Dak Lak Province currently has more than 15,000 hectares of durian. When the Chinese market starts to open for official import for this fruit, authorities, enterprises and farmers in the Province are ready to get a head start on the opportunity to enter this market.

The connection between enterprises and farmers

Dak Lak Province currently has more than 15,000 hectares of durian, accounting for 17.6% of Viet Nam’s durian growing area and is the province with the second largest durian growing area (after Tien Giang Province). Harvest output in 2022 is estimated at 150,000 tons and the output in 2025 is expected to reach 300,000 tons. With very suitable natural conditions, climate and soil, durian varieties which are grown in Dak Lak Province such as Ri6 and Dona have high economic value.

Leaders of the People's Committee of Krong Pac District visit the durian garden of Mr. Tran Van Chien in Jung Village, Ea Yong Commune.

Mr. Tran Van Chien's family (in Jung Village, Ea Yong Commune, Krong Pac District) has 4.7 hectares of specialized durian cultivation. Experiencing many difficulties and persisting with the Dona durian variety for more than 18 years, he said he was very pleased to know that China has allowed Vietnamese durian to be officially imported into the Chinese market.

Mr. Nguyen Van Chien also realized that this is both a great opportunity and a challenge for Dak Lak durian when the Chinese market requires stricter requirements on standards of food safety. Farmers like him are very happy because they always hope that their good products can be sold at high prices. In addition, they have fulfilled all requirements of VietGap standards and the registration of planting area codes for many years.

Not only durian growers but also durian export enterprises have actively fulfilled all requirements. A typical example is Dung Thai Son Import-Export Trading Joint Stock Company (in Dak Lak Province). The Company has completed the procedures to be recognized as the unit with raw material areas and packing facilities according to the standards set by the importing country. In addition, the Company is urgently connecting with durian growing households and cooperatives to implement growing area code.

Mr. Le Minh Tam, Deputy General Director of Dung Thai Son Import-Export Trading Joint Stock Company, said that the Company has established 33 growing area codes for more than 1,000 hectares and sent them to China for evaluation since 2021. In 2022, the Company has connected with 20 cooperatives in the Province to establish 3,000 hectares of growing area codes (in which, the completed dossier is 2,500 hectares). It is expected that by the end of 2022, the Company will have established an additional 5,000 hectares. In addition, the Company has 17 packing facilities from Tien Giang Province to the Central Highlands.

 “Our company already has the packing facility code and growing area code. In order to export durian to the Chinese market, we are preparing the next steps which are to build 12 more packing facilities to export to the Chinese market and to implement more planting area codes for districts of Dak Lak Province such as Cu Mgar, Krong Buk, Krong Nang... in order to meet the requirements on the number of packing facilities.", said Mr. Le Minh Tam.

Expanding qualified durian growing areas

Mr.Vu Duc Con, Deputy Director of Dak Lak Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said that in order to get a head start on the opportunity to officially export durian to the Chinese market, Dak Lak's agriculture has focused on developing sustainable raw material areas as soon as the Protocol began to be developed. In addition, Dak Lak's agriculture has coordinated with the Plant Protection Department (directly under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development) to guide and issue the packing facility code and growing area code for export. Up to now, it has established and built concentrated durian growing areas for export with a total area of more than 1,500 hectares and 24 packing facilities in the Province.

The Dak Lak Department of Agriculture and Rural Development is actively supporting farmers to expand qualified durian growing areas in Dak Lak Province

However, according to Mr. Vu Duc Con, the Protocol is essentially technical requirements that exporters must comply with. Therefore, in order for Dak Lak durian to be exported to China in a long and sustainable way, localities, enterprises and farmers must constantly improve the quality and professionalism in operating the value chain in order to meet requirements and regulations set out in the Protocol.

 “The Dak Lak Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has done everything necessary in order for China to check the growing areas and packing facilities to meet the criteria for official export durian. Authorities have guided and trained for durian garden owners and packing facility owners, and strengthened inspection to ensure that there is no fraud in durian export activities. This is a very important first step for durian to officially export to China.

Delegates participate in the consulting session in Dak Lak Province- Photo: T.H

The Province is waiting for China to consider and issue codes for durian growing areas and packaging facilities. In order for durians to be exported to China in a sustainable way, we must continuously comply with the regulations of the importing country in terms of production, packaging and transportation.” said Mr. Vu Duc Con.

Mr. Nguyen Quang Hieu, Head of International Cooperation and Communication Division, Plant Protection Department, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, said that the potential and advantages of durian have been recognized by the leaders of the Ministry and the Department since 2018. Therefore, they urgently developed a dossier on durian to submit to the Chinese market. After four years of negotiations with many technical negotiations and inspection sessions, on July 11^th, the leaders of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the General Director of the General Administration of Customs of China signed the Protocol. This is the beginning to open a new page for Vietnamese durian industry.

According to Mr. Nguyen Quang Hieu, for export activities, compliance with regulations is the most important requirement and a prerequisite for products to be imported into partner markets. Moreover, it is important for farmers to maintain compliance with regulations and standards throughout the production process. Dak Lak Province needs to implement monitoring programs, because in addition to checking compliance, the programs also support training for farmers so that they can ensure the requirements of the import market.

Exporting durian through official channels to China is a good opportunity. However, perhaps the agricultural product export planners of Dak Lak Province should not rely too much on one market but expand and develop into other markets.

It can be seen that Dak Lak Province has had a fairly thorough preparation for durian to be officially exported. The signing of the Protocol marks an important step for Vietnam's durian. However, in order to exploit foreign markets well, especially the Chinese market in a sustainable way, Dak Lak Province still has a lot of work to do in brand promotion and technology application..