Cassava new price cycle: [1] Strong prices lift farmers' prospects

Exports show positive signs as cassava prices remain high

According to estimates from the Ministry of Industry and Trade, in June 2026, Viet Nam exported approximately 200,000 tonnes of cassava and cassava products, earning USD 84 million, up 2.7% in volume and 14.4% in value compared with the previous month. In the first six months of 2026, total exports reached nearly 2 million tonnes, with a turnover of more than USD 702 million. Although export volume fell by 12% year-on-year, export value increased by 2.2%, indicating that cassava export prices have remained high.

China remains the key market, accounting for more than 92% of Viet Nam’s total export turnover of cassava and cassava products. In addition, rising demand for cassava starch in food processing and as a raw material for ethanol production has helped maintain a favorable price level for the sector.

Currently, export prices of cassava starch under FOB terms at the Ho Chi Minh City port range from USD 600-620 per tonne, while cross-border trading prices with China are around CNY 3,720-3,850 per tonne.

According to experts, favorable price conditions and sustained positive export demand are creating opportunities to improve incomes for cassava growers and enhance the competitiveness of the processing industry. However, to maintain long-term advantages, the cassava sector needs to continue improving varieties, developing sustainable raw material areas, strengthening linkages between farmers and enterprises, and promoting deeper processing to increase export value.

Cassava growers reap benefits

Tay Ninh is currently the country’s second-largest cassava-growing region, with a cultivation area ranging from 59,000 to 62,000 hectares. It is also Viet Nam’s largest cassava starch processing hub, attracting more than 65 enterprises investing in processing plants with capacities of hundreds of tonnes of raw materials per day.

Entering the 2026-2027 processing season, many enterprises in the province have started operations early to meet export demand and secure raw material supplies. Amid scarce fresh cassava supplies, competition among processing plants for raw materials has intensified, pushing the price of cassava with a 30% starch content to VND 4,250-4,350 per kg, the highest level seen in many recent seasons. Meanwhile, rising demand for cassava chips used in ethanol production for E10 biofuel has provided additional momentum for the market.

The positive market developments have quickly spread to raw material-growing areas. After several consecutive seasons facing the challenge of "bumper harvests but low prices", cassava farmers in Tay Ninh have entered this year’s harvest season with optimism as purchasing prices remain high, market outlets are stable, and yields are favorable.

According to observations, fresh cassava with a 30% starch content is currently being purchased by processing plants at around VND 4,100-4,200 per kg. With an average yield of 40-50 tonnes per hectare, many cassava-growing households can earn profits of approximately VND 80 million per hectare after deducting production costs.

According to the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Tay Ninh Province, in the 2025-2026 winter-spring crop, the locality planted more than 42,000 hectares of cassava, fulfilling over 70% of the annual plan. Key varieties include KM505, KM140, HN1, Rayong 9, KM419 and HL-RS15. Current purchasing prices range from VND 4,000-5,000 per kg depending on quality and starch content, helping maintain a stable raw material supply for processing facilities while encouraging farmers to continue investing in production.

The Tay Ninh Provincial People’s Committee has recently issued Decision No. 914/QD-UBND on the Development Plan for the cassava industry through 2030, with a vision to 2050, aiming for stable, efficient and sustainable growth. By 2030, the province targets a cassava output of 2-2.2 million tonnes, with an average starch content above 27%; mechanization and the application of science and technology exceeding 80%; 75-90% of cultivated areas using certified varieties; and around 92% of production allocated for deep processing, towards circular production and emission reduction.

Việt Nam is the world’s third-largest exporter of cassava, but its supply chain faces mounting challenges related to traceability, land transparency, and deforestation-free production.

$ 1 = VND 26,480 - Source: Vietcombank.