Helping Gia Lai durian reach further markets.

(GLO) - Durian is a highly profitable crop, but it also carries many risks, especially in terms of the consumer market.

The fact that many durian export shipments to China have been returned due to failing to meet the country's technical trade barriers has highlighted the need for immediate action to ensure the durian industry's continued progress in the export market.

Challenges from technical barriers to trade

Over the past 3-4 years, durian has become a "shining star" in Vietnam's agricultural export market. Potential markets such as Taiwan, the United States, South Korea, Japan, and China are opening up many export opportunities for this product.

However, opportunities always come with challenges, especially technical barriers to trade from importing countries such as: traceability, plant quarantine, pesticide residue levels, or post-harvest storage and processing conditions.

Producing durian according to organic and VietGAP standards will create a source of quality products and gradually build the Gia Lai durian brand. Photo: VT

According to information from the Department of Quality, Processing and Market Development ( Ministry of Agriculture and Environment ), China has reduced its durian imports by approximately 30% since the beginning of the year compared to the same period last year.

The main reasons are the poor quality control of Vietnamese durian, the detection of contamination with heavy metals like cadmium and auramine O (a toxic chemical commonly used to color food and artificially ripen durian, with a high risk of causing cancer), and fraudulent planting area codes.

In response to this situation, on May 23, 2025, the Prime Minister issued Official Dispatch No. 71/CD-TTg on a number of tasks to promote sustainable durian production and export. The dispatch requested ministries, sectors, localities, and relevant units to implement solutions to improve the quality, efficiency, added value, and sustainable development of the durian industry, especially to increase exports.

Following the Prime Minister's directive, the Provincial People's Committee also issued Official Letter No. 1449/UBND-NNMT dated May 28, 2025, requesting the Department of Agriculture and Environment to submit a document advising the Provincial People's Committee on promoting sustainable durian production and export in the province. This is an urgent issue requiring localities and producers to find solutions soon to promote the sustainable growth of this key fruit industry, especially as the durian harvest season is approaching.

According to Mr. Khong Van Nhat, Business Director of Vietnam Fumigation Corporation (VFC) in the Central Highlands region: To avoid durian being returned due to failure to meet food safety and plant quarantine regulations, farmers need to pay attention to product quality management, especially cultivation methods, preservation, and processing techniques to remove residual Yellow O and cadmium in durian.

Durian growers should choose high-quality, reputable input products and apply cultivation solutions in their orchards right from the soil preparation stage to reduce pesticide residue and cadmium heavy metals in their produce.

Regarding this issue, Mr. Tran Xuan Khai, Head of the Crop Production and Plant Protection Sub-Department (Department of Agriculture and Environment), said: The Sub-Department is implementing guidance and support for cooperatives, enterprises, and farmers in building and developing planting area codes, preliminary processing, packaging, preservation, and processing facilities for durian.

The Sub-Department also regularly conducts inspections and monitoring of the management and use of planting area codes and packaging facility codes that meet export requirements, promptly detecting and strictly handling cases of impersonation, fraud, and misuse of codes; raising awareness of compliance with laws, regulations, and standards regarding the management of planting area codes and the protection of the province's agricultural product brands.

Alongside guiding people to expand durian cultivation areas according to the plan, the agricultural sector has also promoted, encouraged, and supported people in implementing production according to standards aimed at export. By the end of May 2025, Gia Lai had been granted 67 durian growing area codes with an area of ​​1,539 hectares.

"Establishing and developing planting area codes not only helps with traceability and ensures compliance with importing countries' regulations on plant quarantine and food safety, but also guides people to act collectively, practice production according to common production processes; produce according to the standards and requirements of the consumer market, produce what the market needs, and use the market to adjust production," Mr. Khai emphasized.

Establishing the "three no's" standard.

The "three no's" standard for durian includes: no yellow O, no cadmium, and no ambiguous traceability. Mr. Le Van Thanh, Director of the Ia Mo Nong Agricultural Production, Trade, Service, and Tourism Cooperative (Chu Pah district), said: "The State needs to tighten the management of planting area codes to avoid confusion between products with planting area codes and products without planting area codes."

Units with products that meet standards and have registered growing areas should also benefit from different mechanisms in product consumption. Only then will we create incentives for individuals and units to participate in production according to standards and invest in quality.”

67 durian growing area codes have been issued in Gia Lai. Photo: VT

According to Mr. Thanh, for many years, the cooperative has strengthened its links with farmers to produce durian for export. Through these links, the cooperative has coordinated with relevant agencies to organize training and transfer production techniques to individual farmers. From there, it has gradually standardized production processes, moving towards establishing durian growing area codes for export purposes.

Currently, the cooperative has been granted 3 planting area codes for a total area of ​​124 hectares. The entire durian harvest is directly linked by the cooperative with an export company in Lao Cai province for export to the Chinese market. For the upcoming harvest, the partner company has committed to purchasing the entire durian production for export to China.

The province has approximately 8,350 hectares of durian orchards, mainly concentrated in localities such as Ia Grai, Chu Puh, Dak Doa, Mang Yang, Chu Prong, Duc Co, etc. With its favorable climate and soil conditions, along with a long-term vision, Gia Lai is gradually establishing itself as one of the pioneering localities in planning, production, and export orientation for durian.

Meanwhile, Ms. Tran Lam Phuong Tam, Director of My Hoang Gia Avocado Import-Export Co., Ltd. (Ia Grai district), said: The company is currently collaborating with local farmers to cultivate approximately 70 hectares of durian. Of this, 30 hectares have been granted planting area codes, and 5 hectares have been certified according to VietGAP standards.

Currently, the company is not yet eligible to export directly, so it has to go through an export company with a packaging code. It is expected that in about 2-3 weeks, the orchards that have been granted planting area codes and standard certifications will begin the durian harvest season.

“We are committed to producing goods for export. Therefore, right from the beginning of each season, the company has guided farmers on standardized production techniques according to a process, and everyone must strictly adhere to the procedures for using fertilizers and pesticides to ensure consistent product quality.”

"Specifically, before harvesting, the company conducts sampling and testing for pesticide residues in affiliated orchards to control the quality standards required by importing markets," Ms. Tam shared.

In about a month, the 2025 durian crop will be harvested on a large scale. With approximately 5,000 hectares of durian trees currently in production, the province's durian output is expected to reach around 75,000 tons. Therefore, successfully addressing the issue of standards and quality will open up opportunities for Gia Lai durian to reach further into the global market.

According to Mr. Doan Ngoc Co, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment: From a crop primarily for domestic consumption, durian has become a bright spot in Vietnam's agricultural export market, especially with official exports to China. Accordingly, the agricultural sector has disseminated information and guided producers, cooperatives, and businesses in the area to understand production standards.

Besides focusing on exporting fresh durian, processing frozen durian now opens up great opportunities, not only for export to China, but also to markets in several other countries. At the same time, durian can be processed into other products such as dried durian, cakes, candies, etc.

However, to develop this industry, it is necessary to strengthen the development of logistics systems, warehousing, cold storage, and transportation to reduce input costs and increase competitiveness.

Source: https://baogialai.com.vn/de-sau-rieng-gia-lai-vuon-xa-post328647.html