"Gaps" in the management of growing area codes and packaging facilities are causing significant obstacles to the traceability of exported fruits. Therefore, standardizing the management process through data digitalization is considered the solution to "unclog" fruit exports.

At a recent online conference on “Resolving Difficulties and Obstacles in Issuing and Managing Growing Area Codes, Packaging Facility Codes, and the Testing of Exported Fruits and Vegetables,” Mr. Ho Quoc Dung, Deputy Prime Minister, stated that the fruit and vegetable industry expects to reach an export turnover of 10 billion USD this year. Within this, durian is projected to bring in 4.5 billion USD, contributing to the total agro-forestry-fishery sector's export target of 74 billion USD.

However, numerous management shortcomings at the local level have been exposed as importing markets tighten technical barriers. “Without a growing area code and standard-compliant testing, exporting is impossible,” Mr. Dung said, adding that many localities still lack personnel and have not paid adequate attention to this task.

A "bottleneck" for exports

Mr. Hoang Trung, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, stated that by May 2026, the country recorded 9,546 growing area codes and 1,525 packaging facility codes serving exports to markets including China, the US, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, and Japan.

The Chinese market alone accounts for 4,323 approved growing area codes and 1,332 approved packaging facility codes. Among these, durian has 1,191 growing area codes and 128 packaging facility codes currently active. In addition, there are 798 growing area codes and 264 packaging facility codes awaiting approval from the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC).

Even so, failures to meet requirements from importing sides have emerged during export implementation, leading to many codes being suspended or revoked.

Accordingly, from 2025 to date, China alone has issued non-compliance warnings to 403 growing area codes and 240 packaging facility codes. Among these, 167 growing area codes and 99 packaging facility codes have been suspended or revoked and have not yet been restored.

According to Mr. Hoang Trung, some localities, businesses, and citizens still view growing area codes as a short-term export condition rather than a long-term quality management tool.

Violations in code usage and difficulties in maintaining technical conditions remain complex. “In fact, the practices of buying, selling, rotating, and falsely using codes have recently emerged,” Mr. Trung evaluated.

Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Quoc Dung also frankly addressed negative practices in issuing growing area codes and packaging facility codes. Some localities have even shirked responsibility and delayed application processing, affecting the reputation of Vietnamese agricultural products.

Beyond code management difficulties, testing capacity is also becoming a major bottleneck for fruit and vegetable exports in general, and for durian in particular.

Mr. Nguyen Thien Van, Vice Chairman of the Dak Lak Provincial People's Committee, noted that the locality currently possesses 277 durian growing area codes spanning approximately 7,500 hectares and 54 packaging facility codes, yet lacks standard-compliant testing facilities. “The greatest difficulty is the lack of on-site testing facilities, whereas sending samples out of the province increases logistics costs and heightens the risk of cargo congestion during peak harvest season,” Mr. Van stated.

In fact, according to Mr. Hoang Trung, by May 11, only 18 testing laboratories in Vietnam were recognized by GACC as qualified to test for cadmium and 19 laboratories qualified for Auramine O testing.

Meanwhile, Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Phuc, Vice Chairman of the Lam Dong Provincial People's Committee, stated that although the locality has two testing laboratories recognized by China for cadmium and Auramine O analysis, the risk of overloading remains very high during peak season.

According to Mr. Phuc, following administrative unit rearrangements, updating data on growing areas and packaging facilities has triggered many complications, affecting the progress of data standardization under new regulations. “Currently, sanctions against code fraud do not exist, causing difficulties for inspection and enforcement,” he said.

Digitalizing data for supply transparency

Loose management of growing area codes and packaging facility codes has led to a situation where exporters consolidate goods from multiple different orchards. This is also the reason why products pass domestic testing but face violations upon re-inspection by the Chinese side.

In reality, durians are currently sampled primarily at containers based on the code information provided by the shipping entity, rather than being managed systematically right from the orchard. This increases the risk of product origin discrepancies. “If we manage right from the farm, we will know whether that area is contaminated with cadmium or not; when they bring a container over, how can we know where the farm is located,” Mr. Le Xuan Dinh, Deputy Minister of Science and Technology, questioned.

Faced with these shortcomings, the requirement is to promptly build a synchronized management system to digitalize data across the entire production and export chain. Establishing a shared database among ministries, localities, businesses, customs, testing laboratories, and transport units will enhance electronic traceability.

Once data is interconnected synchronously, regulatory bodies can control output, growing areas, and product quality, while limiting cargo mixing or growing area code fraud.

Building a centralized national database combined with digital transformation applications in managing growing area codes and packaging facilities is considered a vital solution to make supply transparent and elevate control efficiency. Concurrently, a mechanism to share non-compliance warning data between central and local levels is needed to handle violations promptly.

Mr. Hoang Trung stated that the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is currently deploying a synchronized traceability system running from growing area codes and packaging facilities to testing laboratories, connected to the national traceability portal. Under this orientation, key and high-risk products will be managed by chain instead of merely being controlled at the final stage.

In parallel, some localities are shifting toward issuing growing area codes directly to farmers and production cooperatives, rather than to export enterprises as before.

This approach helps enhance producer responsibility in managing and protecting growing areas, while forcing businesses to link more tightly with farmers if they wish to sustain exports.

Alongside digitalization solutions, the prompt issuance of penalizing regulations against fraudulent use of growing area codes and packaging facility codes is an important basis to tighten management, contributing to transparency in Vietnam's exported fruit industry.

Source: Tap chi Kinh te Sai Gon Online