"Zero Cadmium" Determination
Vietnam is witnessing a strong rise in the durian industry, a tropical fruit known as “green gold” with billions of dollars in export potential.
However, behind these impressive numbers are a series of challenges related to product quality, technical standards and barriers from import markets, especially China.
Faced with such pressures, farmers and authorities across the country are making efforts to remove bottlenecks, aiming to build a sustainable durian industry.
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In Dak Nong, one of the localities with the largest durian production in Vietnam, the problem of cadmium (a toxic heavy metal) that was once rare in agricultural products is becoming a focus of concern.
Cadmium residues in durian originate from widespread acreage expansion, accompanied by the overuse of chemical fertilizers containing heavy metals such as DAP and phosphate fertilizers.
Faced with this situation, the Thien Phu - Nhan Co Durian Club, Dak R'lap District, has proactively launched the "Zero Cadmium" campaign. With 40 members cultivating more than 500 hectares of durian, the Club has simultaneously taken soil samples for testing since March 2025. Based on the test results, the Club uses biological products to care for durian and helps reduce up to 60% of Cadmium in the soil after only 1 month.
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Mr. Nguyen Thai Binh, Chairman of Thien Phu - Nhan Co Durian Club, shared: “We invest about 4 million VND per hectare to treat Cadmium, which has been applied to 200 hectares of durian. The goal is that the entire durian area of the Club will have no traces of Cadmium, thereby contributing to building a clean durian brand for Dak Nong and Vietnam.”
In addition to being proactive in soil improvement and fertilizer control, the Club focuses on using safe plant protection products, produced according to export standards. Club members regularly share experiences, care techniques and access to new technologies in durian cultivation.
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The case of Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Trung, owner of Gia Trung Farm, Gia Nghia City, is another example of remarkable initiative. He invested in a Cadmium meter worth 7 million VND to monitor soil and water quality.
He is currently experimenting with using Calcium Chelate (Ca-EDTA), a biological product that costs only 400,000 VND/ha to care for durian without Cadmium residue.
“My durian farm has been planted for more than 20 years. Over the years, I have produced durian that meets VietGAP standards. However, with the news about Cadimi, I am implementing a treatment solution for all 17 hectares of my family’s durian,” Mr. Trung shared.
Together with farmers to protect the "green gold" brand
By 2025, Dak Nong is expected to have nearly 13,500 hectares of durian, with an output of about 68,000 tons. However, the rapid development of durian is raising many issues regarding planning, standards and sustainability.
Mr. Ho Gam, Chairman of Dak Nong Farmers' Association, said that since the beginning of the year, farmers' associations at all levels have actively informed, propagated, consulted, and supported solutions to improve durian quality.
In which, the Provincial Farmers' Association coordinated with the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association, scientists , experts... to discuss solutions for sustainable development of Dak Nong durian.
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Deputy Secretary General of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association Nguyen Van Muoi said that durian growers need to increase soil pH with lime or improvers, combined with intercropping with plants that can absorb cadmium to biologically filter the soil.
“In the long term, it is important to change farming thinking and provide transparent information about fertilizer quality, especially clearly specifying the cadmium content in each product,” Mr. Muoi emphasized.
Mr. Muoi also expressed optimism that the recent crackdown on the production and trading of poor quality fertilizers by the authorities is a positive sign. This will help the agricultural sector become cleaner and more professional, including durian.
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By 2024, the country's durian area will reach nearly 180,000 hectares, with an output of about 1.5 million tons. According to the Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection, durian is facing many potential risks such as: fragmented growing areas, difficulty in quality control, lack of irrigation water, and overuse of pesticides...
The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment is researching the construction of concentrated durian growing areas and encouraging staggered planting to avoid mass harvesting, causing market pressure.
The Ministry is coordinating with the Chinese Customs Department to remove technical barriers, issue codes for growing areas and standard durian packaging facilities.
The phytosanitary procedure for durian will be issued in 2025, serving as a basis for re-evaluating Vietnam's durian export capacity.
At the “Conference on Sustainable Durian Industry Development” held on May 24, 2025 in Dak Lak, Minister of Agriculture and Environment Do Duc Duy affirmed that the three key factors for the durian industry to make a breakthrough are investment in cold storage, logistics and modern processing facilities.
The goal set by the Vietnamese agricultural sector is to achieve 5 billion USD from durian exports in the coming time. To realize this goal, major bottlenecks need to be resolved.
It is necessary to handle and resolve the situation of lack of growing area codes, high testing costs, weak post-harvest capacity, increasingly strict technical standards from China...
Minister Do Duc Duy affirmed: "We cannot rely on hot growth to maintain the market. We must have a solid legal foundation, synchronous technical standards and a transparent management system."
On May 28, 2015, in Beijing, Minister of Agriculture and Environment Do Duc Duy held talks with Director General of the General Administration of Customs of China Ton Mai Quan on promoting the export of durian, lychee and many agricultural, forestry and fishery products of Vietnam.
Your side basically agrees with all the proposals from Vietnam. This is an important step to remove technical obstacles in export, including durian.
Source: https://baodaknong.vn/dak-nong-no-luc-bao-ve-thuong-hieu-cho-sau-rieng-254968.html
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