On the morning of July 21, Huynh Canh, Chairman of the Binh Thuan Dragon Fruit Association, reported that dragon fruit exports in the region have been seriously disrupted. A backlog lasting over 20 days has led to the spoilage of about 100 tons of dragon fruit, with an additional 50–70 tons remaining in storage.

Canh explained that the main issue is the absence of a state authority to sign the required food safety certificates for plant-based export goods.

For exports to the European Union, most businesses carry out inspections in Ho Chi Minh City, meaning the responsibility for certification lies with the city's Food Safety Department.

Previously, under Circular 12/2025/TT-BNNMT issued by the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment on June 19 (effective from July 1), the authority to issue food safety certificates for plant-based exports was transferred from the Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection (under the ministry) to provincial-level People’s Committees.

This certificate is mandatory to verify that export shipments meet the importing country’s quarantine requirements.

Circular 12 stipulates that, within one working day of receiving a complete application, the designated provincial department must review the export file. Within the next working day, the Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee must issue the inspection result for the plant-based food export.

However, a representative from a dragon fruit export company said that the reassignment of certification authority to the provincial level has caused bottlenecks. Businesses were previously accustomed to working with regional plant quarantine offices that issued these certificates.

“Our businesses have been waiting at the Ho Chi Minh City Food Safety Department since July 1, but this is the first time the department is handling such procedures, so things are still unclear,” the representative said. “We’ve proposed allowing temporary exports of dragon fruit until a formal process is implemented.”

According to Huynh Canh, certification bottlenecks have severely impacted not only exporters to Europe but also cooperatives and farmers, hurting the overall value of Vietnamese agricultural exports.

“This situation was formally reported to the Lam Dong Provincial People’s Committee (after the administrative merger) on July 15, but we’ve yet to receive any clear direction,” he said, adding that due to weeks of delay, European buyers have canceled their orders and switched to suppliers in Thailand and Ecuador.

He stressed that the real damage lies not in financial losses but in broken trust. “Farmers stopped producing when companies halted purchases. Buyers lost trust because shipments never arrived.”

Pepper exports hit a wall as well

It’s not just dragon fruit. Two members of the Vietnam Pepper and Spice Association (VPSA) are currently stuck with unsold inventory worth around $2.4 million for the same reason.

In these cases, provincial authorities in Ho Chi Minh City and Dong Nai are responsible for issuing certificates.

VPSA had earlier petitioned the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment about the difficulties in obtaining food safety certificates for plant-based export products - particularly spices.

Since July 1, the certification authority has moved to provincial departments, but the new regulation lacks complete guidance from Circular 44 of 2018, leaving implementation inconsistent and slow.

This has caused serious problems for exporters, preventing timely customs clearance, delaying contract fulfillment, and leading to financial losses.

Spice producers and exporters are struggling to obtain the proper certification required by key markets like the EU. The result is supply chain disruption, reputational damage, and setbacks in raw material purchasing and processing.

In light of these issues, VPSA has urged the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment to issue prompt solutions and amend Circular 12 to ensure certificates can be issued on time and meet international requirements.

What does the Food Safety Department say?

In an urgent petition to the Ministry, Ho Chi Minh City’s Food Safety Department acknowledged receipt of official dispatch No. 2121/TTTV-ATTPMT from the Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection on July 11 regarding the inspection of food safety for plant-based exports.

The department asked for clarification on how to fill in Section II of the registration form for food safety inspection. It also requested guidance on the language to be used in the certificate - whether it should be in Vietnamese, English, or bilingual - so officials can process paperwork according to regulations.

The department noted that the administrative procedures for food safety inspection follow Circular 12. However, Article 24 of Circular 12 and Decision No. 2286 by the Ministry do not specify the required documents or procedure outcomes. They only refer to issuing a “notification of inspection results” without detailing the issuance of certificates as required by importing countries like those in the EU.

As a result, the department said it lacks the legal basis to issue such certificates. Furthermore, the Plant Protection Department's dispatch 2121 references Clause 1, Article 42 of the Food Safety Law to justify the issuance of EU-style certificates, but the law designates the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment as the regulatory body responsible for setting certification procedures - guidance that has not yet been provided.

The department further explained that Circular 12 and Decision 2286 only mention issuing a result notification and do not include language like “as required by the importing country,” which was clearly stated in the now-replaced Circular 44 of 2018.

To address these pressing challenges, particularly for dragon fruit, okra, and chili exports to Europe, the Food Safety Department of Ho Chi Minh City urged the Ministry to quickly issue rules and procedures for issuing certificates that meet importing countries’ requirements.

In the meantime, the department will continue processing administrative inspections of plant-based export food safety under Circular 12 and Decision 2286 until further guidance is provided.

Tran Chung - Tam An