Evaluating that Resolution No. 36/2026/NQ-CP has promptly cleared obstacles regarding growing area codes and packaging facility codes, Deputy Prime Minister Ho Quoc Dung requested continued close monitoring of implementation to immediately handle emerging issues, preventing bottlenecks that affect production, consumption, and export; while concurrently elevating quality and building the Vietnamese durian brand.

On the afternoon of August 10, at the Government Headquarters, Deputy Prime Minister Ho Quoc Dung chaired a meeting on the implementation status of the Government's Resolution No. 36/2026/NQ-CP (issued July 31, 2026 on simplifying administrative procedures for growing area codes and packaging facility codes) relating to durian consumption and export.

Attending the meeting were Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment (MAE) Nguyen Hoang Hiep; Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Sinh Nhat Tan; Vice Chairman of the Government Office Pham Manh Cuong; alongside representatives from the Ministries of Finance, Public Security, and Science and Technology...

Durian output rises rapidly, consumption pressure concentrates in final months

Reporting at the meeting, MAE Deputy Minister Nguyen Hoang Hiep stated that durian is a high-economic-value crop with rapidly expanding areas, concentrated primarily across the South Central Coast and the Central Highlands. These two regions alone account for 54.7% of the area and approximately 45.8% of nationwide durian output. Following are the Southeast region—occupying 16.6% of area and 12.1% of output—and the Mekong Delta—occupying 28.7% of area and 42.1% of output.

In 2026, nationwide durian area is estimated at approximately 200,000 hectares, within which harvestable product area reaches 129,500 hectares, with projected output standing around 2.08 million tons. Meanwhile, previous sector master planning stood at merely around 100,000 hectares, meaning current cultivation area has doubled.

According to Deputy Minister Nguyen Hoang Hiep, during the first 7 months of 2026, the entire country harvested 768,000 tons of durian. In the final 5 months of the year, an estimated 1.3 million tons remain, concentrated primarily in the Central Highlands region—within which Dak Lak accounts for approximately 500,000 tons, Lam Dong 300,000 tons, and Gia Lai 58,000 tons.

Because output concentrates within a short duration from August through October, the core requirement is organizing harvest, testing, primary processing, and logistics effectively, thereby preventing congestion risks and reducing pressure during peak periods.

Durian exports surge, projected to exceed 4 billion USD

Also according to the MAE, Vietnamese durian is exported primarily as official fresh fruit. In 2025, durian exports reached nearly 1 million tons of fresh fruit and 117,000 tons of frozen product. In the first 7 months of 2026, the entire country exported 493,000 tons, valued at approximately 950.7 million USD, up 31% compared to the same period.

Regarding targets set for this year, Deputy Minister Nguyen Hoang Hiep affirmed that durian exports will certainly exceed 4 billion USD.

Vietnamese durian is currently exported to over 20 countries. This past July, India officially permitted imports of fresh Vietnamese durian. The MAE is also negotiating with Australia, New Zealand, and other markets to continue expanding product outputs.

Regarding export growing area codes to China, as of July 2026, the entire country possesses over 1,200 active growing area codes and 120 active packaging facility codes. Currently, over 1,100 codes are awaiting approval from the Chinese side.

Regarding testing capacity, 50 testing laboratories are currently approved by the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC), including 47 laboratories testing for Cadmium and 39 testing for Auramine O. Total capacity reaches approximately 13,000 samples/day for Cadmium and 10,000 samples/day for Auramine O.

The testing system basically satisfies demand, even during peak harvest seasons when output can reach approximately 800–900 shipments/day.

The MAE affirmed that testing laboratory capacity is not lacking; the primary issue lies in operational methods. Therefore, Vietnam is shifting toward testing at orchards and packaging facilities to be more proactive in quality control.

Beside positive outcomes achieved, the durian commodity sector faces several difficulties and challenges. Cultivation areas expand rapidly but supply chain linkages remain disproportionate, harboring oversupply risks and quality control losses.

Meanwhile, importing markets place increasingly stringent requirements on food safety and origin traceability. Preservation technology and deep processing remain limited, while export operations rely heavily on fresh fruit.

Facing this reality, the MAE identified several core tasks and solutions: First, reorganizing production, reviewing areas, and restricting expansion in unsuitable regions; concurrently constructing sustainable raw material zones linked with growing area codes.

Urgently deploying Resolution No. 36

According to the MAE, Resolution No. 36/2026/NQ-CP has fundamentally cleared legal procedure obstacles for major durian production regions. The Ministry is coordinating with localities to formulate and deploy Implementation Plans for this Resolution across provinces possessing key export crops entering or about to enter main harvest seasons, focusing on Dak Lak, Lam Dong, Gia Lai, and Quang Ngai.

The MAE is also making efforts to negotiate with GACC to unify testing standards and mutual recognition mechanisms, thereby reducing customs clearance durations.

Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Sinh Nhat Tan stated that trade counselor systems have been assigned to coordinate with the MAE to continue promoting the image of Vietnamese durian, expanding and developing new markets, and driving negotiations to open additional markets.

Regarding the domestic market, the Ministry of Industry and Trade recommended urgently constructing origin traceability systems, not only for durian but for agricultural products generally.

A representative from the Ministry of Science and Technology stated that regarding unique identifiers, Resolution No. 36/2026/NQ-CP fundamentally resolved growing area code and packaging facility code issues. Currently, the MAE is deploying a peak "30 Days and Nights" campaign to assign growing area codes. During this campaign, instead of waiting for orchards to self-propose, the Ministry of Science and Technology considered that codes should be proactively assigned to all orchards, similar to assigning "house numbers", thereby forming complete identifier data to serve data exchange and connection.

