With such advantages and opportunities, in many localities across the country, the durian growing area is continuously increasing, with the risk of breaking the planning, greatly affecting product quality.
In the first nine months of 2024, the export revenue of fruits and vegetables reached more than 5.6 billion USD, an increase of 33.9% over the same period in 2023 and equal to the export revenue of the whole year of 2023. Contributing to this result is the important role of durian, with a revenue of about 2.5 billion USD.
According to people in key durian-growing areas of Dak Lak, such as Krong Pac, Cu M’gar, Krong Buk, Krong Nang districts, and Buon Ho Town, their lives have changed greatly in recent years thanks to durian trees. Y Siet Ayun in Jung Hamlet, Ea Yong Commune, Krong Pac District, on his way home from harvesting durian, said His family has 2 hectares of land, previously only growing coffee trees, but for a long time, the price of coffee was low, the price of agricultural materials increased, so they only made enough to eat. About 12 years ago, with the guidance of Phuoc An Coffee Company, he intercropped more than 150 durian trees in his coffee garden. In recent years, the durian garden has yielded dozens of tonnes each year, each tonne selling for 70 to 80 million VND. Thanks to that, his family was able to build a spacious house and buy a car and many other valuable items and vehicles.
Meanwhile, Tran Van Son’s family in Ea Ring Hamlet, Ea Sin Commune, Krong Buk District, grows 12 hectares of durian. Each year, he harvests 140 to 150 tonnes of fruit, with an average selling price of 70-80 million VND per tonne, depending on the time. According to the assessment of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Dak Lak Province, in the 2023 durian crop, the value of each hectare of durian in the province will reach 1-1.2 billion VND after deducting expenses, and the profit will reach about 700 million VND/ha. In 2024, the expected output is more than 300,000 tonnes, and Dak Lak has risen to the top of the country in terms of durian area and output, contributing greatly to the country’s durian export revenue.
In Tien Giang, durian is also a main crop with high economic value. Currently, the whole of Tien Giang Province has more than 22,000 hectares, of which the fruiting area is about 15,000 hectares, the yield is nearly 26 tonnes/hectare, the output is more than 386,000 tonnes/year and is concentrated in Cai Be, Cai Lay districts, Cai Lay town, Chau Thanh.
Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Tien Giang Province Nguyen Van Man informed: According to the planning of Tien Giang Province for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision to 2050 approved by the Prime Minister in Decision 1762/QD-TTg, dated December 31, 2023, by 2030, the durian growing area of Tien Giang Province will reach about 20,000 hectares, with an output of 300,000 tonnes.
Durian has 155 growing area codes, with an area of about 7,000 hectares. In Binh Phuoc, as of June 2024, the durian growing area of the whole province reached 7,506 hectares, of which the harvested area is 3,539 hectares.
Currently, the whole province has 65 durian growing area codes with an area of 2,412.21 hectares approved by China. In 2024, the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has proposed to issue 11 new growing area codes with an area of 1,000 hectares and is awaiting inspection by the importing country.
If newly issued, 100% of Binh Phuoc’s durian harvesting area will have growing area codes that meet export standards. Since the beginning of the year, the province has inspected 22 growing areas and three durian packaging facilities. It is expected that by the end of 2024, 100% of the facilities granted codes will be inspected and supervised, creating favourable conditions for export.
In Dak Lak, by August 2024, the durian area in the whole province was about 33,000 hectares, accounting for 51% of the total fruit tree area. Of which, the pure planting area is about 10,000 hectares, and intercropping is about 23,000 hectares.
According to the Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Nguyen Hoai Duong, the province currently has 68 growing area codes and 23 durian packing facility codes approved by the General Administration of Customs of China, with an area of about 2,500 hectares, accounting for about 16% of the area for products (calculated on the pure growing area of about 25%). Currently, the province has 206 growing area codes and 11 packing facilities that have completed their documents. They are waiting for approval from the General Administration of Customs of China to certify an area of about 5,000 hectares.
Thus, if these 206 growing area codes are approved, the area with growing area codes in Dak Lak Province will reach about 47% of the harvested product area, and if calculated on the pure growing area for harvested products, it will reach about 75%. The expected durian output in the 2024 crop year in the coded growing areas is about 70,000-75,000 tonnes. If counting the growing area codes awaiting approval, the output in areas with codes is estimated at 210,000 tonnes.
According to Deputy Director of the Plant Protection Department (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development) Nguyen Quang Hieu, to ensure conditions for export, the work of issuing new codes and managing growing area and durian packaging codes will continue to be promoted in the coming time. From March 2023, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has decentralised the management of growing area codes, including durian, to localities.
