By Ngoc Tai 

Paddy prices in the Mekong Delta have fallen by as much as 17% within the past week, leaving local farmers at risk of financial losses.

Nguyen Thanh Loc of An Giang Province recently harvested his three hectares of paddy, which he then sold for VND6,200 (US$0.24) per kilogram.

That was VND1,300 lower than what he and traders had agreed on a week earlier.

With fertilizer costing 10-15% more than in previous harvests, the drop in paddy prices caused him tens of millions of dong (VND10 million = US$380) in losses. “At this price, most [farmers] are certain to suffer losses,” Loc said.

Le Hoang Nam, who has one hectare under the crop in Dong Thap Province, said a trader had offered VND6,800 per kilogram for his paddy just a week ago but is now only buying at VND6,300.

“The previous price would have netted a VND2-3 million profit, but the current price is barely enough to cover fertilizer and pesticide, not to mention labor,” Nam said.

Yields were also down for many this harvest, adding to farmers’ woe, he noted.

The An Giang Department of Agriculture and Environment said over 300,000 hectares of rice, or 60% of the province’s growing area, have been harvested so far.

Dong Thap, meanwhile, has harvested 150,000 hectares, or 75%.

Nguyen Vinh Trong, director of rice processing firm Viet Hung, attributed the sharp decline in prices to weak demand in major export markets like the Philippines, China and several African countries.

Banks’ tighter credit limits have also made it harder for businesses to secure capital for rice purchases, he added.

Data from the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment shows Vietnam’s rice exports amounted to 6.03 million tons worth nearly US$2.91 billion from the start of the year to August, down 5% in volume and 10% in value from a year ago. The average export price was $481.5 per ton, a 5.9% decline.

Exports are expected to reach $3.94 billion by the end of the year, which would mark a 4% drop from 2025, mainly due to lower average export prices in the first few months of the year.

Published Date: September 7, 2026