According to Mr. Le Chau Hai Vu, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Agribusiness Club, one of the fundamental prerequisites for Vietnamese agricultural products to expand successfully into international markets is the effective implementation of growing area codes.

In recent years, the rapid increase in the number of registered growing area codes has become a bright spot for the agricultural sector, particularly for key export commodities such as durian, dragon fruit, and pomelo.

Dragon fruit has achieved one of the highest registration rates, with more than 85% of total cultivation areas covered by growing area codes. Mango and jackfruit growing area codes account for approximately 36% of total cultivated acreage.

Meanwhile, the durian industry has witnessed a significant surge in registered codes, with hundreds of new codes approved, particularly for major export destinations such as China.

Localities including Lam Dong Province, the Central Highlands, the South Central Coast, and Tien Giang Province have emerged as leading regions in terms of approved growing area codes.

Persistent issues of growing area code fraud

Despite this progress, Mr. Vu noted that the implementation and operation of Vietnam’s growing area code system continue to reveal significant shortcomings, creating a major bottleneck in the sustainable development of the agricultural sector.

According to information provided by Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Hoang Trung, as of May 2026, Vietnam had issued 9,546 growing area codes and 1,525 packing facility codes serving exports of fresh fruits such as dragon fruit, mango, star apple, banana, pomelo, passion fruit, seedless lime, longan, lychee, chili, and mesona chinensis to markets including China, the United States, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, and Japan.

However, many growing areas and packing facilities have received non-compliance warnings from importing countries, particularly China.

From 2025 to the present, 403 growing area codes and 240 packing facility codes have received non-compliance notifications from Chinese authorities.

More importantly, these shortcomings extend beyond domestic management issues and directly affect the reputation of Vietnamese agricultural products in international markets.

According to Mr. Vu, the root cause lies not entirely within regulatory mechanisms but in awareness and implementation approaches.

Behind the growth in registration numbers, several hidden concerns have emerged. Cases of private enterprises monopolizing or controlling growing area codes have been reported. In addition, fraud involving growing areas and packing facility codes remains widespread.

In some instances, products harvested from multiple locations are mixed together and exported under a single growing area code, resulting in volumes that exceed registered production capacities.

Mr. Vu emphasized that many enterprises and farmers still fail to recognize the long-term value of growing area codes, while support systems at the grassroots level remain insufficient and ineffective.

Although farmers’ associations and local economic departments have made efforts through training and awareness programs, they often lack the resources required to provide continuous support and guidance to growers.

As a result, policies exist on paper but struggle to translate effectively into practice.

Creating a six-party "sandbox" mechanism

Mr. Vu cited practical examples showing that completing a growing area code application can cost up to VND 100 million when outsourced to service providers, representing a substantial burden for farmers and cooperatives.

The approval process may take four to six months, sometimes causing producers to miss an entire production season.

In addition, the minimum area requirement of 10 hectares prevents many small-scale growers from participating.

These factors create significant barriers and discourage farmers from pursuing growing area code registration.

To address these challenges, coordinated action from multiple stakeholders is required.

First, stronger and more effective support from government authorities is needed, not only in policy formulation but also in practical implementation.

Specialized training programs for local officials, farmers' associations, and cooperatives are critical to equipping them with the expertise necessary to guide and support growers.

“Direct support channels should also be established, including hotlines operating from commune level up to ministerial level, to provide timely assistance and resolve implementation difficulties,” Mr. Vu stated.

He further proposed the creation of a regulatory “sandbox” mechanism in selected regions with favorable conditions. Farmers and cooperatives willing to participate would receive comprehensive support covering technical guidance, financing, and market access.

Successful pilot models could then generate strong demonstration effects and help transform perceptions throughout the agricultural community.

According to Mr. Vu, communication also plays a crucial role in “educating the market.”

Awareness campaigns should be implemented systematically and strategically to help farmers understand both the benefits and procedures associated with growing area code registration.

At the same time, stronger connections with distributors, exporters, and importers could help secure stable market outlets and potentially provide financial support for registration costs.

Experience from provinces such as Dong Nai has demonstrated that close collaboration among stakeholders can significantly improve both the effectiveness and sustainability of growing area code implementation.

Growing area codes increase in quantity but remain unevenly distributed

Vietnam currently has approximately 6,439 growing area codes nationwide.

Registration rates are concentrated primarily in the southern provinces and the Central Highlands, where large-scale export-oriented agricultural production zones supply markets such as China, the United States, and the European Union.

According to Mr. Vu, the Central Highlands and South Central Coast regions—particularly Lam Dong Province—lead the country with 1,634 export-approved growing areas.

In the Mekong Delta, Tien Giang Province has one of the highest densities of registered growing area codes. However, the region has also experienced relatively high rates of code suspension and revocation due to management violations.

In the Southeast region, provinces such as Tay Ninh and Binh Thuan have large concentrations of export-oriented fruit-growing areas but also record a considerable number of revoked codes due to inadequate management practices.

Source: Bao Tuoi Tre