This information was presented at a seminar "Removing bottlenecks in durian industry: creating sustainable export" organized by Tien Phong Newspaper on morning of August 20th, with participation of representatives from management agencies, localities, associations, businesses, cooperatives and durian growers.
Removing bottlenecks in growing area codes
According to Mr. Nguyen Quoc Manh, Deputy Director of Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection (Ministry of Agriculture and Environment), durian is a rapidly developing industry over the past 10 years, especially in last 5 years. In 2015, total durian area nationwide was approximately 31,000 hectares, increasing to over 70,000 hectares by 2020. During period of 2020-2025, cultivated area is expected to increase nearly threefold, reaching approximately 195,000 hectares by the end of 2025. Production is projected to increase from around 600,000 tonnes in 2020 to 1.8 million tonnes in 2025 and is expected to exceed 2 million tons in 2026.
This rapid growth has made durian one of Vietnam's prominent agricultural export items, but it also highlights urgent need for better management of growing areas, quality control, seed selection, pest control and production organization. Expanding cultivation areas in unsuitable ecological zones has also revealed several shortcomings. The government has partially addressed these issues through Resolution No.36/2026/NQ-CP, which includes notable changes regarding issuance and management of cultivation area codes.
Accordingly, minimum area requirement for granting planting area codes has been removed; codes can now be granted for intercropped plants on the same plot of land. Authority to grant, supervise and inspect planting area codes has also been decentralized to commune level instead of provincial-level specialized agency as before. Process for granting planting area codes and packaging facility codes has been simplified and implemented online through the National Public Service Portal. These procedural reforms are expected to facilitate farmers, cooperatives and businesses, while improving management efficiency at local level.
This is a significant change in context of durian growing areas, especially in the Central Highlands, entering their peak season and requirement for traceability and planting area codes becoming increasingly important conditions for accessing export markets.
Mr. Nguyen Quoc Manh stated that on August 14th, General Administration of Customs of China (GACC) announced granting of additional planting area codes and packaging facility codes to Vietnam. Accordingly, China has issued a total of 567 additional codes, including 401 codes for growing areas and 166 codes for packaging facilities. Issuance of these additional codes facilitates preparation of export goods for growing areas and packaging facilities during peak season. However, according to businesses, value of codes is only guaranteed when accompanied by a genuine production process, monitoring and traceability.
Mr. Nguyen Dinh Tung, Chairman and General Director of Vina T&T Group, likened growing area codes to a "passport" for exported goods. Therefore, code management must be strict, but process also needs to be clear and convenient for businesses, cooperatives and individuals to implement.
From increasing production to improving quality and deep processing
After a period of rapid increase in area and production, durian industry is recommended to shift its focus to quality and efficiency. Mr. Nguyen Quoc Manh believes that it is not advisable to continue pursuing expansion of area, as many countries are also accelerating durian development. If production increases too rapidly, risk of oversupply and competitive pressure will increase.
Quality needs to be controlled throughout, from variety and cultivation process to food safety. Currently, over 90% of Vietnam's exported durian comes mainly from two varieties, Ri6 and Dona. Therefore, researching and developing more high-quality varieties suitable for the market is a direction that needs attention to diversify products and enhance competitiveness. Along with that, controlling pesticide residues and harmful organisms must be carried out right from the production area, instead of waiting until harvesting, packaging or exporting to conduct inspections.
From a business perspective, Mr. Nguyen Dinh Tung believes that quality of durian depends not only on fruit itself but on entire chain from production, testing, logistics to customs clearance. Given nature of fresh fruit, each stage can directly impact consumption. When problems arise during inspection or customs clearance, goods may have to remain for extended periods, increasing costs and risks for businesses.
Therefore, developing deep processing, especially freezing technology, is considered one of the ways to reduce dependence on fresh fruit exports. In fact, some frozen durian products have already been exported to Europe, the US and other markets. Expanding freezing capacity can help the industry be more proactive in terms of timing, markets and consumption methods.
Along with processing, cold chain and logistics also need commensurate investment. The majority of durian is still exported by road, while sea transport is not yet developed adequately. Expanding sea transport, connecting data between customs agencies of two countries and building more efficient processing flows could help reduce pressure at northern border crossings.
Mr. Nguyen Thanh Binh, Chairman of Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association, suggested increasing testing capacity right in concentrated production areas. Vietnam currently has 50 testing facilities recognized by China, but major production areas like Central Highlands still lack testing facilities. Transporting samples over long distances and waiting for results for extended periods increases costs and affects export progress. Therefore, increasing testing capacity in raw material areas is a requirement that needs to be considered alongside production planning and logistics development.
According to Mr. Tran Thanh Hai, Deputy Director of Import-Export Department (Ministry of Industry and Trade), in the first six months of the year, China imported approximately 1.07 million tonnes of durian. Thailand was the largest supplier with over 800,000 tonnes, followed by Vietnam with about 238,000 tonnes. Vietnamese durian exports reached approximately US$846 million in the first half of the year. However, Thailand's export volume was still nearly four times higher than Vietnam's. This shows that the market potential is still large, but competition is also becoming increasingly intense.
China continues to be a key market, but according to Mr. Tran Thanh Hai, Vietnam needs to proactively open up new markets. Given nature of fresh fruit, market expansion needs to be linked to understanding consumer habits, building brands and enhancing consumer information. Besides official exports, e-commerce and digital platforms can also open up additional distribution channels. However, crucial foundation remains genuine traceability, capable of managing the entire process from cultivation, processing, packaging to distribution.
Another requirement is to promote mutual recognition of quarantine, expand exports by sea and improve cold chain in the raw material areas. Investment in cold storage, testing facilities, quarantine facilities and deep processing plants needs to be considered within the overall development of the industry. To attract investment, businesses also propose appropriate credit policies for cold storage, processing, and logistics projects, with sufficiently long loan terms to enable businesses to recoup their investment.
Regarding production organization, according to industry experts, linkages between businesses, cooperatives, and growers need to be more substantive. Small-scale producers find it difficult to fully meet requirements for output, standards and traceability on their own. Businesses need to participate more deeply in organizing raw material areas, guiding technical processes and connecting to markets; Local authorities are supporting the review, management, and development of production areas that meet standards. From this perspective, direction of the durian industry is no longer about expanding acreage at all costs, but rather about improving quality, controlling growing areas, increasing proportion of processing and building a professional export chain. This is also the foundation for Vietnamese durian to maintain its position in major markets and gradually diversify its consumer markets.

Source: Vitic/ congthuong.vn