If left to bloom naturally, durian trees rely heavily on weather conditions, often resulting in bumper harvests that cause prices to plummet. But by using flowering control techniques to stagger harvest seasons, farmers can avoid peak harvests in other regions or competing countries - gaining higher profits.

On August 21, the Can Tho City Farmers' Association and the School of Agriculture (Can Tho University) held a seminar titled “Solutions to develop high-quality durian for export.”

High potential, rising challenges

Nguyen Van Su, Vice Chairman of the Can Tho City Fatherland Front and Chairman of the city’s Farmers' Association, said durian has affirmed its position as a key fruit crop in the Mekong Delta (ĐBSCL), generating high income for thousands of farming households. Since China officially opened its market to Vietnamese durian, export turnover has surged, making durian a bright spot in Vietnam’s agricultural sector.

However, Su cautioned that this opportunity comes with growing challenges. Chinese consumers now demand stricter quality standards, especially concerning plant quarantine, food safety, and cadmium residue. “Opportunity only becomes reality if we fully and strictly comply with our partner’s regulations. We must restructure production, standardize processes, establish planting area codes, packaging facilities, and traceability systems to ensure product quality from the root - and build a transparent and responsible agriculture brand,” he emphasized.

Vo Thanh Tam Phuc, Head of Market Development at Region 6 Center for Quality, Processing, and Market Development (under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development - MARD), explained that under the export protocol to China, Vietnamese fresh durian must meet Chinese food safety laws and avoid quarantine pests of concern.

All planting areas and packing facilities must be registered with MARD and approved by both MARD and China’s General Administration of Customs (GACC). Each area must implement Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), traceability systems, pest control (IPM), and detailed farming logs.

If any unregistered durian shipment arrives at Chinese border gates - or is found with pests, leaves, soil, or cadmium - it will be rejected, destroyed, or subjected to quarantine measures.

The power of off-season flowering

Prof. Dr. Tran Van Hau, a senior former lecturer at Can Tho University, explained that relying on natural blooming makes yields and harvest timing highly weather-dependent, which can trigger sharp price drops. Instead, using controlled flowering techniques allows off-season production, helping farmers avoid clashing with peak seasons in other provinces or countries.

This off-season flowering gives Vietnamese durian a competitive edge - especially against countries like Thailand and Cambodia, which have similar soil, climate, and varieties. Controlled flowering also makes pest control easier, reduces fruit drop, and minimizes malformed fruit.

According to Hau, in natural conditions, durian in the Mekong Delta flowers from December–January and is harvested from April–May. In Southeast Vietnam, flowering is from January–February with harvest in May–June. In the Central Highlands, flowering ranges from March–May (depending on altitude), with harvests in August–October.

“From November to March is the off-season in Vietnam and also in regional countries like Thailand and Cambodia, meaning higher prices due to reduced competition,” Hau explained.

In 2024, Thailand exported 833,000 tons of durian to China (52% market share), earning more than $3.9 billion. Vietnam exported 736,700 tons (46% share), valued at over $2.8 billion.

In the first half of 2025, Thailand shipped nearly 550,000 tons to China (77% share), valued at $2.5 billion. Vietnam exported over 257,200 tons (22% share), worth $611 million. The Philippines and Malaysia also exported to China, but accounted for less than 1% of the market.

According to Hau, the durian market is currently a competition between Vietnam and Thailand, but in the long term, Cambodia may emerge as a strong rival due to its increasing planting areas.

Ho Thi Cam Dao, Deputy Secretary of the Can Tho City Party Committee and Chairwoman of the Can Tho Vietnam Fatherland Front, urged the city’s Farmers' Association to further promote scientific farming practices, organic production, and responsible chemical use. Relevant agencies must develop land-use maps and safe water/fertilizer strategies. Tight monitoring of planting areas is needed to ensure transparent origin tracing that meets export standards.

Efforts should also focus on trade promotion, market expansion, and building collective brands and geographical indications for Can Tho durian as a foundation for raising value.

Post-merger, Can Tho now has nearly 13,000 hectares of durian, with over 579 planting area codes involving 8,200+ households across 9,400 hectares. Most of the fruit is sold through middlemen directly from farms.

Tien Phong