China to accept durian shipments from another 1,000 farms, packaging facilities in Vietnam

It will boost export of the fruit to the world’s largest market and recognizes Vietnam’s advancements in quality control and traceability, according to the Vietnam Ministry of Agriculture and Environment’s department of crop production and plant protection.

The department urged businesses to strictly adhere to registered procedures and maintain rigorous quality and quarantine standards so that exports would not be affected again due to quality issues.

Vietnam also has 12 laboratories certified for testing for cadmium and eight for auramine O residues in durian.

Chinese authorities have expressed concerns about residues, and industry associations and businesses have called for on-site orchard quarantine checkpoints, stricter control over illegal fertilizers and soil improvement measures to expedite customs clearance in China.

The crop production department is working with local authorities to find both short- and long-term solutions.

Short-term measures include improving soil by raising pH levels using lime or other substances, using precipitants and planting cadmium-absorbing crops.

Farmers are also encouraged to cultivate short-term, high-biomass crops to restore soil health and limit cultivation during vulnerable periods.

The department emphasized the need to reform fertilizer use to ensure long-term sustainability.

Enhanced technical training for farmers will promote the use of the correct type and quantity of fertilizers, reducing the accumulation of harmful substances in soil and durian products.

Vietnam’s durian exports plunged 74% year-on-year $130 million in the first four months, as China, the main buyer, reduced purchases over the chemical residue concerns.