Vietnam to export durian to China via official channels
Vietnamese enterprises must strictly comply with set regulations relating to origin traceability, growing area, and packaging codes in order to export durian to China in a sustainable manner via official channels, according to industry insiders.
The Import and Export Department under the Ministry of Industry and Trade has outlined that durian consumption in China from 2010 to the present has witnessed rapid growth, maintaining an annual average of more than 16%.
At present, China is the largest consumer of Vietnamese durian, but the fruit in the peeled and frozen form has been shipped via unofficial channels.
Le Thanh Tung, deputy director of the Department of Crop Production, revealed that although both sides have finalised the negotiation process for a protocol on official export of the fruit, these procedures have been suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Details given by the Plant Protection Department indicate that businesses are required to meet stringent standards in terms of codes for growing areas and packaging facility, which have been granted by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and then given approval by the General Administration of Customs of China.
To this end, experts suggested that businesses establish large raw material areas, and particularly change the farming and trading methods to export the fruit to the Chinese market in a sustainable manner.
At present, localities are also accelerating negotiations and submitting necessary documents to the Chinese authorities for the granting of a cultivation area code for durian.
They have been gradually improving the overall product quality by applying high-technology in farming activities, contributing to building up raw material zones for durian under VietGAP standards with an origin traceability stamp on their products.
These moves can be considered important factors in helping the Vietnamese fruit gain entry to China via official channels.
