Fresh Vietnamese coconut is hitting a record high. The farmers'farmgate price is 180,000–210,000 dong per dozen(about 1,040–1,210 yen), and exporters' purchases have risen to 200,000–220,000 dong (about 1,150–1,270 yen). Drought from El Nino and prolonged rain and pests from La Nina have thinned supply, and prices across production areas including Thailand, Sri Lanka and the Philippines have risen 50–100% year on year.
Up to 210,000 dong per dozen—where prices stand now
The farmgate price of fresh coconut is 180,000–210,000 dong per dozen. Even lower-grade wholesale is 140,000–170,000 dong (about 810–980 yen), and the top grade has risen to a maximum of 25,000 dong per piece (about 145 yen) at retail. Exporters are buying at 200,000–220,000 dong, and we have entered a phase where rising sourcing costs ride directly onto export prices.
Supply hit directly by drought and disease
The background to the price spike is "abnormal weather and pests." El Nino brought severe drought to major production areas, and the following La Nina caused off-season heavy rain and windstorms. Vietnam is the world's fifth-largest exporter, with a growing area of about 200,000 hectares and annual output of about 2 million tonnes, but this supply shock tightened supply-demand at once. Nguyen Dinh Tung, representative of major exporter Vina T&T, says that even shipping around seven 18-tonne containers a week meets only two-thirds of demand.
A supplier of 20% to China—the ripple reaches Japan's sourcing too
Vietnam is the third-largest supplier, accounting for 20% of China's coconut imports, and its fresh-coconut exports were US$390 million in 2024, with US$500 million in view for 2025. Because the rise in fresh prices ripples to the sourcing costs of processed raw materials such as coconut milk, water and dried chips, Japanese food and beverage buyers are pressed to diversify production areas and review long-term contracts.
| Item | Details (per dozen, yen conversion) |
|---|---|
| Farmgate price | 180,000–210,000 dong (about 1,040–1,210 yen) |
| Exporter purchase | 200,000–220,000 dong (about 1,150–1,270 yen) |
| Grade-2 wholesale price | 140,000–170,000 dong (about 810–980 yen) |
| Top-grade retail (per piece) | Up to 25,000 dong (about 145 yen) |
| Price rise across production areas | Up 50–100% year on year |
| World ranking / share to China | 5th in the world in exports / 20% of China's imports (3rd) |
Recommended related reading:
-AIG breaks ground on a second coconut-processing plant in the Mekong Delta—a US$23.9 million investment
-Frozen durian leads second-quarter exports—a fresh-coconut protocol also takes effect, with US$10 billion a year in range
-Vietnamese fruit prices crash—watermelon at 3.8 cents/kg, Ri6 durian halved
Source: Produce Report
