According to the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Lam Dong Province, a number of enterprises have suspended purchasing operations and terminated links with growing areas due to no longer possessing sufficient financial capacity, thereby proactively requesting code cancellations to prevent arising legal risks.

Stemming from requests by enterprises

On July 31, the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Lam Dong Province stated it had issued decisions revoking multiple growing area codes and durian packaging facility codes of enterprises in the area.

Specifically, the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Lam Dong Province revoked 5 growing area codes of Vietnam Eastern Certification and Inspection JSC; 2 growing area codes of Duc Phat 168 Fresh Fruit Import Export JSC; 3 growing area codes and 2 packaging facility codes of Van Loc An Sinh JSC (together located in Hamlet 9, Ea Pal Commune, Dak Lak Province); 6 growing area codes of Duc Hue Lam Dong Co., Ltd. (B'Lao Ward, Lam Dong Province); and 5 packaging facility codes of Duc Phat 168 Fresh Fruit Import Export JSC.

According to the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Lam Dong Province, the revocation of the above codes primarily stems from requests by the enterprises. Within which, a number of enterprises suspended purchasing operations and terminated links with growing areas due to no longer possessing sufficient financial capacity, thus proactively requesting code cancellations to prevent arising legal risks.

Separately, Duc Hue Lam Dong Co., Ltd. is reviewing and re-signing production linkage contents with farmers in accordance with new regulations, while simultaneously coordinating with local authorities to complete dossiers and verify lists of linked households to standardize administrative information. During the period of completing procedures, the enterprise also proactively requested the revocation of previously granted codes.

According to statistics, Lam Dong currently possesses approximately 45,550 hectares of durian, largest in the entire country, with 2026 output estimated at approximately 310,000 tons. Products are consumed domestically and primarily exported to the Chinese market alongside a number of other markets. To date, the entire province has been granted 346 growing area codes with an area of nearly 13,300 hectares, 70 packaging facility codes serving export, and 69 domestic growing area codes covering an area of approximately 787 hectares.

Mr. Vu Dinh Cuong, Deputy Director of the Lam Dong Department of Agriculture and Environment, stated that the system of growing area codes and packaging facilities is being built step by step toward professionalism, contributing to elevating the export capacity of durian and key local agricultural products.

According to Mr. Cuong, granting codes not only satisfies the technical requirements of import markets, but also generates motivation for farmers and cooperatives to transition from traditional production to production under standards, forming sustainable linkage chains between enterprises and growers to guarantee stable supply and uniform quality.

Intercropped cultivation areas face difficulties regarding growing area codes

According to a report from the People's Committee of Dak Lak Province, the locality currently possesses a durian area of nearly 45,000 hectares (accounting for 21.7% of the nation's total durian area), within which 269 growing areas with approximately 7,400 hectares and over 40 packaging facilities have been granted codes. Not only Dak Lak, but many localities with large durian growing areas in the Central Highlands also encounter difficulties in expanding and maintaining growing area codes.

Cultivating durian for over 15 years, Mr. Nguyen Van Cuong (Ea Tul Commune, Dak Lak) shared that in his locality, only a few orchards possess growing area codes, meaning purchasing units offer much lower prices. Mr. Cuong's durian farm has not yet been granted a growing area code to serve export, even though during production he executes according to the farming and technical requirements of purchasing enterprises.

Mr. Cuong explained that because his durian area is intercropped with coffee, it encounters difficulties regarding growing area code issuance. Under regulations in Decree 38/2026/ND-CP, the minimum area for a growing area is 10 hectares for perennial crops. To form a growing area requires gathering multiple participating households to unify production processes. He expressed hopes for mechanisms more suited to production realities.

In Gia Lai Province, 55 domestic growing area codes covering 513 hectares have been granted, and the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC) has granted 306 export growing area codes covering a total area of nearly 11,000 hectares (durian accounts for 80 growing area codes, covering 1,800 hectares).

According to Mr. Duong Mah Tiep, Vice Chairman of the Gia Lai Provincial People's Committee, the number of growing area codes and packaging facility codes remains far too small relative to production scale and export demand. Fragmented production, loose linkages, and aggregating products outside code areas are issues requiring timely rectification to safeguard the reputation of agricultural products and avoid affecting agricultural export activities.

Currently, Gia Lai has 11 durian growing area codes temporarily suspended from operation due to food safety violations and plant quarantine violations. Among these, 1 durian packaging facility code was temporarily suspended due to plant quarantine violations, and 2 durian packaging facility codes were revoked due to food safety violations.

Source: Bao Tien Phong