(VAN) The Truong Thanh Durian Festival was held to strengthen consumption linkages, raise the value of locally grown durian, and advance the development of a raw material zone capable of meeting sustainable export standards.
Building a brand for a key durian-producing region
On June 6, the People’s Committee of Truong Thanh Commune (Can Tho City) organized the “Truong Thanh Durian Festival, Elevating Value, Connecting Consumption” at the commune’s Cultural Center. The event drew large numbers of farmers, cooperatives, and businesses engaged in fruit procurement, processing, and export, serving as a focal point for promoting the local durian brand.
Local leaders, delegates, and residents tour the specialty durian variety display at the 2026 Truong Thanh Durian Festival, contributing to brand promotion and product consumption networking. Photo: Le Hoang Vu.
With the advantages of fertile soil, year-round freshwater access, and deep-rooted farming expertise, Truong Thanh is regarded as one of Can Tho City’s key fruit-growing areas. Durian in particular has emerged as the commune’s leading crop, generating significant economic returns for local growers.
Chau Van Tuot, Standing Deputy Secretary of the Truong Thanh Commune Party Committee, noted that in recent years farmers have shifted focus not only toward improving yields but also toward product quality, safe production practices, and sustainable development. Even so, he acknowledged that traditional farming methods are no longer adequate to meet increasingly demanding market requirements.
Truong Thanh durian varieties selected and introduced at the festival to promote product quality, build the growing zone brand, and expand export market access opportunities. Photo: Le Hoang Vu.
According to Tuot, the festival was organized around two core objectives: developing the durian industry’s value chain and creating a direct bridge between farmers and cooperatives on one side and enterprises and credit institutions on the other, thereby raising product value, increasing farmer incomes, and securing stable market outlets.
The event featured 40 exhibition booths operated by nearly 30 units, organized across six display areas showcasing fresh durian, durian-derived processed products, OCOP-certified goods, local specialties, high-quality seedlings, biological agricultural inputs, and production machinery. The program also included a thematic workshop titled “Truong Thanh Durian, Sustainable Development Through Branding,” alongside trade promotion activities, product consumption networking sessions, loan advisory services, and technical knowledge transfer for farmers.
Farmers, cooperatives, and enterprises display and introduce durian at the 2026 Truong Thanh Durian Festival, advancing production and consumption linkages along a sustainable value chain. Photo: Le Hoang Vu.
Enterprise partnerships to elevate the durian brand
A defining feature of the festival was the participation of major fruit procurement and export companies from across the Mekong Delta region.
Vo Nguyen Phuc Hanh, Head of the Growing Zone Division at Chanh Thu Fruit Import-Export Group Joint Stock Company, said the enterprise has been partnering with Truong Thanh Commune to develop raw material zones since 2019. Over that period, the locality has established growing area codes, centralized procurement points, and has gradually aligned with the requirements of export markets.
Hanh said the latest cooperation agreement lays the groundwork for the company to continue expanding its raw material base in Truong Thanh to supplement supply for new export markets, particularly those with stringent quality requirements. She cited the commune’s considerable advantages, a large durian-growing area, specialized monoculture production, and farmers who are receptive to adopting new standards. In the 2026 durian season alone, Chanh Thu purchased more than 1,500 tonnes of durian from Truong Thanh, and the company has placed orders to develop approximately 500 hectares of raw material zone, equivalent to roughly 10,000 tonnes, for subsequent seasons, serving both export and domestic consumption.
Farmers in Truong Thanh Commune harvest durian. The locality currently has approximately 2,300 hectares under durian cultivation, with more than 1,600 hectares in active production delivering increasingly export-standard quality. Photo: Le Hoang Vu.
Hanh added that the company will continue coordinating with local authorities, technical agencies, and cooperatives to help farmers register growing area codes, improve product quality, and comply with food safety standards and the phytosanitary requirements of importing countries.
Participating enterprises at the festival agreed that establishing certified raw material zones with registered growing area codes, rigorous production process controls, and robust traceability systems are prerequisite conditions for durian to penetrate major export markets. Beyond procuring the fruit, these companies are accompanying farmers in applying safe production protocols, using inputs in accordance with regulations, and satisfying the phytosanitary inspection standards of importing nations.
Local leadership assessed that tighter integration among farmers, cooperatives, and enterprises will enable Truong Thanh’s durian sector to develop on a more stable footing, reducing the recurring problem of bumper harvests coinciding with price collapses while creating sustainable market outlets for producers.
Tran Thi Thien Thu, Secretary of the Truong Thanh Commune Party Committee, said that in the context of deeper market integration, agricultural commodity prices are constantly subject to supply and demand forces. To help farmers secure stable market access, the locality is concentrating efforts on raising awareness, supporting farmers in forming production linkages, joining cooperatives, and signing contracts with export enterprises on a clear legal basis.
Thu emphasized that growing area code registration is an essential requirement for traceability, production diary management, and compliance with export standards. She also called on farmers to pursue value-added strategies and integrate ecotourism into the specialized durian-growing zone as an additional income stream.
Representatives of cooperatives and enterprises sign cooperation agreements for durian product consumption linkages at the festival. Photo: Le Hoang Vu.
Truong Thanh Commune currently has approximately 2,300 hectares under durian cultivation, of which more than 1,600 hectares are in active production and nearly 400 hectares have been granted official growing area codes. Going forward, the locality plans to continue building high-quality specialized durian zones, expand the area meeting export certification standards, accelerate the application of science and technology and digital transformation in production management, and scale up effective linkage models.
“The Truong Thanh Durian Festival is not only an occasion to promote the image of Can Tho City’s key durian-producing region, but also contributes to raising public awareness of quality-standard production that meets market demands,” said Tran Thi Thien Thu, Secretary of the Truong Thanh Commune Party Committee. “At the same time, it is an opportunity to advance linkages among farmers, cooperatives, and enterprises, progressively building a sustainable durian industry value chain and strengthening the sector’s competitiveness in both domestic and international markets.”
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