Reviewing, reorganizing production, and strictly managing cultivation area

Concluding the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Ho Quoc Dung evaluated that the MAE over recent times acted decisively in overcoming limitations and shortcomings while deploying Resolution No. 36/2026/NQ-CP. Particularly in the Central Highlands region—currently entering the main durian harvest season—Resolution deployment achieved positive outcomes.

The Deputy Prime Minister evaluated that Resolution No. 36/2026/NQ-CP was deployed aggressively, promptly clearing obstacles relating to growing area codes and packaging facility codes, creating more favorable conditions for durian production, consumption, and export.

According to the Deputy Prime Minister, durian is currently a high-economic-efficiency commodity sector, contributing to raising people's incomes. Given the results achieved and against a backdrop of entering the main harvest season, the goal of exporting over 4 billion USD in durian this year is entirely achievable.

However, the Deputy Prime Minister noted that this is also a rapidly developing commodity sector, requiring fundamental, long-term solutions to reorganize production, control quality, expand markets, and elevate product value.

The Deputy Prime Minister required the first task to be reviewing and reorganizing production, particularly master planning durian zones as well as fruit tree cultivation areas.

From the lessons of the durian sector, the Deputy Prime Minister requested the agricultural sector to review and strictly manage cultivation areas, while strengthening recommendations so that farmers possess complete information prior to making production decisions. Preventing situations where farmers "race" to expand durian areas, leading at a certain point to product surpluses that affect production efficiency and grower incomes.

Concurrently, exporting enterprises must be encouraged to elevate responsibility, build tight ties with farmers and localities, and organize transparent, systematic production. Durian exporting enterprises must participate in supporting growers while contributing to building a national brand for Vietnamese durian.

Building the Vietnamese durian brand

The Deputy Prime Minister requested ministries, sectors, and localities to pay close attention to building the durian brand.

The objective is step-by-step establishing a brand so that when speaking of durian, the international market recognizes Vietnam; while concurrently affirming Vietnamese durian quality, especially products from advantageous production regions like the Central Highlands.

The Deputy Prime Minister emphasized that this is a long-term task, because without establishing a brand, elevating quality, and boosting competitive strength, Vietnamese durian will face long-term difficulties competing in international markets.

The second task is elevating quality, guaranteeing food safety, and tracing origins. The Deputy Prime Minister requested guiding growers to execute proper safe farming workflows, utilizing fertilizers and plant protection chemicals strictly according to regulations. Quality control must be executed tightly from production through harvesting, packaging, and export.

The Deputy Prime Minister required the MAE to coordinate with the Ministry of Science and Technology to elevate the capacity and quantity of agricultural testing laboratories. Concurrently, monitoring and inspection of local implementation must be strengthened. Localities possessing large growing areas but few testing facilities must proactively work to supplement testing capacity.

The MAE bears responsibility for guiding residents and testing facilities to deploy regulations correctly; while strengthening responsibility, inspection, and supervision over testing facilities to ensure full execution of functions and tasks.

Concentrating on preservation, processing, and logistics development

The third task is concentrating on developing production infrastructure, particularly preservation, processing, and logistics systems.

The Deputy Prime Minister required that for the long term, enterprises must be encouraged to invest in primary processing, preservation, and processing facilities within concentrated production zones. Thereby elevating the proportion of processed products, raising the value of durian and agricultural products. This serves as an important requirement to elevate production efficiency while contributing to resolving consumption pressure during periods of heavy output concentration.

The fourth task is continuing to concentrate on expanding export markets. The Deputy Prime Minister evaluated that opening the Indian market represents a positive outcome and requested continued promotion to open markets in the United States, EU, Japan, South Korea, Australia, UAE, and markets possessing consumption capabilities.

Alongside market expansion, market information and forecasting work must be strengthened to guide production. Functional agencies must proactively grasp demand, standards, and requirements of each market, promptly providing information and recommendations for enterprises to proactively plan production, testing, seeking, and expanding new export markets.

The Deputy Prime Minister required the MAE to concentrate on monitoring the implementation of Resolution No. 36/2026/NQ-CP. Emerging issues and obstacles must be guided and cleared immediately for localities.

Concurrently, monitoring and inspection of implementation across localities must be strengthened, especially localities possessing large growing areas but lacking testing facilities. Localities must proactively supplement testing facilities; if the private sector does not execute, the State must participate to guarantee requirements.

Localities bear responsibility if congestion occurs

For Provincial and Municipal People's Committees, the Deputy Prime Minister required aggressive deployment of Resolution No. 36/2026/NQ-CP and constructing concrete local deployment plans.

Localities must guarantee progress in granting growing area codes and packaging facility codes; preventing congestion at these stages as well as at testing facilities that affects export activities.

The Deputy Prime Minister required localities to review and strictly manage durian areas; concentrating on elevating yield, quality, and efficiency; organizing production linked with value chains and market demand.

Concurrently, localities must regularly monitor export situations to promptly clear difficulties and obstacles. Chairmen of Provincial and Municipal People's Committees bear responsibility if congestion occurs in granting growing area codes, packaging facility codes, testing, or affecting export activities.

The Deputy Prime Minister required ministries, sectors, and localities to coordinate closely and deploy synchronized tasks and solutions outlined, both guaranteeing production, consumption, and export activities in the immediate period, and reorganizing the commodity sector toward sustainable directions, elevating the quality, value, and competitive strength of Vietnamese durian.

Source: Bao Dien tu Chinh phu