A thorough review of durian growing areas and packaging facilities is needed to identify those that use banned substances, the association’s chairman, Vu Duc Con, said in a letter to the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment.
Facilities found to violate protocols should be given a “red alert” label, it said, adding the government then needs to develop a recovery process to ensure they adopt safe and sustainable farming practices.
The proposal follows repeated warnings from Chinese customs since late 2024 about Vietnamese durian containing cadmium, a toxic heavy metal.
Some samples also contained auramine O, a banned additive linked to cancer risks.
Vietnam’s durian exports to China in the first four months of 2025 plunged by 74% year-on-year to US$130 million, according to the agriculture ministry.
China now tests all shipments for cadmium and auramine O, with violations resulting in the suspension of related growing area and packing facility codes.
The Dak Lak Durian Association is working with official agencies to do extensive sampling to screen for chemical residues and trace their origin.
In the long run this major durian farming province in the Central Highlands aims to create its own quality control standards for the fruit, enabling exports and maintaining a foothold in the Chinese market.
The association urged the government to issue technical standards and adopt rapid on-site testing technologies to assess food safety before products are exported.
In the case of flagrant safety violations, the association wanted the contaminated consignments destroyed rather than redirected to domestic markets to protect public health and the industry’s reputation.
Vietnam has over 150,000 hectares under durian, but only 20% of them are certified for exports.
Most fail to meet technical and pesticide regulations, and their quality and global competitiveness suffer as a result.
China is the biggest market for Vietnamese durian, one of Vietnam’s fastest-growing agricultural exports, with shipments to the country being worth $3.2 billion last year.
