About 500 metric tons of durians grown in Vietnam’s Central Highlands were exported to China on Saturday, marking the first time the Vietnamese durians had been shipped to China through official channels.

Twenty shipping containers, each carrying about 25 metric tons of durians grown in Dak Lak Province, were exported to China via official channels for the first time, as marked in a ceremony on Saturday.

The shipment was part of a protocol signed between Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and General Administration of Customs China (GACC).

This was a result of the four-year negotiation between the two countries, according to Vietnamese Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan.

The official export of fresh durians to China is very important because this is the largest consumption market in the world, Hoan continued.

It will also help businesses and farmers in Dak Lak Province and Vietnam in general earn higher profits from this fruit.

This will open up new opportunities for other agricultural products of Vietnam to enter the Chinese market in the near future, the official stated.

Y Giang Gry Nie Knong, vice-chairman of the Dak Lak People's Committee, said that this is a chance for Vietnam to develop a modern, high-quality, safe, and sustainable durian farming industry.

There will also be challenges as there are many technical requirements that need to be met, Knong elaborated.

As per the protocol, Vietnamese durians will be exported through all Chinese border gates that are allowed by the GAAC.

China requires all durian farms as well as packing facilities that participate in the export to register with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and GACC.

Information on processing dates, packing dates, and growing areas must be traceable.

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