China opens wider door to Vietnamese durian with nearly 600 new code approvals

Nguyen Quoc Manh, deputy director of the Plant Production and Protection Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, made the announcement at a conference on removing bottlenecks in the durian industry and building sustainable exports, organized in Hanoi by Tien Phong (Pioneer) newspaper on Thursday.

He said that the Chinese administration approved an additional 401 growing-area codes and 166 packing-facility codes for Vietnamese durians last week.

For durian exports to China, Vietnam now has nearly 1,600 approved durian growing areas and some 300 packing facilities in operations.

“The code approvals by the China side will help farmers and firms boost exports,” Manh stressed.

The country’s laboratory testing capacity is broadly sufficient to meet demand, including during the peak harvest season, said Phan Van Duy, deputy head of the National Authority for Agro-Forestry-Fishery Quality, Processing and Market Development under the ministry.

As of August 5, China had approved 50 Vietnamese laboratories qualified to test parameters such as cadmium and Auramine O, with a combined capacity of 10,000 to 13,000 samples per day.

Auramine O, a synthetic chemical used in industries like dyeing and wall painting, is prohibited in food production due to its harmful effects.

Also last week, China approved two additional laboratories.

Eight more laboratories are currently awaiting China’s review for new approval or reapproval.

“Compared with the same period last year, our laboratory testing capacity has increased roughly threefold,” Duy said.

“Our testing capacity is now very strong.”

To ensure transparency and prevent fraudulent or falsified test results, the ministry has issued detailed regulations and guidelines.

He said that his department’s view is that the entire process must be controlled, from sampling through to the issuance of final results, rather than simply checking test certificates.

Key technical measures include standardizing sampling procedures, applying digital systems to sample management, sampling and result issuance, while strengthening post-inspection activities and enforcement against violations.

No expansion of durian acreage, focus on quality

Regarding the future development of the durian industry, Manh said the country’s durian-growing area had expanded rapidly over the past five years, from 70,000 hectares to 195,000 hectares.

The current acreage is considered sufficient to meet demand.

Therefore, the Plant Production and Protection Department plans to refrain from expanding the planted area and instead focus on improving quality.

Many other countries are rapidly expanding the durian industry, so continued expansion of acreage and output at the pace seen in recent years could result in oversupply and an industry crisis.

The department has sent a dispatch to local authorities requesting that they prioritize quality control and refrain from further expanding durian acreage, Manh said.

Alongside quality control, Vietnam should focus on researching and developing new, higher-quality durian varieties, he said.

Currently, more than 90 percent of Vietnam’s exported durians are the Ri6 and Dona varieties.

It is vital to strengthen management of pesticide residues, heavy-metal residues and pests affecting durian production.