According to Vietnamese media reports [3], nearly 2,000 containers of fresh durians from Dak Lak province have been stranded at border checkpoints and warehouses owing to the temporary closure of laboratories authorized to conduct export testing for the heavy metal cadmium [4] and the dye auramine O [5]. Some shipments have been held for as long as 10–15 days, and the price of fresh grade A durians stored in warehouses has fallen from over 100,000 Vietnamese dong ($3.80) per kilogram to around 80,000 dong ($3.04) per kilogram.

Le Anh Trung, president of the Dak Lak Durian Association, stated that laboratories in charge of pesticide residue testing for durians stopped accepting new samples on Oct. 11 and have not yet released test results for previously submitted batches. As a result, exporters have been unable to obtain safety certificates and have been forced to suspend procurement. Hundreds of durian orchards currently in the harvest season are now facing the risk of fruit falling and rotting after ripening, or otherwise needing to sell their durians at low prices to small traders.

One laboratory in northern Vietnam informed export companies that it would suspend sample registration and collection services from Oct. 21 to 27 for system maintenance, with operations expected to resume on the afternoon of Oct. 27. The laboratory explained that the temporary suspension was necessary to ensure equipment stability and testing accuracy after continuous operation during the peak export season for durians and other agricultural products.

On the afternoon of Oct. 24, Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development held a meeting with testing laboratories to coordinate solutions to the issue. That same evening, some laboratories began issuing test results for previously submitted batches, allowing some containers to be released. However, the acceptance of new samples has not yet fully returned to normal.

Currently, 24 laboratories in Vietnam are certified by China’s General Administration of Customs for durian testing, with a combined daily capacity of around 3,200 samples. During the peak durian harvest, many of these laboratories have been operating at full capacity. Additionally, some equipment has malfunctioned or reached its scheduled calibration period, requiring laboratories to renew their certification before resuming operations.

According to the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association, durian consumption in China [6] has slowed following the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holidays, resulting in higher inventory levels. The association advised exporters to closely monitor market trends and carefully plan their shipment schedules to avoid congestion and product backlogs during peak periods.

Data from Vietnam Customs show that in the first eight months of this year, the country exported approximately 451,000 metric tons of fresh durians, valued at $1.52 billion, corresponding to year-on-year decreases of 24% in volume and 25% in value. During the same period, frozen durian exports exceeded 58,000 metric tons, worth $265 million, representing increases of 67% in volume and 127% in value. The total export value of durians reached nearly $1.8 billion, a year-on-year decline of about 16%.

Image: Pixabay

This article was translated from Chinese. Read the original article [7].