Which way for the durian industry to develop sustainably?: Opening the way for the durian industry (Final part)

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, durian is becoming one of the fastest growing and fastest exporting industries in Vietnam. Although it is the “king” fruit, Vietnam’s durian exports depend almost entirely on the Chinese market. This dependence makes export activities vulnerable to fluctuations in Chinese demand and policies. So, what should the State, farmers and businesses do to find a way to sustainably develop the durian industry?

Final episode: Paving the way for the durian industry

Reorganizing production, strengthening management and quality control of durian products along the chain from production to preliminary processing, packaging and export; diversifying export markets; strongly handling fraud in growing area codes and packaging facility codes;... are fundamental solutions to help the durian industry develop sustainably in the coming time.

Delegation of Department of Agriculture and Environment inspects packaging facility codes

Building green, sustainable agriculture

Recently, durian exports have encountered difficulties because partners discovered that some batches of Vietnamese durian were contaminated with Cadmium. Cadmium is extremely toxic, and even at low concentrations it can bioaccumulate in the body. People who swallow small amounts of Cadmium can experience immediate poisoning, causing vomiting, diarrhea, and more seriously, liver and kidney damage. This is one of the factors that cause cancer.

To control Cadmium in durian, former Director of the Long An Provincial Agricultural Extension Center - Nguyen Thanh Tung shared: “Through research, I found that Cadmium is contaminated by fertilizers, especially phosphate fertilizers. Therefore, to control Cadmium, functional sectors need to manage imported fertilizers. Besides, we have to find new sources of phosphate with better quality, ensuring that the Cadmium content does not exceed the threshold, because phosphate fertilizer is a mandatory factor to help durian flower and bear fruit. It is best for farmers to change their production practices, switching from using chemical fertilizers to organic fertilizers to balance the pH, dissolve phosphorus compounds to help plants absorb and re-feed beneficial microorganisms.”

Currently, the market for fertilizers and chemical pesticides is diverse in types and designs, making it difficult for farmers to distinguish between poor quality fertilizers and fertilizers containing cadmium levels exceeding the permitted threshold. Mr. Tran Thanh Phong (Tan Thanh commune, Tan Thanh district) said: My family grows 3 hectares of durian, of which 60% is fruit-bearing. Hearing the news that durian contaminated with cadmium cannot be exported, I am extremely worried because my family's income depends solely on durian trees.

I hope that the relevant authorities will strictly control and severely punish companies and businesses that trade in poor quality fertilizers and pesticides. Particularly for organic fertilizers, all levels and sectors must also inspect because in reality, many companies and businesses use sludge as fertilizer, while sludge can contain high levels of cadmium.

Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Quoc Khuong - lecturer at Can Tho University, said: For fruit trees such as durian and jackfruit, using chemical fertilizers and pesticides will help them grow very well and bear fruit quickly at first. However, in the long run, many diseases will appear in the garden, making it difficult to control, leading to weakened trees, loss of strength, and reduced productivity and fruit quality. Because overusing chemical fertilizers and pesticides will reduce the health of the soil. In particular, many compounds such as iron and zinc remain in the soil, cannot be dissolved, beneficial microorganisms gradually die, the soil is no longer porous, and loses nutrients.

To protect orchards and improve soil health, farmers need to switch from using chemical fertilizers and pesticides to organic and microbial fertilizers, because organic fertilizers contain many compounds that help dissolve chemical compounds, contributing to balancing soil nutrients and protecting human health.

Together with community responsibility

On average, every month, Huu Thang Trading and Service Company Limited (Chau Thanh District) exports about 200 container trucks of fruits such as dragon fruit, jackfruit, mango, and durian. Since the beginning of 2025, 8 container trucks exporting durian of the Company have had to turn back due to new regulations required by China.

Mr. Lai Tuan Kiet (representative of Huu Thang Trading and Service Company Limited) said: “Before harvesting, we randomly took durian samples to test for yellow O and Cadmium and found no signs. Normally, in May, which is the main fruit season, China begins to impose different policies, making it difficult for Vietnamese fruits to be exported to this market. In the coming time, the company will seek new markets, contributing to ensuring stable output for Vietnamese fruits.”

As soon as Chinese Customs banned the import of yellow O-contaminated durian, Hoa Cuong Fruit Import-Export Company Limited (Chau Thanh District) replaced all tools from processing to packaging. In addition, the Company also sent technicians to visit the garden, re-examine the production process and randomly take samples for testing. The Company hopes that companies, businesses and farmers will unite to create a sustainable chain from input to output, and should not chase profits and sell their brands, affecting the reputation of Vietnamese durian. If this can be done, Vietnamese durian will have a sustainable position in any market, not just China.

According to Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment - Dinh Thi Phuong Khanh, in recent years, thanks to its high economic value and large market demand, the area of ​​durian cultivation in the province has tended to increase. However, the Department clearly identifies its viewpoint of not encouraging widespread expansion of the area but will focus on planning suitable growing areas, based on soil conditions, quality of irrigation water sources, investment and care capabilities of farmers and actual demand of the consumer market. Only places with truly suitable conditions will encourage the development of durian in a systematic and controlled manner.

Currently, the Department is coordinating with localities to review durian growing areas, select areas with sufficient scale and synchronous cultivation to develop growing area codes. Along with that, the industry will organize guidance and periodically inspect processing and packaging facilities to ensure traceability, food safety and compliance with plant quarantine regulations of importing countries. At the same time, training on safe production processes, good agricultural practices (GAP), organic and biological production will be organized regularly and closely following reality. Each farmer, cooperative group and cooperative is encouraged to apply clean production processes, minimize the use of chemicals, improve fruit quality, thereby gradually building the Long An durian brand associated with prestige and reliability in the market.

“One of the core issues for sustainable development is controlling input materials, especially seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides. The Department will strengthen inspection, control, and guidance for people to use standard seeds and agricultural materials with clear origins, correct techniques, and at the right time. In addition, the application of information technology will also be focused on in production and consumption management. The Department will promote the deployment of software for managing growing areas, integrating electronic traceability, QR codes, electronic diaries, etc. to closely monitor the cultivation process, ensure transparency, and effectively serve state management and product quality supervision,” informed Ms. Dinh Thi Phuong Khanh./.

Le Ngoc - Bui Tung

Source: https://baolongan.vn/loi-di-nao-de-nganh-hang-sau-rieng-phat-trien-ben-vung-mo-loi-cho-nganh-hang-sau-rieng-ky-cuoi--a197613.html