Exported rice products of Vinh Phat Rice Company Limited ( An Giang ). Photo: Vu Sinh/VNA
According to the Vietnam Food Association, last week, Vietnam's 5% broken fragrant rice fell to $420-$435 per ton, the lowest level in nearly two months. A trader in Ho Chi Minh City said demand weakened significantly after the Philippines decided to extend its ban on rice imports. Although the government has encouraged exporters to increase reserves and seek new markets, these measures have not been enough to revive prices.
With the Philippines and Indonesia, two major rice export markets, simultaneously tightening imports, many Vietnamese businesses have been forced to restructure their strategies and expand to more distant, but more stable and sustainable markets. Among them, Africa is becoming a potential destination thanks to its large demand and low policy risks.
Along with market expansion, many businesses are also stepping up investment in high-end rice segments such as fragrant rice, specialty rice, and organic rice. High-quality rice varieties such as ST24, ST25, OM18, and Jasmine are being strongly promoted to demanding markets such as Japan, the EU, and South Korea - where technical standards are strict but bring high and stable added value.
Current trends show that the Vietnamese rice industry is shifting from the mindset of “selling goods” to “building brands”. Many regional specialty products are investing in building geographical indications, traceability, meeting green standards and low emissions - in line with the trend of sustainable consumption that is increasingly spreading globally.
In the domestic market, rice trading slowed down last week due to weak purchasing power and little price fluctuation. In the Mekong Delta provinces such as Can Tho , Dong Thap, An Giang, Vinh Long, fresh rice prices such as Jasmine, OM 18, IR 50404 were generally stable, ranging from 5,000 - 9,400 VND/kg depending on the type and locality. Retail rice prices in An Giang remained unchanged, generally ranging from 13,000 - 22,000 VND/kg depending on the type. Raw rice and finished products such as IR 504, OM 380 decreased slightly by about 100 - 150 VND/kg.
Specifically, according to the Institute of Strategy and Policy on Agriculture and Environment, last week in Can Tho, Jasmine rice was still priced at VND8,400/kg, the same as last week; OM 18 was VND6,800/kg; IR 5451 rice was VND6,200/kg; ST25 was VND9,400/kg.
In Dong Thap, OM 18 rice is priced at 6,900 VND/kg, Jamines at 7,000 VND/kg; IR 50404 alone is priced at 6,200 VND/kg, down 300 VND/kg. In Vinh Long, OM 5451 rice is priced at 7,800 VND/kg, OM 4900 is 8,100 VND/kg, IR 50404 is 6,600 VND/kg.
In An Giang, the prices of fresh rice varieties are mostly stable, specifically: IR 50404 is purchased at 5,000 - 5,200 VND/kg; OM 5451 from 5,400 - 5,600 VND/kg; OM 18 at 5,800 - 6,000 VND/kg; Dai Thom 8 also has a similar price; OM 380 alone is about 5,700 - 5,900 VND/kg.
In An Giang's retail market, rice prices are mostly stable: regular rice 13,000 - 15,000 VND/kg; Thai fragrant rice 20,000 - 22,000 VND/kg; Jasmine 16,000 - 18,000 VND/kg; white rice 16,000 VND/kg, Nang Hoa 21,000 VND/kg, Huong Lai 22,000 VND/kg, Taiwanese fragrant rice 20,000 VND/kg, Soc normal rice 17,000 VND/kg, Soc Thai rice 20,000 VND/kg, Japanese rice 22,000 VND/kg.
The price of IR 504 raw rice is at 7,900 - 8,000 VND/kg, down 100 - 150 VND/kg compared to last week; IR 504 finished rice is still at 9,500 - 9,700 VND/kg; OM 380 raw rice is at 7,800 - 7,900 VND/kg; OM 380 finished rice is still fluctuating at 8,800 - 9,000 VND/kg.
For by-products, the price of various by-products ranges from 7,250 - 10,000 VND/kg. The price of dry bran is at 9,000 - 10,000 VND/kg.
As Vietnam’s rice export prices fall, other leading exporters in Asia are struggling to secure large purchases amid weak demand. Thai rice export prices fell for a fifth consecutive week and plunged to their lowest level since October 2007.
Specifically, Thai 5% broken rice was offered at $335-$340 per ton compared to $340 per ton last week. According to traders in Bangkok, international demand has remained almost unchanged while supply remains abundant.
In India, 5% broken parboiled rice prices were unchanged from last week at $340-$345 a tonne, near their lowest since mid-2016. The country’s 5% broken white rice was offered at $360-$370 a tonne. Demand from Asian and African buyers remained weak as they were in no rush to buy and were waiting for prices to bottom out, a Mumbai-based trader said.
While Asian rice markets were in the red, key US grain commodities all recorded their first weekly price increase in a month.
Specifically, the December 2025 corn contract on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) ended the week with a 2.3% increase to $4.22/bushel. Similarly, the November 2025 soybean contract also increased 1.3% to $10.19/bushel, while the December 2025 wheat contract increased 1.1% to $5.03/bushel (1 bushel of wheat/soybean = 27.2 kg; 1 bushel of corn = 25.4 kg).
Trading activity in the market remained cautious, as the US government shutdown disrupted the release schedule of important data including corn and soybean harvest progress as well as updated yield estimates.
Previous forecasts had U.S. farmers expecting a record corn crop and a bumper soybean crop. But reports of lower yields in some areas have cast doubt on the government’s latest estimates.
One factor supporting the market is that low prices have caused U.S. farmers to hold back on selling their newly harvested grain. Many farmers are facing losses at current corn and soybean prices, so they are holding back from selling, said Don Roose, president of U.S. Commodities, a commodities brokerage.
For soybeans, prices were also supported by strong demand from domestic processors and hopes for upcoming US-China trade talks.
Regarding the world coffee market, according to the latest data, world coffee prices increased and decreased in opposite directions on the two major exchanges in the session of October 17. Specifically, on the ICE London exchange, the price of Robusta coffee for delivery in November 2025 decreased by 62 USD/ton to 4,552 USD/ton, while the contract for delivery in January 2026 decreased by 46 USD/ton to 4,478 USD/ton. On the New York exchange, the price of Arabica coffee for delivery in December 2025 increased by 3.65 cents/lb to 397.45 cents/lb, and the contract for delivery in March 2026 increased by 2.20 cents/lb to 375.60 cents/lb (1 lb = 0.45 kg).
In Vietnam, coffee prices on October 18 in key Central Highlands regions decreased by VND1,000/kg, bringing the average price in the whole region down to VND114,300/kg.
According to market sources, domestic and international Robusta coffee prices are on a downward trend after weather forecasts showed that rain will return to the Central Highlands this weekend. This is considered a positive signal for coffee growers, as wet weather will help improve soil moisture and support the final development stage of coffee plants before the harvest season.
Notably, coffee stocks on ICE continued to decline rapidly, reflecting a shrinking global supply. As of October 17, Arabica stocks tracked by ICE fell to 467,110 bags, a 19-month low. Robusta stocks also fell to 6,176 bags, a nearly three-month low.
Analysts say rains in the Central Highlands could put short-term pressure on Robusta prices. But the trend of declining global reserves and stable consumption demand will be supportive factors for prices in the medium and long term.
Source: https://baotintuc.vn/kinh-te/doanh-nghiep-gao-viet-chuyen-huong-sang-thi-truong-xa-20251019164557825.htm
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