According to statistics from the Customs Department, in the first two months of this year, our country exported nearly 723,800 tons of cassava and cassava products, worth 233.7 million USD. Compared to the same period last year, although the volume of exported cassava increased by 14.9%, the value decreased sharply by 19%.

Notably, the average export price of this item decreased by 28.5% compared to the same period in 2024, to 327 USD/ton.

In the past two months, China has remained a major customer, accounting for 94% of the export turnover of this key industry of our country. Accordingly, Vietnamese enterprises have exported nearly 693,000 tons of cassava and cassava products, earning 219.6 million USD.

However, China's purchase at dirt cheap prices has caused this type of cassava in growing areas in our country to decrease sharply, even in Muong Lat district (Thanh Hoa) the price has dropped dramatically.

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Cassava prices in growing areas of Muong Lat district are falling sharply. Photo: Le Duong

In Muong Lat district, cassava is in its peak harvest season. However, people do not want to pull out the tubers to sell because the income is not enough to pay for labor costs. Currently, the selling price has dropped by more than half, to only 1,500 VND/kg. At times, it even dropped to 900 VND/kg.

Meanwhile, harvested cassava is packed in bags full of sugar without any traders coming to buy it.

Not only in Muong Lat, fresh cassava prices in the Northern and Central provinces, the Central Highlands and Tay Ninh all have a downward trend.

Mr. Tran Van Thang, Head of the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Muong Lat district, said that the whole district has more than 3,000 hectares of cassava. In the past two years, cassava has been considered the main crop to help the locality escape poverty, earning more than 100 billion VND each year. This year, cassava output is higher but prices are low. Therefore, revenue from this crop is estimated at only 50-60 billion VND, a decrease of 40-50 billion VND compared to the previous year.

According to the Import-Export Department (Ministry of Industry and Trade), in February 2025, cassava starch inventories of factories in China increased as more orders signed previously with Thailand and Vietnam arrived at the port.

In addition, the Vietnam Cassava Association stated that the decrease in cassava prices was due to the large inventory of cassava starch at factories in our country, leading to a decrease in the ability to absorb raw materials for processing. Not to mention, the export market is facing difficulties, while the supply of cassava is increasing because farmers are expanding their acreage, causing further pressure to cause a sharp decrease in prices.

Cassava prices have dropped dramatically, and farmers in Muong Lat have piled up their crops on the road, waiting for traders to buy them. Cassava prices have dropped by more than half compared to last year, and hundreds of households in Muong Lat district (Thanh Hoa) do not want to pull out the tubers because they do not have enough labor. With no traders coming to buy, cassava has piled up on the road for many days.