Agricultural product prices on March 28, 2025: Coffee unexpectedly drops sharply, pepper continues to be stable

Illustration photo. Photo: Internet

Coffee prices plummet

At the London exchange, at 5:00 a.m. on March 28, 2025, Robusta coffee prices continued to decline compared to the previous session, with the decrease fluctuating between 78 - 86 USD/ton, bringing the price down to around 5,172 - 5,485 USD/ton. Specifically, the May 2025 delivery contract reached 5,351 USD/ton; the July 2025 contract recorded 5,361 USD/ton; the September 2025 contract was priced at 5,327 USD/ton and the November 2025 contract stopped at 5,246 USD/ton.

In line with the trend, the price of Arabica coffee on the New York floor on the morning of March 28 decreased sharply compared to the previous session, decreasing from 9.45 - 13.20 cents/lb, fluctuating from 359.20 - 392.10.40 cents/lb. Of which, the contract for delivery in May 2025 was at 378.80 cents/lb; the contract for July 2025 was priced at 374.95 cents/lb; the contract for September 2025 stopped at 370.30 cents/lb and the contract for December 2025 closed at 362.85 cents/lb.

In the Brazilian Arabica coffee market, at the end of the trading session, prices decreased across all terms compared to the previous session, ranging from 452.85 - 483.25 USD/ton. Specifically, the contract for delivery in May 2025 reached 483.00 USD/ton; the contract for delivery in July 2025 was priced at 471.60 USD/ton; the contract for delivery in September 2025 was recorded at 465.55 USD/ton and the contract for delivery in December 2025 stopped at 452.85 USD/ton.

Domestic coffee market adjusted down

Updated at 5:00 a.m. on March 28, 2025, coffee prices in the Central Highlands provinces decreased sharply compared to the previous session, with a decrease of up to 2,000 VND/kg in the entire locality. The average purchase price is currently recorded at 133,400 VND/kg.

In more detail, coffee prices in Dak Lak were traded at VND133,400/kg; in Lam Dong, coffee prices reached VND132,400/kg; Gia Lai recorded a price of VND133,300/kg, while Dak Nong maintained at VND133,400/kg.

In the 2024–2025 coffee harvest in Kbang District, Gia Lai Province, the yield was quite high. Mr. Nguyen Van Trang, a farmer in Dak Roong Commune, harvested about 10 tons of coffee beans on an area of ​​3 hectares. After the 2025 Lunar New Year, he sold half of the yield at VND120,000/kg to cover debts and living expenses.

The remaining amount, equivalent to about 5 tons, was kept by Mr. Trang because he noticed that the coffee price kept increasing every week and month. According to him, this was a record high price in the coffee industry, so people decided to keep the goods, waiting for a better price before selling.

The leader of the Vietnam Coffee and Cocoa Association (VICOFA) said that when coffee prices reached VND130,000/kg in early March, most farmers in the Central Highlands and Southeast stopped selling. This forced purchasing units to raise prices to get supply.

It is forecasted that in the coming time, if the hoarding situation continues, coffee prices may increase to 140,000 - 150,000 VND/kg. However, this also poses a big challenge for processing and exporting enterprises as input costs are getting higher and higher.

Pepper prices remain stable

As of 5:00 a.m. on March 28, 2025, domestic pepper prices remained unchanged compared to yesterday, continuing to stay at a high level. Currently, the average purchase price in key areas is 159,400 VND/kg.

Specifically, in Gia Lai, pepper prices remained stable at VND159,000/kg after increasing sharply in the previous session. In Ba Ria - Vung Tau, pepper prices also remained at VND159,000/kg.

In Binh Phuoc, pepper prices continued to remain stable at 159,000 VND/kg.

In Dak Lak, after increasing in the previous trading session, pepper price today remained unchanged at 160,000 VND/kg.

In Dak Nong, the pepper market continues to be stable, pepper price is still purchased at 160,000 VND/kg.

World pepper prices remain high

According to data from the International Pepper Community (IPC), at 5:00 a.m. on March 28, 2025, the world pepper market did not fluctuate compared to the previous session, remaining at a high level.

Currently, Lampung black pepper price (Indonesia) is being traded at 7,229 USD/ton, while Muntok white pepper price is 10,052 USD/ton.

The Malaysian pepper market also recorded stability, with ASTA black pepper prices at USD 9,900/ton and ASTA white pepper reaching USD 12,400/ton.

In Brazil, pepper prices remained stable after the previous increase, currently reaching 7,000 USD/ton.

Vietnam's pepper export market continues to maintain a stable and high level. Specifically, Vietnam's black pepper export price is 7,100 USD/ton for 500 g/l; 550 g/l is 7,300 USD/ton; while white pepper is traded at 10,100 USD/ton.

Pepper industry maintains growth momentum

In recent years, the Vietnamese pepper industry has made significant progress. Pepper growers increasingly focus on organic and sustainable production. Many farmers have also proactively linked value chains and invested in deep processing to improve product quality, serving both domestic and export markets.

In the Central Highlands, the pepper harvest is progressing rapidly. In Dak Nong, about 70% of the area has been harvested; Lam Dong has reached about 60%; Dak Lak has only harvested 40%, while other localities have fluctuated around 50%. Although the harvest output is quite large, the actual supply is still limited due to the psychology of holding goods waiting for high prices. Meanwhile, businesses and traders are facing difficulties with working capital, warehouses and interest costs that increase seasonally.

In the first two months of the year, Vietnam’s pepper exports fell by 15.8% but the value increased by nearly 40%, reflecting a strong price trend. As domestic supply is scarce, many businesses have sought imports from other markets. Notably, Vietnam is currently Brazil’s largest customer, with a total import volume of more than 4,200 tons of pepper, worth nearly 26 million USD, nearly triple that of the same period last year.

It is forecasted that in the coming time, pepper prices will still have many positive prospects as demand from major markets such as the US and EU continues to be high, while domestic supply is limited due to farmers' tendency to hoard goods.

Lan Le (t/h)

Source: https://doanhnghiepvn.vn/kinh-te/gia-nong-san-ngay-28-3-2025-ca-phe-giam-manh-bat-ngo-ho-tieu-tiep-tuc-on-dinh/20250328100822917