Standardizing dragon fruit production units to maintain access to China

Bottlenecks in export markets

Observations from key dragon fruit growing areas in Lam Dong Province show that production and consumption activities are currently marked by both opportunities and challenges, particularly in exports to China - the province's largest market for agricultural products.

According to Tran Duc Thien, Deputy Director of the Lam Dong Sub-Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection, the province currently has approximately 25,802 hectares of dragon fruit cultivation. Of this, 25,787 hectares are in the harvesting stage, with output estimated at 318,000 tonnes as of the second quarter of 2026, fulfilling 55% of the annual target. In terms of varietal composition, white-fleshed dragon fruit remains dominant, accounting for 65% of the total area, while red- and purple-fleshed varieties make up the remaining 35% and are being expanded to meet evolving consumer preferences.

To comply with China's technical requirements, the local agricultural sector has intensified the adoption of advanced production practices. To date, more than 80% of the dragon fruit area (around 20,900 hectares) has been equipped with water-saving irrigation systems. Safe production practices have also been systematically implemented, with more than 9,272 hectares certified under VietGAP standards, representing nearly 36% of the total cultivation area. In addition, the province has 540 hectares certified under GlobalGAP standards and over 124 hectares managed under organic production systems.

Notably, Lam Dong has achieved a very high rate of issuance of production unit codes and packing house codes for exported dragon fruit. The province has so far been granted 571 production unit codes for dragon fruit exports, covering 97.72% of the province's total dragon fruit area, along with 282 packing house codes.

Bien Tan Tai, Deputy Director of the Lam Dong Department of Industry and Trade, said that the province's dragon fruit exports remained stable during the first six months of 2026. Local enterprises exported approximately 22,000 tonnes, generating USD 15.64 million in export revenue. China, India, and Australia remained the main markets, with fresh dragon fruit accounting for up to 95% of total export volume. However, compared with the same period last year, export value declined slightly due to lower purchasing prices, which averaged around USD 700 per tonne.

Sharing his experience, Nguyen Minh, a farmer from Ham Liem Commune who owns a one-hectare white-fleshed dragon fruit orchard, said that growers have struggled to stay afloat in recent months. Prices of fertilizers, crop protection chemicals, and electricity used for off-season lighting to stimulate flowering have fluctuated continuously, while farmgate prices offered by traders for exports to China have at times fallen sharply. As his family has not yet joined a value chain with off-take contracts, they mainly sell their produce in bulk to small traders, exposing them to significant risks arising from market volatility.

The story of Mr. Nguyen Minh also reflects a common challenge that Lam Dong’s agricultural sector is working to address. Currently, production linkages along the value chain in the province remain weak, and the share of agricultural products sold through contractual arrangements is still low. Most farmers continue to sell raw produce through independent traders, resulting in unstable incomes when the market fluctuates.

Comprehensive solutions toward a sustainable value chain

To address these shortcomings and effectively implement the crop development plan through 2030 (which aims to stabilize dragon fruit cultivation areas at 25,000 hectares with an output of 750,000 tonnes), representatives of the Lam Dong Department of Industry and Trade and the Sub-Department of Plant Production and Protection have proposed several fundamental solutions.

In terms of production management, Tran Duc Thien said the province will accelerate the digitalization of data through software to manage production unit codes and packing facilities. At the same time, relevant authorities will guide enterprises in updating their records in the CIFER system to ensure full consistency with data from the General Administration of Customs of China, thereby avoiding the risk of congestion at border checkpoints.

Regarding market strategy, Bien Tan Tai recommended that enterprises and cooperatives proactively conduct trade promotion activities and introduce products 3 to 6 months before harvest seasons to secure orders and output volumes with Chinese partners in advance.

The Lam Dong Department of Industry and Trade will continue to support enterprises and cooperatives in promoting dragon fruit through trade fairs and online platforms. Alongside maintaining the Chinese market, the province will diversify consumption channels by introducing dragon fruit to local supermarket systems and e-commerce platforms, and by strengthening connections with major domestic markets such as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and the Central Coast–Central Highlands region. Expanding the domestic market is expected to reduce dependence on exports and create a more sustainable development pathway for dragon fruit farmers.