Vietnam targets 5 billion USD of durian export: Focus on three key factors

According to the Minister, urgent investment is needed in cold storage facilities, logistics centers, and modern preliminary processing plants to enhance the quality and competitiveness of Vietnamese durian in the global market, where China currently accounts for 97% of Vietnam’s durian exports.

However, the industry is facing significant challenges, including high testing costs (up to VND 40 million per container), limited quarantine capacity, substandard packaging facilities, and the misuse of plantation area codes by unauthorized entities, which disrupts market order. Only about 20–25% of Vietnam’s nearly 180,000 hectares of durian plantations are certified with export area codes.

To address these issues, the Ministry is finalizing a new circular providing stricter guidelines on managing plantation and packaging codes. This will include decentralizing oversight to local authorities, who can revoke codes in cases of violations.

In parallel, many businesses have stressed that the sustainable solution lies in investing in deep processing—such as freezing, segmenting durian, and producing value-added products like durian ice cream, pastries, and processed foods. Only about 10% of facilities can meet these processing requirements.

Mr. Huynh Tan Dat, Director General of the Plant Protection Department, emphasized the need for a comprehensive approach involving three key strategies: Enhancing food safety control capabilities, improving legal frameworks across the value chain, and restructuring the industry to diversify export markets, particularly beyond China.

Vietnam’s durian industry has strong climate, cultivation techniques, and fruit quality advantages. However, only by overcoming these bottlenecks can Vietnam ensure sustainable development and gain access to high-standard markets such as the United States, the European Union, and Japan.