from the 2020s. Clearing residual-pesticide standards and stabilizing transport quality are challenges, but the number of farms taking this on is increasing.
Meanwhile, Japanese farm-input makers and seed companies are expanding technology exports to Da Lat, and a model producing "locally grown, Japanese quality" farm produce is taking shape.
Summary
Organizing the characteristics of Da Lat agriculture, they come down to the following five points.
- The highland climate at an altitude of 1,500 m makes year-round cultivation of temperate vegetables and fruit possible
- Vegetables, strawberries, flowers, and artichokes give it high crop diversity
- Vegetable output of over 2.7 million tonnes a year makes it an important supply base within Vietnam
- As a leading region for smart agriculture technological modernization is underway
- Agricultural cooperation with Japan is expanding, with opportunities on both the export and technical-cooperation fronts
Da Lat, where climatic advantage and technological innovation overlap, is a production area that moves especially fast within Vietnamese agriculture. For those considering sourcing farm produce or finding a local partner, it is well worth putting this production area on your list of candidates.
At VN AGRI, we share the latest information on Vietnamese agriculture.
