New consumption channel
In August 2024, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) of Vietnam and the General Administration of Customs of China signed a Protocol on inspection, plant quarantine and food safety for frozen durian exported from Vietnam to China.
The official opening of the Chinese market for frozen durian products is expected to create great opportunities for durian in the country in general and Can Tho in particular.
Mr. Nguyen Dac Hung - Director of Nhon Tho 1A Fruit Tree Production Cooperative (Phong Dien District, Can Tho City) - expressed that having a growing area code and linking with a durian export company has helped farmers increase profits by 30%. With the Protocol on frozen durian, Mr. Hung hopes to encourage businesses to increase purchasing output so that farmers can also benefit.
With an area of over 3,000 hectares, Phong Dien is the leading durian growing locality in Can Tho City. Ms. Bien Thi Bich Chi - Head of the Phong Dien District Plant Cultivation and Plant Protection Station - said that recently, the official export of durian to the Chinese market has helped increase the value of this agricultural product by 40 - 50%. The protocol on frozen durian export promises to create conditions for farmers to increase durian consumption and increase profits.
Speaking to Lao Dong Newspaper, Mr. Tran Thai Nghiem - Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Can Tho City - emphasized that the direction of frozen fruits is one of the solutions to promote the development of the preservation and processing sector, contributing to solving part of the risks for durian. The city's agricultural sector is looking forward to the Protocol to help expand the consumption channel for this agricultural product.
Infrastructure investment, value chain building
Faced with opportunities for a new consumption channel for durian in the area, Mr. Nghiem said that farmers need to unite into large-scale, concentrated production areas, and establish growing area codes. Along with that, raising awareness so that farmers can properly and effectively apply processes, ensuring the quality and safety of agricultural products is one of the important solutions to seize opportunities in current and upcoming trade agreements.
According to Dr. Dang Kim Son - Former Director of the Institute of Policy and Strategy for Agricultural and Rural Development - technical advances in processing and preserving agricultural products are extremely important to promote production and export. In recent times, technical advances in frozen fruits have been a great opportunity for valuable agricultural products, helping to extend the selling time and save on transportation costs.
To seize this opportunity, Dr. Dang Kim Son suggested that it is necessary to strengthen the preservation, processing, quality control, and control of goods right from the beginning. In particular, businesses need to invest in infrastructure, build value chains; farmers must form raw material areas, linked with processing facilities, and take advantage of good scientific and technical advances in freezing to enter new, high-value, and demanding markets.
In recent years, durian trees in Can Tho have been developed and invested in with an area increasing from 537 hectares (2015) to 4,816 hectares (2023), mainly concentrated in Phong Dien (3,285 hectares), Thoi Lai (333 hectares) and O Mon (233 hectares). Currently, over 86% of Ri 6 durian varieties are grown in gardens.
