Ready for the ‘golden time’ to export durian to China through official quota

Businesses are “doing a sprint”

Durian is a new rising crop in Binh Phuoc. Minh Hang Co., Ltd (Duc Lieu commune, Bu Dang district) is one of the few enterprises in Binh Phuoc to invest in a standard durian processing and export factory. Upon hearing the announcement that the Plant Protection Department had completed the procedures to officially export durian to China, the company was filled with excitement.

From the beginning of 2022, Chinese Customs requires that agro-products into the country through official quota must have a planting area code and a packing facility code. To meet the demand, the company has registered a code to publicize product information, at the same time upgrading equipment and expanding production scale.

Having increased processing and packaging capacity to 140 tons of fresh durian per day, the company has also spent billions of VND to invest in nitrogen-freezing warehouses to improve preservation work in case the time for ratification of the Protocol on durian export from Vietnamese and Chinese authorities might be prolonged.

“The new warehouse applied nitrogen freezing technology is imported from Malaysia. In the past, when freezing by the traditional compressor, it took an average of 6-8 hours to complete one 40-foot container, and 10 tons of durian flesh could be peeled and loaded into the container per day. the new freezing system only takes 1 hour to freeze the whole fresh fruit, and for peeled flesh, it only takes 10-15 minutes. It is dozens of times faster than the conventional method.

In particular, with a cold temperature of less than -100 ^oC, quick freezing helps retain the taste of durian, preserves the fruit for a long time and does not cause weight loss or over-ripening. We can also consider stocking the goods when there is an oversupply in the market," said Luu Ly Hoang, Input Management Director of Minh Hang Co., Ltd.

In a similar manner, realizing the strengths of durian trees in Binh Phuoc province, Chanh Thu Fruit Import-Export Co., Ltd (Chanh Thu Co.) has built a farm of more than 11 ha to grow organic durians and a frozen storage system in Hon Quan district.

According to Ngo Tuong Vy, Deputy Director of Chanh Thu Co., China is a potential durian consumption market not only in Vietnam but also in Southeast Asian countries. The China market mainly buys frozen durian products, and imports fruits through official quota.

"But the problem is that most of the farmers and cooperatives are producing however they like, leading to a lack of uniformity of products which causes difficulty in the process of accessing meticulous markets. Compliance with the production process as well as the terms signed between the cooperative and the enterprise is easily broken by the impact of the market. This is also a weakness that Binh Phuoc province's agricultural industry needs to overcome in the near future."

The agriculture sector is having its mind on the long run

Binh Phuoc has 3,000 ha of durian at the moment. Many durian growing enterprises in the province soon realized the potential for durian export to the Chinese market and changed the production chain. Binh Phuoc has also outlined a roadmap for durian exports to China through official quota.

However, to export to China through official quota is a long story. It may take a long time for the authorities to complete the documents and procedures to sign the protocol and have the product recognized. Exporting businesses must register their products with Chinese Customs, which requires the goods to have a growing area code, a packing facility code, and a traceability stamp. The process requires serious and persistent change from farmers, businesses and drastic participation of the authorities.

Binh Phuoc Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has also introduced two growing areas and packing facilities and recorded a clip of interviews with the heads of cooperatives and enterprises to send to China through the Plant Protection Department for the friend side to appraise and issue a planting area code, making the foundation for durian export through official quota.