According to the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association, in the first 4 months of 2024, durian exports reached over 500 million USD, an increase of about 30% over the same period last year.

According to the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association (Vinafruit), it is estimated that in the first 4 months of 2024, durian exports will reach over 500 million USD, an increase of about 30% over the same period last year.

Mr. Dang Phuc Nguyen - General Secretary of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association (Vinafruit) - said that durian exports in the first months of this year continued to grow well, first of all thanks to still high demand from the Chinese market. At the same time, durian output earlier this year increased thanks to durian growers in many provinces such as Tien Giang, Vinh Long... successfully applying techniques to make durian bloom off-season.

Currently, China is the largest export market for Vietnamese durian products. According to Chinese statistics, in the first quarter of 2024, China through Huu Nghi Quan border gate imported 48,000 tons of durian, worth 1.85 billion yuan (about 2.56 million USD). Among them, Vietnam's durian imports have increased sharply, reaching 35,000 tons, worth 1.28 billion yuan (about 1.77 million USD).

In 2023, China spent 2.1 billion USD to buy 493 thousand tons of Vietnamese durian, an increase of 1,036% in value and 1,107% in volume compared to 2022. Vietnam's durian market share in China's total imports will increase sharply from 5% in 2022 to 34.6% in 2023.

Regarding 30 shipments of Vietnamese durian exported to China contaminated with heavy metal cadmium exceeding this country's food safety regulation limit; Mr. Huynh Tan Dat - Director of the Plant Protection Department (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development) - said that after receiving the warning, the Plant Protection Department asked localities and businesses to review. Along with that, set up an inspection team to take samples in durian growing areas on the cadmium warning list.

The delegation thoroughly examined soil samples, water, fertilizers, supplies, growth stimulants, durian treatment chemicals... As a result, no samples were found to exceed the cadmium threshold as China warned.

Mr. Huynh Tan Dat said that the Plant Protection Department is synthesizing information to report to the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, then will hold a meeting with Chinese authorities; press conference to widely inform the people and authorities in the country.

According to the requirements of the General Department of Customs of China and Vietnam's regulations on food safety traceability for warned shipments, therefore; Mr. Huynh Tan Dat requested that businesses with violating shipments must comply with regulations on traceability; recalling and handling unsafe food falls under the management of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

The Plant Protection Department also requested the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Food Safety; The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Tien Giang, Lang Son, Dong Nai, Dak Lak and Hanoi provinces directs specialized agencies to urge and supervise businesses to retrieve warned shipments.

For Vietnamese durian to stand firm in the world market, especially the Chinese market, in the face of increasingly fierce competitive pressure from Thailand and Malaysia... Mr. Hoang Trung - Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development - said that ensuring the quality of exported durian is the top task today.

Faced with the "hot" growth in durian area in many provinces and across the country, Mr. Hoang Trung requested that in the coming time, agencies under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development need to coordinate with localities. The method reviews durian growing areas to see which places are suitable to continue developing this crop, reviewing the entire durian farming process. In particular, a new set of national standards for fresh durian fruit must be developed; this standard must be legal to provide a basis for competent agencies and local governments to inspect, monitor and handle violating establishments.

Localities must strengthen supervision of all growing area codes and packaging facility codes so that the quality of growing area codes and packaging facility codes is always maintained and promptly verified and remedied. Errors in growing area codes and packaging facility codes are warned. At the same time, promote the formation of sustainable durian value chains in the area.

Currently, Vietnam's fresh durian fruit is being exported to 22 countries and territories; Frozen durian is exported to 23 countries and territories. Vietnam is negotiating to export fresh durian to the Indian market and frozen durian to the Chinese market.

According to: Nguyen Hanh - Industry and Trade Newspaper