Chinese customs have sanctioned an additional 829 farming zones and 131 packaging sites in Vietnam, raising the total count to over 1,800, as per the Vietnam Ministry of Agriculture and Environment. This expansion aims to bolster durian exports to China, the global market leader, acknowledging Vietnam's progress in quality control and traceability.
The department of crop production and plant protection advises adherence to registered protocols and rigorous quality standards to prevent disruptions in exports due to quality issues.
Currently, Vietnam operates 12 laboratories for cadmium testing and eight for auramine O residues in durians, addressing Chinese concerns over chemical residues.
Discussions by industry associations with Chinese authorities suggest orchard quarantine checkpoints, and control over fertilizers to improve customs clearance efficiency in China.
Solutions being explored by local authorities include short-term and long-term strategies to address these concerns. Immediate methods focus on soil improvement, such as increasing soil pH with lime, deploying precipitants, and planting cadmium-absorbing crops. Additionally, advocating the cultivation of short-term, high-biomass crops is advised to enhance soil quality while limiting cultivation during critical growth periods.
Long-term solutions involve reforming fertilizer usage to ensure sustainability, facilitated by enhanced technical training for farmers to optimize the use of fertilizers, aiming at minimizing the build-up of harmful substances in soil and durian.
Despite these efforts, Vietnam's durian exports saw a 74% reduction year-on-year to $130 million in the first four months, as China reduced imports citing chemical residue concerns.
Source: VNExpress