On October 24th, Mr. Lê Anh Trung, Chairman of the Durian Association of Đắk Lắk Province, confirmed submitting a petition to the Prime Minister, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, and the People’s Committee of Đắk Lắk Province.
The petition seeks support to address challenges in the consumption and export of this year’s durian crop.
According to the association’s report, since October 11th, designated laboratories responsible for testing durian exports have been temporarily suspended due to system maintenance and upgrades.
This halt has caused widespread delays in testing and certification for export shipments. Meanwhile, Đắk Lắk is in the peak harvesting season, expected to last another 20-30 days.
Container trucks loaded with durian stranded on the road.
The suspension of testing has led to nearly 2,000 containers of durian being held up in warehouses, during transportation, and at border crossings. Many businesses have been forced to halt purchases, causing durian prices to plummet and leaving farmers at risk of fruit rotting in their orchards without buyers.
Beyond production losses, the bottleneck has increased storage, transportation, and refrigeration costs, placing significant strain on businesses and farmers.
“This situation not only directly impacts the income of thousands of farmers but also threatens the reputation of Vietnam’s durian industry, the nation’s image, and the standing of Vietnamese agricultural products in the global market,” the association’s report stated.
Durian purchasing and export activities in Đắk Lắk face significant challenges.
In response to the urgent situation, the Durian Association of Đắk Lắk Province urges the Prime Minister, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, and the People’s Committee of Đắk Lắk Province to intervene, directing the swift resumption of testing operations for durian exports and prioritizing processing in the Central Highlands, particularly Đắk Lắk.
Establish an “express priority” mechanism for testing samples during the end of the harvest season to ensure smooth trade flows and minimize losses for businesses and farmers.
Temporarily authorize qualified local testing units, approved by the Ministry, to maintain uninterrupted production, consumption, and export chains.
Relevant departments and agencies should collaborate with the association to assess damages and implement timely support policies for affected businesses, cooperatives, and farmers.
As reported by Tiền Phong, durian purchasing and export activities in Đắk Lắk, Vietnam’s largest durian-growing region, have been unusually quiet in recent days.
Durian prices have sharply declined, many purchasing warehouses have closed, and traders have suspended transactions due to testing and quarantine bottlenecks. The prolonged stagnation not only distresses thousands of farmers during harvest but also risks losing export markets and damaging Vietnam’s durian industry reputation.
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