The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development will work with the Chinese side next week to promote the approval of growing zone codes and packing facilities for which Dak Lak has completed dossiers.

According to the People's Committee of Dak Lak province, the entire province currently possesses around 30,000 hectares yielding harvest, with the output volume for this year's crop season estimated to reach 500,000 tons.

Up to now, the entire province possesses 445 growing zone codes (GZCs) that have been granted and are waiting for approval from the Chinese side, with a total area of around 12,500 hectares, equivalent to 41.7% of the durian area yielding products.

Within this number, 280 GZCs have been granted with a total area of around 7,500 hectares; and an additional 165 GZCs with an area of around 4,915 hectares have completed dossiers and are waiting for approval from the Chinese side.

Thus, around 17,500 hectares, equivalent to nearly 350,000 tons of durians for this year's crop season, do not yet possess GZCs. If this quantity is not granted codes in time, official export will face plenty of difficulties.

Mr. Nguyen Thien Van - Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Dak Lak province - stated that the largest difficulty currently is the regulations on granting GZCs under Decree No. 38/2026/ND-CP.

Specifically, Clause 1 of Article 3 regulates that a growing zone must be a place manufacturing the exact same plant type, uniformly applying a production process, and guaranteeing homogeneity in natural conditions. Meanwhile, Clause 1 of Article 6 regulates that the minimum area of a growing zone against perennial trees is 10 hectares.

According to Mr. Van, this regulation is very difficult to apply in the Central Highlands when production areas remain small-scale and fragmented, particularly the model of intercropping durians within coffee orchards occupies a very massive proportion.

From that reality, the People's Committee of Dak Lak province petitions the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) to advise the Government to amend Decree 38 in the direction of permitting the issuance of GZCs against sustainably intercropped fruit tree areas if that area still satisfies a uniform pest management process and food safety.

Dak Lak also requests MARD to soon promulgate specific guidelines regarding the processes, procedures, and times to restore activities against GZCs and packing facilities after having overcome warned errors; and requests MARD to soon work with the Chinese side to accelerate the dossier approval of GZCs and packing facilities already perfected by the locality.

Regarding this issue, Deputy Minister of MARD Nguyen Hoang Hiep stated that Decree 38/2026/ND-CP was just promulgated at the beginning of the year, but through the deployment process, it has revealed a number of contents not yet appropriate for reality. The Prime Minister has directed the Ministry to urgently research to soon advise on amendments.

Against this year's durian crop season, Deputy Minister Nguyen Hoang Hiep stated that MARD will work immediately with the Chinese side next week to promote the approval of GZCs and packing facilities for which Dak Lak has completed dossiers.

"If the entirety of the dossiers is accepted, over 50% of Dak Lak's durian area will possess GZCs, thereby basically satisfying official export demands in this year's crop season," Deputy Minister Nguyen Hoang Hiep emphasized.

Source: Bao Tien Phong