Vietnam durian industry shifts from volume to value as Dak Lak expands export capacity

Vietnam’s durian industry is pivoting from volume-driven growth to a value-based model, with Dak Lak Province leading the shift. The province has secured new export approvals from China, adding 140 growing-area codes and 31 packing facilities, while national traceability systems are being rolled out

Vietnam’s durian industry is shifting from volume-driven growth to a value-based model, with the Central Highlands’ Dak Lak Province – which accounts for about 22 per cent of national durian-growing area – at the forefront. The province now has roughly 44,000 ha under the fruit, with nearly 30,000 ha in harvest, and its 2026 output is projected to hit a record of about 500,000 tonnes.

But the industry still faces significant gaps. Cold-chain infrastructure remains incomplete, post-harvest preservation and deep processing are limited, and production remains fragmented. Value chain links are weak, while quality control and traceability lag growth, according to industry officials.

Former National Assembly Vice President Le Minh Hoan said the industry must move from a “commodity chain” to a “commodity ecosystem”. That means involving farmers, buyers, cooperatives, input suppliers, exporters, banks, insurers, research institutes, universities, agricultural promotion agencies, logistics providers, quarantine authorities and consumers, with authorities connecting them to foster long-term cooperation over seasonal buy-sell relationships.

Standardization is a core requirement. Since July 1, 2026, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment’s agricultural product traceability system has been operational, with data on 48,754 products from nine product lines of 19 enterprises uploaded so far. The system holds cumulative data on 158,234 products across 18,524 product lines, involving 200 companies and 2,948 households and cooperatives.

The ministry has flagged durian as a priority commodity for chain-based traceability, linking growing-area codes, packing facilities, testing, quarantine and export consignments. It is finalizing data standards, APIs, connectivity procedures and interoperability with national systems, laying the groundwork for data to be created once and used many times.

On Aug. 20, the General Administration of Customs of China approved 140 additional durian growing-area codes in Dak Lak covering more than 4,321 ha, along with 31 packing facilities with a combined area of over 91,000 sq m and capacity of about 5,470 tonnes per day. The approvals give the province more room to plug into formal export supply chains, though newly approved codes only cover about 17-28 per cent of the province’s durian plantations.

Dak Lak, which currently has around 41,000 ha of durian, is shifting from an “agricultural production” mindset to an “agricultural economy” approach, focusing on value chains and brands rather than output at all costs. The province will tighten control over growing areas and quality, foster links among businesses, cooperatives and producers, and encourage investment in deep processing, freezing, cold storage, packing centres and logistics. In 2025, its durian export turnover was estimated at US$1.1 billion.