Residues of cadmium, a harmful heavy metal, in the fruit could damage the country’s credibility and lose billions of dollars in exports, they said at a conference on sustainable farming of durian Tuesday.
Using technology to monitor soil quality and provide early warnings against biological risks was among the solutions proposed by Nguyen Do Dung, CEO of Enfarm Agricultural Technology Company.
By utilizing data and AI, the system identifies high-risk areas, enabling appropriate soil remediation measures, he explained.
It reduces the number of fruit samples requiring testing by up to 70%, saving costs and processing time compared to manual methods, he said.
He noted that while the technology is ready, a legal framework is needed to enable its widespread application.
He believed that if authorities address policy bottlenecks, the system could be adopted in the upcoming durian season.
Other speakers at the event suggested an increase in lab testing for now.
Dang Phuc Nguyen, general secretary of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association, proposed establishing mini testing labs in growing areas for quick and transparent chemical residue checks.
Packing facilities should only buy from farmers products that meet safety standards and have clear traceability, he said.
Regulators should monitor and eliminate cadmium-contaminated inputs, guide farmers in soil remediation and maintain cultivation logs, he said.
By ensuring quality from the start, Vietnam could boost durian exports to China, its biggest market, he added.
Other experts identified the use of fertilizers with unclear origins as the main source of cadmium residues in durians.
Nguyen Dang Nghia, director of the Southern Soil and Fertilizer Research Center, said some fertilizers imported from South Korea contain higher than permitted levels of the chemical.
However, many durian-growing areas in the southeast and Central Highlands, thought to use high-cadmium fertilizers, in fact do not use them, he said.
Therefore, stricter quality control over farms is needed to identify which of them fail to meet quality standards.
Vietnam has 150,000 hectares under the fruit, but only 20% have been licensed for export.
In the first four months of 2025 durian exports fell by 61% to US$183 million due to China’s increased inspection for banned residues.
Exports to China plummeted by 75% to $105 million.
