However, "hot" development, along with technical barriers from the import market, are posing great challenges, requiring an urgent, comprehensive strategy to maintain position and maximize export potential.
In less than a decade, Vietnam's durian industry has grown dramatically in both area and output. From just 32,000 hectares in 2015, the durian growing area nationwide has jumped to nearly 180,000 hectares by 2024 (a 6-fold increase). Output has also increased accordingly, surpassing 1.5 million tons by 2024, making durian one of the fastest growing fruit industries in the country.
Notably, durian trees in Dak Lak , which were originally intercropped in coffee gardens to generate additional income for farmers, have now become the main crop. The durian acreage in Dak Lak has risen to the top of the country with over 38,800 hectares (accounting for nearly 22% of the total durian acreage nationwide), with an output of 360,000 tons.
Notably, just two years after the Export Protocol with China was signed, the turnover in 2024 reached more than 3 billion USD, making durian a strategic agricultural export product, making an important contribution to the growth target of the agricultural, forestry and fishery sector.
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| Specialized agencies inspect the quality of fruits and orchards in growing areas in Krong Pac district. |
However, in the first 4 months of 2025, the durian industry faced a serious decline in both export scale and value. Specifically, it decreased by 71.3% in volume and 74% in value, causing Vietnam's market share in China to drop from 42.1% to 28.2%. One of the reasons is China's increased food safety control when requiring 100% testing of Vietnamese durian shipments, along with the suspension of growing area codes and packing facility codes when residues are detected.
Minister of Agriculture and Environment Do Duc Duy frankly pointed out that this is a warning signal about the imbalance between production growth and production organization capacity, between the increasingly high demands of the import market and the ability of domestic production to meet (especially in terms of quality). "If not restructured soon, the durian industry is at risk of losing the trust of customers and damaging the reputation of Vietnamese agricultural products," the Minister emphasized.
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| Durian gardens of households in Krong Buk district are in the young fruit stage. |
Mr. Nguyen Thien Van, acting Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, did not avoid acknowledging the current situation in Dak Lak, where the area is increasing rapidly but the rate of growing areas and packaging facilities granted export codes is still low. The application of science and technology in production is still limited, leading to uneven quality. Meanwhile, the value chain linkage is still loose and the production infrastructure is not synchronized, especially some violations of food safety and fraud in the use of growing area codes and packaging facilities have seriously affected the product brand.
"The synchronous coordination between ministries, branches, local authorities, businesses and farmers will be the key for the Vietnamese durian industry to overcome current challenges, not only maintaining market confidence but also enhancing value and affirming its position in the international arena" - Minister of Agriculture and Environment |
At the Conference on Sustainable Durian Industry Development (held on May 24 in Dak Lak), the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment said that it has worked with local authorities to implement a series of measures to reorganize production, strengthen management, and control the quality of durian products along the chain, from production to processing, packaging, and export.
At the same time, proactively working with the authorities of the importing country to remove difficulties, clear the flow of durian exports and have achieved initial positive results.
On May 21, 2025, the General Administration of Customs of China officially approved the addition of 829 growing area codes and 131 durian packing facility codes of Vietnam to be exported to this market, facilitating the durian export season in 2025.
This is proof that Vietnam does not sit idly by and wait, but is always proactive and receptive in international cooperation. The Ministry recommends that localities and relevant units focus on strictly controlling the issuance and use of growing area codes and packaging facility codes to ensure traceability regulations.
Minister Do Duc Duy emphasized the importance of comprehensively analyzing the causes of "hot" growth to clearly identify potential risks in quality management and traceability.
The Ministry is also drafting a circular guiding the management of codes for growing areas and packaging facilities, setting out strict technical requirements from cultivation conditions to food safety control. This is a necessary step to make the production process transparent and standardize, meeting international standards.
“In the coming time, a working delegation from the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment will work directly with the General Administration of Customs of China to resolve outstanding issues such as inspection procedures, customs clearance, control of growing area codes, and packaging facility codes, thereby creating favorable conditions for the export flow of Vietnamese durian,” the Minister added.
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| Staff of the Central Highlands Agricultural and Forestry Science Institute guide farmers on sustainable durian cultivation techniques. |
In order for the durian industry to develop stably and sustainably, in addition to the story of production and management, it is also necessary to support businesses to form a closed chain, in which it is necessary to encourage investment in cold storage, logistics centers and modern processing facilities. This is a key factor to improve the quality and competitiveness of products in the export market. Mr. Nguyen Thien Van and representatives of a number of businesses proposed to develop a project to develop high-quality durian associated with building a national brand, taking Dak Lak as a point. At the same time, complete the legal basis, regulations and standards for fruits. Along with that, establish food safety testing centers, plant quarantine centers and irradiation facilities right in Dak Lak to shorten inspection time, reduce costs for businesses and ensure product quality before exporting.
Source: https://baodaklak.vn/tin-noi-bat/202505/go-vuong-cho-sau-rieng-viet-nam-tren-dau-truong-xuat-khau-33c172e/
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