Durian season is in full swing in Krong Pak, the epicenter of durian production in Dak Lak. The pungent fragrance of this specialty fruit permeates a 20-kilometer stretch of National Highway 26, from Hoa Dong commune to Ea Ken, Ea Yong, Phuoc An town, and Hoa An commune.
Along the road, rows of container trucks wait patiently to be loaded with the prized fruit. Their final destination: border gates in northern Vietnam and, ultimately, the massive Chinese market.
This harvest season, export-quality durians fetch an average price of 70,000 VND per kilogram, slightly lower than last year, but still an incredibly lucrative crop, generating billions of VND per hectare and transforming many farmers into millionaires.
Beyond price fluctuations and market stability, farmers, businesses, and local authorities in Dak Lak, particularly in the durian capital of Krong Pak, are focused on maintaining law and order during the busy season. Ensuring the safety of thousands of container trucks and smooth traffic flow on National Highway 26, which runs through the largest durian-producing region in the province, is of paramount importance.
A common sight these days in Dak Lak: layers of container trucks waiting to be loaded with durians.
A stretch of National Highway 26 in Krong Pak district, Dak Lak province.
With an expected harvest of over 300,000 tons of durians, primarily within a three-month period, an average of 100 to 300 40-foot container trucks will be on the move daily. Additionally, thousands of small trucks, motorbikes with sidecars, and even manual carts contribute to the bustling activity on side roads and alleyways, often causing traffic congestion on the national highway.
The traffic situation alone is a complex challenge that requires the collective efforts of local authorities and businesses. Coffee warehouses and gas stations along the route are temporarily repurposed to accommodate the bustling harvest season, as shared by Mr. Tran Hong Tien, Secretary of the Krong Pak District Party Committee.
Krong Pak, the durian capital of Dak Lak, is steeped in history. The region is home to the renowned Cada coffee plantation, established in the early 20th century. Krong Pak gained further prominence as the first area in the province to adopt large-scale intercropping of durian with coffee.
Over the past two decades, Krong Pak has established itself as a leading center for durian cultivation in the Central Highlands, attracting top coffee companies in the country. It also hosted the first durian festival in Vietnam, celebrating the unique culture and community surrounding this extraordinary fruit.
Farmers in Krong Pak have earned a reputation for their exceptional durian cultivation skills, boasting some of the highest-yielding orchards in the country. Some trees consistently produce close to one ton of fruit annually, a remarkable feat in durian agriculture.
Members of ethnic minority groups in the district, who embraced the provincial initiative to intercrop durian with coffee, have seen their incomes multiply five to tenfold compared to traditional crops. Mr. Y Thom Nie, head of Buôn Jung village in Ea Yông commune, shared that adopting durian cultivation not only boosted incomes but also empowered farmers with business acumen and improved agricultural techniques.
The villagers of Buôn Jung are now adept at using QR codes to trace the origin of products they purchase, especially fertilizers and agricultural supplies, to minimize the risk of substandard and counterfeit goods. Every household has members skilled in durian cultivation techniques, from pollination and flowering to fruit care, ensuring high yields and quality produce.
Krong Pak has not only pioneered the development of durian exports, benefiting the entire Central Highlands region, but it has also led the way in creating cultural value for the industry.
The Krong Pak Durian Festival, from its inaugural edition in 2022, has made a resounding impact, transcending its status as a district-level event. It aspires to become a national-level festival, celebrating the fusion of gong culture and traditional sports, offering hands-on experiences in cultivation and harvesting, indulging in the unique flavors of durian, and fostering commercial and investment connections.
The farmers of Krong Pak, already renowned for their agricultural prowess, have further established themselves as gracious hosts and cultural ambassadors through this festival. They are meticulously tending to their finest trees, ensuring a bountiful harvest of ripe durians for visitors to savor during the upcoming festival.
After two decades of development, Dak Lak now boasts approximately 35,000 hectares of durian orchards, making it the fastest-growing durian-producing province in Vietnam. This rapid expansion is accompanied by significant investments in technology and packaging facilities, with many areas and packing plants obtaining codes for product traceability.
Beyond fresh fruit exports to China, durian businesses in Dak Lak have boldly invested in freezing and freeze-drying technologies for de-husked durian, ensuring a year-round supply and reducing the risk of oversupply during peak seasons. Industrial parks in Buon Ma Thuot city, Krong Pak district, Cu M’ga and Krong Nang districts, and Buon Ho town are home to deep processing facilities for durian products. Dak Lak is also the first province in Vietnam to introduce whole-fruit freeze-drying technology, enabling durians to retain their freshness and flavor for up to a month, enhancing their resilience during the export journey.
The future of durian production in Dak Lak is bright, bolstered by substantial central government investments in infrastructure. The construction of the Buon Ma Thuot-Khanh Hoa expressway, traversing vast durian-growing regions, will open up new opportunities for industrial cluster development and provide the necessary impetus for the growth of logistics and the “durian industry.”
Mr. Tran Hong Tien, Secretary of the Krong Pak District Party Committee, acknowledges the strain that the durian harvest season places on National Highway 26, underscoring the urgency of alternative transportation routes. The completion of the Buon Ma Thuot-Khanh Hoa expressway by the end of 2025 is expected to alleviate this challenge significantly.
With the allure of million-dollar orchards, the upcoming second Krong Pak Durian Festival in 2024, and the improved connectivity brought by the new expressway, Krong Pak is poised to become an even more attractive investment destination.
“Since the first Krong Pak Durian Festival in 2022, we have received investment registrations totaling more than 11 trillion VND in the district. This year alone, four projects in the fields of industry, agriculture, and fruit processing, with a combined investment of approximately 1.5 trillion VND, will commence construction in Krong Pak. These are very positive economic signals!” exclaimed Mr. Tran Hong Tien with enthusiasm.
Durian orchards in Ea Yông commune, Krong Pak district.
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