Farmers harvesting rice. Illustration photo: Cong Mao/VNA
In An Giang, according to updates from the Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the prices of most types of rice remain unchanged: OM 18 ranges from VND 7,800 to VND 8,000 per kg, Nàng Hoa 9 ranges from VND 7,600 to VND 7,700 per kg, Japanese rice ranges from VND 7,800 to VND 8,000 per kg, IR 50404 ranges from VND 7,500 to VND 7,600 per kg, OM 5451 ranges from VND 7,600 to VND 7,700 per kg, and Đài thơm 8 ranges from VND 7,800 to VND 8,000 per kg.
In the retail market of An Giang, regular rice is priced between VND 15,000 and VND 16,000 per kg, fragrant Thai long-grain rice ranges from VND 19,000 to VND 20,000 per kg, Jasmine rice costs between VND 17,000 and VND 19,000 per kg, common white rice is VND 17,000 per kg, and Nàng Hoa rice is VND 19,500 per kg.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Mekong Delta region has completed the winter-spring rice harvest for the 2023-2024 season, with a cultivated area of 1.488 million hectares. The yield of this season reached 71.84 tons/hectare, and the estimated production reached about 10.65 million tons of rice. As of early May 2024, for the summer-autumn crop, the region has planted 878,000 hectares out of the planned 1.48 million hectares.
According to the Vietnam Food Association, as of April 30, rice exports reached 3.17 million tons, worth USD 2.037 billion, up 9.51% in volume and 33.56% in value compared to the same period last year.
In terms of exports, Vietnamese 5% broken rice was quoted at USD 585-590 per ton on May 16, up from USD 585 per ton a week earlier.
A trader in Ho Chi Minh City said that demand remains high, while domestic supply is low. According to this trader, the National Logistics Agency of Indonesia also wants to import more rice.
Traders believe that supply will improve from June onwards when the summer-autumn harvest season begins.
Meanwhile, Thai rice export prices rose to their highest level in more than three months due to low supply and strong demand. Thai 5% broken rice prices continued to increase, reaching USD 632-640 per ton, compared to USD 600 per ton the previous week.
According to a trader in Bangkok, the price increase is due to reduced supply, while demand from Indonesia and Brazil is high.
Flooding in southern Brazil has caused loss of life, livestock, infrastructure damage, and disrupted grain transportation to processing facilities and the port of Rio Grande.
Meanwhile, export prices of rice from India, the world’s leading rice exporter, remained stable due to weak demand. The price of Indian 5% broken parboiled rice ranged from USD 531 to USD 539 per ton last week, unchanged from the previous week.
According to an exporter in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, Indian rice prices are more competitive than those of other countries, but demand has not increased.
Turning to the coffee market, global coffee prices continued to rise. Robusta coffee prices on the London market extended their gains in the session on May 18, increasing by USD 89-98 per ton to a range of USD 3,203-3,524 per ton. Specifically, the July 2024 delivery contract was USD 3,518 per ton, the September 2024 delivery contract was USD 3,453 per ton, the November 2024 delivery contract was USD 3,380 per ton, and the January 2025 delivery contract was USD 3,294 per ton.
Similarly, Arabica coffee prices on the New York market showed an upward trend compared to the previous session, rising by 8.35-8.70 cents per lb. Specifically, the July 2024 delivery contract was 206.60 cents per lb, the September 2024 delivery contract was 205.45 cents per lb, the December 2024 delivery contract was 204.50 cents per lb, and the March 2025 delivery contract was 203.75 cents per lb (1 lb = 0.4535 kg).
Certified stockpiles of exchange-graded Arabica coffee held in New York warehouses were said to have increased by 4,755 bags to a total of 740,449 bags on May 16.
In Vietnam, coffee prices on May 18 averaged VND 103,800 per kg, an increase of VND 1,500 compared to the previous day.
The highest coffee price in the Central Highlands regions (Dak Lak, Lam Dong, Gia Lai, Dak Nong, and Kon Tum) was recorded at VND 104,000 per kg.
The Central Highlands provinces, Vietnam’s main coffee-growing region, received a total of 195.6 mm of rainfall in the 10 days from May 1, 41% lower than the historical average.
Meanwhile, the weather agency Somar Meteorologia also reported that the Minas Gerais region of Brazil had no rain last week and that the area has gone three weeks without rain.
The National Weather Service of the United States forecasts that El Niño conditions will gradually weaken in the coming months, while La Niña conditions will develop from August onwards and will be the dominant weather pattern for the remainder of the year.
