Farmers across the Mekong Delta have so far harvested 1.46 million hectares of summer–autumn rice. Yet most of them are reaping losses rather than profits, as volatile global markets and mounting production costs—exacerbated by extreme weather—have left them vulnerable.
Falling prices, shrinking yields
Looking out over his six hectares of ripening rice awaiting harvest, Thieu Van Hai of Truong Long Tay Commune, Can Tho City, admitted he had been holding off for a week in the hope of a price rebound. That hope, however, has faded. “At the start of the season, traders paid VND6,000 per kilogram of fresh paddy in the field. Now it’s down to just VND5,300–5,400. This year's yields are low while input costs have soared. After all the deductions, it feels like we’re just laborers on our own land,” Hai said.
In the eastern part of Dong Thap province, harvesting is being hampered by persistent rains. Lai Van Mung, a farmer in Phu Thanh Commune, just brought in over 2,000 square meters of Dai Thom (long fragrant) 8 rice. Like many others, his family opted to sell quickly at a lower price to avoid heavier losses, as late-season crops risk further damage from rats and declining yields.
Across the delta, fresh paddy is now selling at only VND5,200–5,500 per kilogram—down VND1,000–1,500 from the previous month and VND2,000–2,500 lower than the same time last year. Compounding the price slump, yields have also plunged this season due to heavy rains, pest infestations, and plant disease. In Vinh Long Province, farmer Thai Van Chien reported that his three hectares of OM 5451 rice yielded only 6.5 tons per hectare, nearly 1.5 tons less than last season. “Breaking even is already considered lucky this year. Those renting land are suffering the heaviest losses,” he remarked.
In the Dong Thap Muoi area of Tay Ninh Province, large tracts of rice are fully ripe but left unharvested, as farmers balk at low prices. These fields now face the looming risk of flooding, as rising Mekong waters spill into the paddies. Local authorities are racing to reinforce dikes and support farmers in completing the harvest before peak flood season, said Mr. Dinh Chau Phong, Deputy Head of Vinh Hung Commune’s Economic Department.
Export headwinds and oversupply
Rice exporters attribute the steep drop in delta prices to several factors. Chief among them is the Philippines—buyer of over 40 percent of Vietnam’s rice exports—suspending imports for 60 days from September 1, 2025, in a bid to shield its own farmers from plunging prices.
According to the Vietnam Food Association (VFA), the global benchmark for white rice averaged US$416 per ton last week, down $7 from the previous week, $15 from July, and a staggering $228 compared with last year. Thailand’s 5-percent broken rice now trades at $356 per ton, also sharply lower year-on-year.
In the Mekong Delta, farmgate paddy prices have continued sliding for two straight weeks. By mid-August 2025, Vietnam had exported 5.875 million tons of rice worth over $3 billion—up 2.88 percent in volume but down 16 percent in value from the same period in 2024. The numbers highlight a bleak reality: the world rice trade is tightening, leaving Vietnam’s agriculture sector scrambling for solutions to secure stable markets for farmers.
With the Philippine suspension, many domestic rice processors have also stopped buying paddy. At the same time, the peak harvest has created a supply glut. “Adding to this, large volumes of Cambodian rice have entered Vietnam this year, swelling inventories. India is also poised to release over 20,000 tons of rice into the market. All these factors have made exporters extremely cautious in their purchases, further depressing farmgate prices,” explained Mr. Ly Thanh Tam, Director of Hoa Lua Co., Ltd. in Tay Ninh.
Calls for urgent support
In response, the An Giang provincial Department of Agriculture and Environment has urged the Department of Industry and Trade to step up efforts to connect enterprises with farmers, accelerate paddy purchases, and provide timely market updates to guide production. Swift procurement is essential, officials stressed, to stabilize farmers’ morale and ensure the timely planting of the autumn–winter crop.
Can Tho’s Deputy Agriculture Director, Nguyen Thi Giang, noted that in the face of falling export prices, farmers must adopt advanced cultivation methods to minimize production costs. She called for the strict application of Vietnam’s “One Million Hectares of High-Quality, Low-Emission Rice Associated with Green Growth in the Mekong Delta”. Beyond cutting costs for fertilizer, seeds, and pesticides, she urged farmers to make use of rice straw for circular-economy initiatives that could raise additional income.
Losses from HB1 rice oversupply in Ca Mau
In Ca Mau Province, along the Ong Doc River and the West Sea coast, hundreds of households have already finished harvesting their summer–autumn crop. But most are deeply worried: their paddy remains unsold. Many have resorted to drying and storing the rice, but relentless rains have undermined the quality.
The setback stems from a surge in cultivation of the HB1 variety. Last year, HB1 rice delivered high yields, fetched good prices, and sold easily. Seeing its success, local farmers planted it massively this season. The oversupply backfired: traders pulled out, prices collapsed, and farmers are now left with heavy losses.
In light of this, Ca Mau Province Chairman Pham Thanh Ngai has directed the provincial Department of Agriculture and Environment to review the market situation, link up enterprises to absorb the surplus, and devise urgent remedies. He also ordered stronger coordination across the production chain—from seed selection and cultivation techniques to marketing—to ensure future crops meet market demand and command reasonable prices.
