Agri Ministry denies durian export lab shutdown reports

The spokesperson for the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Ekaphap Phonsue, clarified that reports stating all Thai testing laboratories for durian exports to China have been closed are untrue.

He confirmed that there are still 4 laboratories available to test "Basic Yellow 2" (BY2) and cadmium before export, with 5 additional laboratories having submitted applications for registration with the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC). Two laboratories are also requesting to resume testing.

BY2 is an organic compound in yellow powder form, commonly used for dyeing textiles, paper, leather, and house paints. The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified it as a Group 2B carcinogen. 

If Thai exporters fail to provide a lab test report confirming the absence of BY2, Chinese customs at all checkpoints will reject the durian shipments. 

Ekaphap emphasized that the Ministry is actively addressing the situation and urged farmers to rely on official information from the Ministry, as online reports may cause confusion.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Narumon Pinyosinwat, expressed concerns about durian exports to China and reassured that there are sufficient laboratories to handle the large volume expected in May. 

Exporters can check the list of authorized laboratories for BY2 and cadmium testing on the official Ministry website, Narumon said.