Resolving bottlenecks in durian planting area code issuance: MAE

On the morning of July 7, during a working visit to Dak Lak province, a delegation from the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment (MAE), led by Deputy Minister Nguyen Hoang Hiep, conducted an on-site inspection of durian growing areas, met with farmers, listened to the challenges they face in establishing planting area codes, and discussed solutions with local authorities in Ea Knuec commune.

During the meeting, participants agreed that standardizing planting area codes is an essential step toward enhancing transparency and meeting the requirements of export markets. However, implementation still faces several bottlenecks that require attention in light of production realities.

Mr. Pham Xuan Lan said his family has cultivated more than 2 hectares of durian intercropped with coffee since 2005. Although the orchard has been assigned a traceability code, it has yet to receive a planting area code because it does not comply with the current requirement on producing a single crop.

According to Mr. Lan, most of the farmland in the area is contracted to Thang Muoi Coffee Company. Under the contract terms, farmers are required to maintain coffee trees to fulfill their production delivery obligations, making it difficult to convert entirely to monoculture durian production.

"Farmers hope that the provincial specialized agencies and the MAE will study the issue and introduce solutions tailored to local production conditions, thereby facilitating the issuance of planting area codes to support exports," Mr. Lan said.

From a management perspective, Mr. Nguyen Hac Hien, Director of the Dak Lak Sub-Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection, stated that in the past, multiple small-scale production plots could link into a single growing area, provided they followed the same cultivation processes. However, under the current provisions of Decree No. 38, a growing area is defined as a production zone dedicated to a single crop, applying uniform technical processes, and sharing similar ecological conditions.

According to Mr. Hien, while the regulation aims to improve transparency and strengthen quality control, it has created significant challenges under Viet Nam's production conditions. Most farmer households operate on a small scale, so establishing a 10-hectare growing area requires the participation of multiple households. However, differences in production practices, the level of farmer cooperation, and existing cropping patterns make this difficult to achieve.

"This is one of the challenges facing many localities. With the regulation now in force and accompanied by enforcement mechanisms, appropriate solutions are needed to ensure effective regulatory oversight while accommodating the realities of agricultural production," Mr. Hien said.

Speaking with local farmers and local authorities, Deputy Minister Nguyen Hoang Hiep affirmed that the MAE is committed to creating the most favorable conditions for producers to obtain planting area codes and packing facility codes. The implementation process should focus on simplifying administrative procedures, strengthening the use of digital technologies, and ensuring transparency, publicity, and clear accountability.

According to the Deputy Minister, alongside digital transformation, local governments also need to shift their role from administration to serving citizens and businesses, thereby providing more effective support for agricultural production and exports.

Ms. Ngo Thi Minh Trinh, Secretary of the Ea Knuec Commune Party Committee and Chairwoman of the Commune People's Council, said the commune has approximately 5,000 hectares of durian, which has become the locality’s key crop. About 90% of total output is exported, of which roughly 80% meets Grade A standards, while the remainder is classified as Grades B and C or lower-grade produce.

According to Ms. Trinh, establishing a traceability system and ensuring transparency in product quality and pricing will not only enhance product value but also safeguard the reputation of Dak Lak's durian brand, thereby reducing the risk of inconsistent product quality undermining market confidence.

"The implementation of planting area code issuance under Decree No. 38/2026 has posed significant challenges for small-scale households and intercropped orchards, which are the popular production model in the locality. Therefore, I propose that the relevant authorities review and refine the implementing guidelines to better align them with production realities while still ensuring effective management and traceability and enabling farmers to participate in export value chains in a convenient and sustainable manner," Ms. Trinh said.

According to the Dak Lak Department of Agriculture and Environment, the province currently has 403 planting area codes for perennial crops. Durian alone accounts for more than 40,000 hectares, with an annual output of approximately 400,000 tons, making Dak Lak the country's largest durian-producing region. To date, 280 planting area codes have been issued for durian orchards, providing a significant advantage for exports.

However, alongside expanding cultivation areas, the province has identified quality improvement as its development priority. The locality is developing a master plan for key fruit crops, including durian and avocado, while encouraging growers to follow production planning and comply with market standards.

The feedback gathered during the field visit to Ea Knuec commune demonstrates broad support among both farmers and local authorities for building a transparent planting area code system. What producers are seeking is not a relaxation of standards, but a more flexible mechanism that aligns with actual production conditions to meet management and traceability requirements while fostering the sustainable development of Viet Nam's durian export industry.

Following the field visit to Ea Knuec commune, Deputy Minister Nguyen Hoang Hiep visited an export packing and inspection facility in Dak Lak province to observe the processes for receiving, grading, packing, and quality control of exported durian.

During the visit, the Deputy Minister discussed with the company its use of traceability technologies and its management of planting area codes and packing facility codes, as well as the challenges arising from implementing the new regulations.

Later that afternoon, Deputy Minister Nguyen Hoang Hiep chaired a working session with leaders of the Dak Lak Provincial People's Committee and representatives of the Departments of Agriculture and Environment of Dak Lak, Lam Dong, and Gia Lai provinces. The meeting focused on reviewing the issuance and management of planting area codes and packing facility codes and listening to practical bottlenecks encountered in agricultural production and exports across the three localities to seek appropriate solutions to address those issues.