Vietnam is about to introduce a new national standard for durian, with multiple stringent criteria to control export quality.
According to the Vietnam Youth Newspaper, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment of Vietnam is seeking opinions on the draft national standard (TCVN) for fresh durian. Once finalized, the new standard will be submitted to the Ministry of Science and Technology for promulgation.
According to the draft, the new national standard includes local varieties such as Ri6 and imported varieties such as Dona, and applies to both fresh durian for export and for domestic consumption in Vietnam.
The new national standard sets detailed requirements for durian quality: the fruit must not have diseases or pests that affect its appearance (non-harmful microorganisms), must not be rotten or damaged and unfit for consumption, and the flesh must not show abnormalities (such as unripe pods, burnt kernels, or overly moist and soft flesh). If the fruit has defects, the defective parts must not exceed 5% of the edible portion.
In addition to quality, the new national standard also specifies the harvesting time for durians: the fruit must reach the appropriate level of development according to its variety, season, and growing region, and the harvesting time is determined based on the flowering time and variety.
Specifically, Ri6 durians in the Mekong Delta and Southeast regions are harvested 85-100 days after flowering, while in the Central Highlands and South Central Coastal regions, they are harvested 100-120 days after flowering. Dona durians in the Mekong Delta and Southeast regions are harvested 110-130 days after flowering, while in the Central Highlands and South Central Coastal regions, they are harvested 125-135 days after flowering.
The dry matter content of Ri6 durians must not be less than 32.29%, and for Dona, it must not be less than 32.22%. The total soluble solids content (Brix) for Ri6 must not be less than 16.04%, and for Dona, it must not be less than 16.07%.
In terms of food safety, Vietnamese durians must comply with the current regulations on pesticide residue limits in domestic and export markets, particularly the Chinese market. They must also comply with the current regulations on maximum limits for heavy metals (lead, cadmium, mercury, arsenic, etc.) in domestic and export countries. The new draft also provides detailed specifications for the size, grading, packaging, labeling, testing methods, and sampling of durians.
Currently, the export of Vietnamese durians is gradually resuming. The main growing areas of Vietnamese durians, such as the Central Highlands and the Southeast, have a low contamination rate of cadmium, which helps more products meet export standards. At the same time, enterprises are actively checking the quality of fruit in durian orchards and strictly managing the procurement and packaging processes. Supply disruptions in some Thai durian production areas have also increased the demand for Vietnam to import durians from Thailand.
Vietnamese durian exports, which declined in the first four months of this year, have started to show signs of recovery in May, reaching $204 million. In June, the export value continued to grow significantly, exceeding $300 million. It is expected that the durian export value in July will reach $350-400 million.
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