HANOI: Coffee trade in Vietnam remained subdued on Thursday as farmers held back sales on expectations of better prices, even as demand strengthened with exporters rushing to meet delivery obligations, while premiums rose in Indonesia.
In the Central Highlands, farmers sold beans at 97,500 dong to 98,200 dong (USD3.71 to USD3.74) per kg.
Robusta coffee for March delivery settled down USD68 at USD3,939, as of Wednesday’s close. “Demand is strong as exporters have resumed activity after the holidays, but supply is very limited,” a trader based in the coffee belt said. “Farmers are under little pressure to sell at the moment as they can also earn income from durian and therefore tend to hold beans and ask for higher prices,” the trader added.
Another trader in the region said output was estimated to be 5percent to 10percent higher this season and current weather conditions were favourable for coffee plants.
Traders offered 5percent black and broken-grade 2 robusta at a discount of USD140 to USD150 per ton to the March LIFFE contract. Vietnam exported 1.58 million tons of coffee in 2025, up 17.5percent from a year earlier, government data showed, while export revenue rose 59percent to USD8.9 billion last year. In December, coffee shipments rose 40.8percent from a year earlier to 180,000 tons, the data showed.
Indonesian Sumatra robusta coffee beans were offered at a USD215 premium to the February contract, up from a premium of USD120 to the January contract two weeks ago, a trader said. Another trader said that beans were offered at a USD200 premium for the March contract, compared with a USD300 premium before the holidays. Meanwhile, coffee farmers in Indonesia’s West Lampung said recent heavy rainfall could cause cherries to fall off plants, potentially affecting supply.