Dong Nai's largest durian export growing area

Enterprises visit the durian growing area for export at Phu Son Agricultural Service Cooperative (Phu Son commune, Tan Phu district). Photo: B.Nguyen

In particular, Phu Son Agricultural Service Cooperative (in Phu Son commune), although newly established, has gathered many members to invest in growing durian on a large area. Currently, this cooperative has developed about 480 hectares of durian, of which 350 hectares have been granted a growing area code for export to the Chinese market. This is the cooperative with the largest area granted a growing area code for export in the province, mainly the Dona variety.

Growing Dona durian specialty

Dona is the most famous durian specialty of Dong Nai, produced by a local enterprise and has been included in the national variety list. This specialty brand is not only known to domestic consumers, but Dona durian is also exported to demanding markets, most notably to the United States. The Dona durian brand is not only registered for intellectual property in Vietnam, but also in many countries around the world.

According to many durian farmers in the province, Dona durian is more difficult to care for than some other durian varieties. However, the soil in Phu Son commune in particular and Tan Phu district in general is quite suitable for the development of Dona durian. Phu Son commune and Tan Phu district are focusing on developing this specialty durian variety. This is a specialty variety with good quality, more difficult to care for than many other durian varieties, so the current selling price is much higher than the general market price. Specifically, Dona durian is purchased by traders at a price about 20 thousand VND/kg higher than Ri6 durian.

Thinh Bach Import Export Company Limited (in Ho Chi Minh City) is one of the durian exporting enterprises with large output. This enterprise is making efforts to connect with durian growing areas in the province to find a source of durian that meets standards to supply to the export market.

A representative of Thinh Bach Import Export Company Limited commented that Dona durian has a more delicious quality than many other durian varieties; a distinctive aroma, thick and dry durian flesh, the seeds can be separated from the flesh without sticking to your hands, and a rich sweet taste. In particular, the biggest advantage of this durian variety is that it can be stored for a longer time. Specifically, ripe Ri6 durian can only be stored for about 2 days, while Dona durian in a cool environment can be stored for 10 days and still be of good quality.

According to Chairman of Tan Phu District Farmers’ Association NGUYEN HUU PHUC, the district is rapidly developing durian acreage, especially the Dona specialty variety. The locality is looking forward to attracting methodical investment from export enterprises with the goal of long-term association with farmers, aiming for sustainable development.

Building large-scale, safe growing areas

Sharing the story of building a large-scale durian growing area, Mr. Tran Van Son, Director of Phu Son Agricultural Service Cooperative, said that the cooperative was established in 2022 and has 8 members. The cooperative has developed a durian area of ​​about 480 hectares, grown according to VietGAP process. Of which, 350 hectares have been granted a growing area code, the remaining area is continuing to be coded. In addition, the cooperative is cooperating with many durian farmers in other localities in the district to create growing area codes, building specialized durian growing areas according to the chain from production to consumption.

According to Mr. Tran Van Son, currently most farmers in the commune still mainly sell to traders in the form of garden rental. When traders rent gardens, there will be a situation where durian is priced high, traders will cut it early, and low price will cut it late. Cutting it early will not ensure the quality of durian, cutting it late will cause a high loss rate, all of which directly affect farmers who produce the product. The current difficulty is that Phu Son commune does not have a packaging facility, Tan Phu district has very few facilities for packaging durian for export. The cooperative has found land and is working on a packaging facility code with the goal of building a chain from production to packaging, and consuming products for members.

Mr. Nguyen Van Hien, a farmer with more than 3 hectares of Dona durian in Phu Son commune, shared: “When starting to grow durian, farmers are very interested in learning about planting techniques, care, and the process of making delicious, safe durian. Farmers have heard a lot about the story of cutting durian young, affecting the quality and reputation of Vietnamese durian in the export market. However, in the purchasing stage, traders have full control. Farmers really hope to have businesses to cooperate long-term and purchase products for farmers.”

Binh Nguyen

Source: https://baodongnai.com.vn/trang-dia-phuong/202505/vung-trong-sau-rieng-xuat-khau-lon-nhat-dong-nai-fd51bf5/