Heavy rain in Vietnam’s top coffee-growing region threatens crop

[HANOI] Heavy rain has delayed harvesting in Vietnam’s biggest coffee-growing province of Dak Lak, and further downpours risk damaging crops and crimping output in the world’s top producer of robusta beans.

Several small plantations have been flooded, toppling some trees, and there are concerns about the impact of more rain, said Winh Mlo, a coffee farmer in the Krong Bong area of Dak Lak. “If the flooding continues, it can cause root rot and damage cherries that are close to harvest,” he added.

Vietnam’s key coffee growing areas have already weathered a powerful typhoon and bouts of drenching rain in recent months, with more expected this week. Weather conditions in Dak Lak are forecast to worsen through at least Sunday (Nov 23), according to the region’s hydro-meteorology department.

Last month, the Vietnam Coffee and Cocoa Association forecast production for the 2025 to 2026 season could be 10 per cent higher than the previous period if the weather remained favourable, which would make it the country’s biggest crop in four years. Robusta beans are typically used in instant drinks.

Severe flooding in Krong Bong has submerged 70 per cent of a 300 hectare farm that’s managed by agriculture cooperative Thang Binh, said director Vo Van Son. The extent of the damage is yet to be determined, he added.

“It’s been raining a lot here and that has delayed the coffee harvesting and drying process,” Trinh Duc Minh, the chairman of the Buon Ma Thuot Coffee Association, said from Dak Lak, adding that about 15 per cent of the crop has been collected so far. Rain has also slowed the ripening process, he said.

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Robusta futures in London have advanced since late July on the outlook for strong demand for Vietnamese beans, in part due to US tariffs on Brazil. Any signs of damage to the Asian nation’s crop could see further gains. BLOOMBERG