AsemconnectVietnam - On Wednesday, Robusta coffee prices in Vietnam's Central Highlands, the country's largest coffee-growing area remained unchanged at VND67,200 – VND68,000 per kg compared to Yesterday, according to Kinhtedothi.

Gia Nghia of Dak Nong provided the maximum price of VND68,000/kg, while traders in Lam Dong province offered the lowest price of VND67,200. Robusta coffee stayed at VND67,200 in Bao Loc, Di Linh, and Lam Ha; to VND67,900 – VND68,000 per kg in Dak Lak; to VND67,900 – VND68,000 in Dak Nong; to VND67,700 per kg in Kon Tum, and to VND67,700 – VND67,800 per kg in Gia Lai.
The prices of Vietnamese coffee are forecast to continue to increase next year due to severe supply shortage, according to the Vietnam Coffee-Cocoa Association (Vicofa).

Coffee prices were around 67,200 – 68,000 VND per kilogram in Tay Nguyen (Central Highlands) provinces of Lam Dong, Dak Lak and Dak Nong, about 900 -1,000 VND per kg higher than last week and 8,000 VND more than early December.

According to Mercantile Exchange of Vietnam, for the week ending December 24, coffee prices increased by 1.85% for Arabica and 0.42% for Robusta.

Farmers are delaying their sales with expectations of higher prices.

Despite being good news to farmers, high coffee prices push export enterprises into a lot of difficulty in collecting enough coffee for their signed contracts.

Vicofa’s Vice President Do Ha Nam said that unpredictable coffee price fluctuations caused difficulties for exports. In the 2022-23 crop, several domestic exporters could not deliver in time because of rising prices, partly as an impact of hoarding. “During the past three decades, never have we thought that Vietnam could be in a shortage of coffee,” Nam said.

The association has estimated that the coffee shortage of signed contracts is around 80,000 – 150,000 tonnes, waiting for the coming harvest season to be fulfilled.

Vietnam exported more than 120,000 tonnes of coffee in November, half of which was to fulfull orders of the previous harvest crop, he said.

Coffee prices are forecast to be around 60,000 – 70,000 VND per kg in the coming months and are expected to decrease when Indonesia and Brazil start new coffee harvest seasons in April and May.

In the new crop, the asking prices of green coffee reached 60,000 VND per kg for delivery in December 2023 and January 2024 – an unprecedented price recorded at the beginning of harvest season due to high purchasing demand from export enterprises who are worried that there would be no coffee to buy from April or May next year. In 2023, coffee was out of stock from June.

Following are domestic Robusta coffee prices on December 27, in Vietnam's Central Highlands:


T.Huong
Source: Vitic/Kinhtedothi