In the 2021/22 season, which ended on 30 September, Vietnam exported over 1.73 million tonnes of coffee, the highest volume since the 2017/18 season. Vietnam ships its coffee to more than 80 territories and countries, making it the world’s second-largest coffee exporter with a market share of 14.2 per cent.
During the last eight months, the country exported 96,530 tonnes of coffee to the US alone, earning US 227.46 million, up 5.2% and 35.9% in volume and value, respectively, from the same period last year. Vietnam’s share of the coffee market in the US increased from 6.27% to 6.45%. This makes the country the third-largest coffee supplier to the United States.
Forecasts for the 2022/23 season are slightly lower, with an estimated 10% decline in production. Harvesting in Vietnam normally runs from mid-September to January/February, but this year it has been pushed back to October. In some regions, harvesting has already started by selectively picking cherries. The peak of the harvest is expected in the second half of November.
Vietnam’s 4-year high yield is good news for coffee drinkers. Although the country remains the second largest Robusta producer after Brazil, it shows that the Vietnamese Robusta variety is still in high demand. Due to inflation and the price increase of staple foods, many people have turned to cheaper coffee, which is usually 100% Robusta.
Photo by RG72, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons