(E-Magazine) Krong Pac durian – From the garden to the world

In the Krong Pac area (formerly Krong Pac district, now including the communes of Krong Pac, Ea Knuec, Ea Kly, Ea Phe, Tan Tien, Vu Bon), durian trees "found their fate" when they were intercropped in coffee gardens in 2004, with 400 hectares of experiment in Ea Yong commune. Here, this tree quickly became a key crop, bringing economic value far surpassing its long-time friends such as coffee and pepper.

After just over two decades, the durian area of the whole region has reached nearly 9,000 hectares (accounting for about 22% of the total area of the whole province), of which 4,850 hectares are being harvested, with an estimated output of more than 106,000 tons in 2025, making Krong Pac the durian "capital" of Dak Lak. In that general picture, Ea Knuec commune has emerged as a model growing area. With an area of up to 5,100 hectares (accounting for about 60% of the durian area of the whole region) and an output of 55,660 tons, the whole commune has successfully built 29 growing area codes that meet export standards, with an area of more than 1,133 hectares. This is a solid foundation for the journey to the world .

However, what makes Krong Pac durian different is not only its yield. According to industry experts, durian grown in Krong Pac, with main varieties such as Dona and Ri6, has a distinctive flavor, more delicious than many durian growing regions in the country. In addition, the crop season in Krong Pac takes place from August to October every year, later than in the Southeast provinces, creating a strategic competitive advantage, helping Vietnam extend the durian supply chain to the world market.

“Good news travels fast”, for many years now, Krong Pac has become an attractive destination. Every harvest season, thousands of workers, businesses, and traders from other provinces flock here; long lines of container trucks carry durian from the villages to everywhere. The entire Krong Pac region seems to “wake up” with the bustling life of the billion-dollar industry.

If it only stops at output, durian of this land will hardly enter the "big playground", so it is necessary to build a brand. With the efforts of the government, in 2022, fresh durian of Krong Pac was officially granted a collective trademark certificate by the Department of Intellectual Property named "KRONG PAC DURIAN - KRONG PAC DURIAN". This is a milestone affirming the legal value, elevating the brand and creating a "passport" for the product to enter the international market.

In the same year, the first Krong Pac Durian Festival was held with the theme “Raising the level of Krong Pac durian”, along with the important event of exporting the first official durian shipment to the Chinese market. The event became an important historical milestone, not only promoting the product image but also opening a new “history” for Vietnamese durian as well as Krong Pac durian. Immediately after the festival, the durian production value of the whole district reached about 6,000 - 6,400 billion VND, farmers’ profits reached 0.7 - 1.5 billion VND/ha and especially attracted more than 11,000 billion VND of registered investment capital in Krong Pac.

In 2024, the second Krong Pac Durian Festival will continue to be held on a larger scale, with the participation of many domestic and foreign experts. Not only is it a cultural and economic event, the festival also has political significance when conveying the message: Krong Pac wants to build a decent and sustainable agricultural ecosystem, helping durian "fly high and far".

In the journey of building that brand, it is impossible not to mention the pioneering role of new-style cooperatives. Clean Agricultural Service Cooperative is a typical example of boldness and perseverance. They are the pioneers in converting to an organic production model. This path is not easy, when faced with high investment costs, long transition times, and farmers' hesitation when initial productivity may decrease. However, with a long-term vision, the cooperative has steadfastly pursued its goal. They boldly applied soil nutrient measuring devices, smart agricultural solutions, and managed the organic farming process very closely.

Krong Pac durian is facing many new opportunities and challenges. In that context, Ea Knuec continues to pioneer digital transformation to meet export regulations and diversify consumption channels. In particular, Secretary of the Ea Knuec Commune Party Committee Ngo Thi Minh Trinh will join farmers in "live broadcasting" to sell agricultural products to bring Ea Knuec durian products closer to consumers. This is a new step in the project "Each commune, ward has a KOL - Bringing Dak Lak products and landscapes to the digital space".

“With the theme “Fragrant as the promise, sweet as the people’s hearts”, the livestream session selling durian is not simply “selling”, but also a practical class of the “popular digital literacy” movement, helping farmers get acquainted with e-commerce, bringing their village products to the large market. Thereby, farmers, especially ethnic minorities, have more motivation to be bold and creative in approaching new markets.

The image of a local leader becoming an “agricultural KOL” is strongly inspiring the farmers here. This shows the pioneering role, leading the digital transformation not only of enterprises but also from the commune level, from those who are directly involved with the farmers. This companionship has changed the awareness of farmers, making digital transformation an essential part of agriculture.

Not only Mr. Diem's household but also most local farmers have actively applied science and technology, built ecological production models, and cultivated safely according to the value chain. In particular, the durian growing area of Ea Knuec commune has contributed significantly to creating the overall reputation of the collective brand "Krong Pac durian - KRONG PAC DURIAN".