China has expressed concerns about cadmium levels in certain durian shipments from Thailand, leading to a halt in exports from select packing facilities and orchards. The concern stems from cadmium levels potentially surpassing China's threshold of 0.05 milligrams per kilogram. The South China Morning Post has highlighted these developments, emphasizing the scrutiny placed on Thai durian exports.
According to Prayoon Insakul, Thailand's Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives has conducted preliminary investigations, revealing that the contaminated durians likely did not come from the southern regions of Thailand, which are currently in the midst of durian harvesting. Despite these concerns, China has not imposed a comprehensive ban on Thai durians, allowing for the continuation of normal export operations.
In response to the situation, Thai officials have undertaken extensive testing of durian, soil, water, and production inputs for cadmium. Early findings suggest that these tests are within the safety parameters defined by China, as reported by the Thai News Agency. Speculations suggest that the source of the cadmium contamination may be external, originating from another country.
The Bangkok Post detailed that Chinese authorities have identified contamination across 16 shipments, implicating at least 15 farms and 12 packing facilities. In light of these findings, Thailand's Department of Agriculture has intensified efforts to prevent the illegal importation of durians, which could adversely affect the market in terms of both price and quality standards.
Phatchayaphon Muenjang, deputy director-general of the department, has been tasked with implementing policies aimed at ensuring the production of high-quality durians for the Chinese market. This includes stringent inspection and certification measures, enhancing export capabilities, and ensuring proper declaration and inspection of all imported durians.
Thailand has reported durian exports to China totaling 714,334 tons, valued at approximately 94 billion baht (US$2.84 billion). The country boasts 218,922 farms and 2,038 packaging plants certified under Good Agriculture Practices (GAP), a prerequisite for exporting certain fruits, including durians, to China.
Source: VNEXPRESS