Stricter quarantine measures for durian after warnings from China.

ANTD.VN - The Plant Protection Department has requested localities and relevant units to strengthen inspection and supervision of durian growing areas and export packaging facilities following a warning from China.

The Plant Protection Department of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has issued a notice stating that it has received a notification from the General Administration of Customs of China regarding a shipment of fresh fruit (including durian and jackfruit) exported from Vietnam.

These shipments did not meet phytosanitary and food safety requirements, posing a risk to the reputation and brand image of Vietnamese agricultural products in the international market.

To control this situation, the Plant Protection Department requests localities and relevant units to strengthen inspection and supervision of growing areas and export packaging facilities. The Department also requests the development of plans and organization of food safety monitoring and quality standards for exported fruits at facilities that have been granted codes. Facilities that do not comply with regulations will have their growing area and packaging facility codes temporarily suspended.

At the same time, it is recommended that growing areas and packaging facilities strictly implement pesticide residue and heavy metal testing and traceability as mandatory conditions for granting and maintaining codes.

Durian fruit has just been warned by China for failing quarantine inspection.

For owners of planting area codes who do not directly export, they need to notify the provincial-level specialized agency of the expected export volume and the name of the exporting unit.

To support growing areas and packaging facilities in protecting their existing codes, the Plant Protection Department requests the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to notify and guide the owners of growing area and packaging facility codes that, in cases where they do not directly export but allow other organizations or individuals to export products from their growing area or packaging facility, they should send a written notification to the provincial-level specialized agency assigned to issue and manage the codes, stating the expected export volume from the growing area for the year and the name of the exporting unit.

After receiving notification from the owner of the planting area code and the export packaging facility, the provincial-level specialized agency will compile and send a report to the Plant Protection Department and update it in the database so that regional plant quarantine sub-departments can use it as a basis for plant quarantine procedures. This process will begin on January 20th.

To streamline management, the Plant Protection Department and regional plant quarantine sub-departments will no longer accept direct notifications from businesses, organizations, and individuals representing planting area codes or packaging facilities.

From January 20th, regional plant quarantine sub-departments will use consolidated reports from provincial-level specialized agencies as a basis for carrying out plant quarantine procedures for shipments not directly exported by the owners of growing areas and packaging facilities.

In late December 2024, the European Union announced it would increase the frequency of inspections of Vietnamese durian at the border from 10% to 20% starting January 8, 2025. This decision was made after the detection of pesticide residues exceeding permissible levels according to European standards.

In late December 2024, the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association issued an urgent notice strongly protesting the fraudulent activities of certain individuals who illegally copied the codes of durian growing areas and packaging facilities for export. These individuals used forged authorization contracts, seals, and signatures to deceive businesses and circumvent authorities, aiming to profit illegally and export durian to China.

In 2024, Vietnam's durian export value reached $3.3 billion, an increase of more than $1 billion compared to the previous year.

Source: https://www.anninhthudo.vn/siet-kiem-dich-sau-rieng-sau-canh-bao-tu-trung-quoc-post601013.antd