Vietnam Agricultural Sourcing Calendar 2026
A detailed, research-backed reference for procurement managers. Plan your 6–12 month buying cycles around Vietnam's harvest peaks, price troughs, and optimal ordering windows.
Immediate Highlights
- Coffee (Robusta): Peak crop arrives November–January. Dec–Jan offers the strongest volume availability.
- Black Pepper: Sourcing peaks in Feb–Apr. Buyers should secure capacity prior to February.
- Fruits: Double-peak passion fruit crops and seasonal freeze-drying schedules require structured ordering.
Vietnam Agricultural Sourcing Timeline 2026
Use the timeline below to align your procurement campaigns. Standard crop cycles represent general availability, harvest peaks provide high volume, and optimal windows highlight the best balance of quality, capacity, and price.
| Commodity | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robusta Coffee | ||||||||||||
| Passion Fruit | ||||||||||||
| Dried Fruits | ||||||||||||
| Black Pepper | ||||||||||||
| Coconut | ||||||||||||
| Durian |
Robusta Coffee
Supply peak is December. Forward bookings secure processing capacity before mills reach limit.
Passion Fruit
Frozen pulp and puree are processed during peak harvest. Best pricing for concentrate is Jul–Aug.
Dried Fruits
Freeze-dried (FD) products require advance bookings as freeze-dryer chamber time is highly sought after.
Black Pepper
Density checks (500 to 580 g/L) and steam sterilization capacity must be booked prior to harvest.
Coconut
Dry-season coconuts have higher oil content and better shelf life. Lock processing capacity in October before peak season volumes arrive.
Durian
Fresh programs require packing-house eligibility and cold-chain continuity. Frozen pulp orders must lock processing capacity before peak season.
Updated June 17, 2026. Data represents historical multi-year averages and current crop forecasts.
Price Trough: period of highest physical market supply and lowest spot raw material cost.
2026–27 El Niño Crop Risk Overview
NOAA confirmed El Niño conditions on June 11, 2026 — with a 63% probability of a very strong event through November–January. This overlaps directly with peak harvest windows for coffee, coconut, and pepper. Use the risk ratings below to adjust your forward booking strategy.
Robusta Coffee
HighDry stress during flowering and cherry filling (Oct–Jan). Smaller bean sizing and higher defect rates expected.
Secure forward contracts by Sep. Lock Screen 16/18 specs and defect tolerances before spot premiums widen.
Black Pepper
Medium-HighMoisture swings around flowering and berry set (Feb–Apr). Light berry ratios and density can shift lot economics.
Specify density, moisture, and sterilization requirements in the RFQ. Book capacity in Nov–Jan.
Coconut
Medium-HighSaltwater intrusion in Mekong Delta and heat stress reduce juice yield and shelf life (Dec–Mar peak season).
Ask suppliers about salinity exposure and irrigation source. Lock packaging barrier and shelf-life specs.
Durian
MediumIrrigation cost pressure and rainfall variability during fruit set (Apr–Jun) reduce fresh program sizing consistency.
Require orchard code, packing-house eligibility, dry-matter checks, and harvest-date records in the spec.
Passion Fruit
MediumFlowering and juice yield variability. Fresh fruit sizing and pulp/concentrate yield can diverge from volume estimates.
Agree Brix, acidity, seed content, and frozen/aseptic stock status before placing orders for Jul–Aug window.
Dried Fruits
MediumRaw fruit sizing and sugar balance shifts raise sorting waste and energy cost for freeze-dried and soft-dried products.
Control water activity, Brix range, and slice size. Book freeze-dryer capacity 3–4 months ahead.
Source: NOAA Climate Prediction Center El Niño Advisory, June 11, 2026. Risk ratings reflect historical ENSO impacts on Vietnam crop zones.
Get the Print-Ready Sourcing Calendar (PDF & Infographic)
Keep this calendar handy in your buyer office or share it internally with your procurement, quality control, and logistics teams. The downloadable kit includes:
- High-Resolution Infographic (PNG): Perfect for desktop backgrounds or embedding in internal slide decks.
- Printable PDF Calendar: Formatted for A4 / Letter printing with crop details and contact forms.
- Procurement Worksheets: Monthly checkpoint worksheets to monitor crop moisture, cargo booking milestones, and pricing locks.
Preview the Procurement Kit
Opens the printable document in a new tab. Use your browser's print dialog to save as PDF.
Detailed Commodity Harvesting & Buying Playbook
Robusta Coffee (October – January)
Origin: Lam Dong, Dak Lak, Gia Lai
Harvesting Mechanics
Harvesting begins in October (early cherries) and reaches its peak between November and December. During January, farmers wrap up stripping the remaining cherries. Drying is primarily sun-drying on large concrete patios, though premium processors utilize controlled mechanical dryers or parabolic domes.
Moisture & Quality Compliance
Stable moisture (12.5% max) is easier to secure in late November and December. Early October lots require close monitoring to prevent mold and high water activity. Standard grading targets Screen 18 and Screen 16 sizes.
Pricing & Order Window
Price Trough: December to February, when physical availability is at its maximum and local buying houses compete for volume.
Procurement Playbook: Negotiate forward contracts in September/October to lock in capacity. Secure spot shipments during the December–February window to capitalize on harvest pricing troughs.
Passion Fruit (Double Peak: Jun–Aug / Oct–Dec)
Origin: Gia Lai, Central Highlands
Harvesting Mechanics
Passion fruit is harvested semi-continuously in Vietnam, but crop yields peak twice: during the rainy mid-year season (June to August) and late-year (October to December). Raw fruit is sorted immediately for fresh market export or routed to processing plants for juice, pulp (with seeds), and puree/concentrate (seedless).
Processing Compliance
Importers must match Brix levels (typically 13–15° Brix for single-strength pulp and 50°+ for concentrate) and seed-count tolerances. Food safety focuses on yeast, mold, and pesticide residues.
Pricing & Order Window
Price Trough: July–August and November–December.
Procurement Playbook: Place orders in April–May for the summer crop, and August–September for the winter crop. Locking volume ahead of peak seasons ensures that processors prioritize your packaging and freezing capacity.
Dried Fruits (Mango, Jackfruit, Pineapple)
Origin: Lam Dong & Mekong Delta
Harvesting Mechanics
Vietnam's tropical fruit seasons run from March to July (natural summer crop) and peak again in late autumn. Pineapple is strongest in March–May; Mango has peak crops in April–June. Fruits are harvested at maturity, sliced, and dry-processed using freeze-drying (FD), soft-drying (SD/dehydrated), or hot-air drying (AD).
Quality & Moisture Control
Water activity (a_w) is the critical parameter (typically < 0.6 for soft-dried and < 0.3 for freeze-dried). Preservative limits (SO_2) must comply with destination market regulations.
Pricing & Order Window
Price Trough: April to June, when raw summer fruits are most abundant and cost-effective.
Procurement Playbook: Book freeze-drying chamber capacity 3 to 4 months in advance. Order in January–February for summer shipments, and August–September for winter programs.
Black Pepper (February – April)
Origin: Central Highlands & Binh Phuoc
Harvesting Mechanics
The harvest runs from February to April. Peppercorns are hand-harvested or machine-shaken, then sun-dried until the moisture level drops to 12.5–13%. Export processing involves machine cleaning, size-grading, density-sorting (500 g/L to 570+ g/L), and steam sterilization for ready-to-eat safety compliance.
Quality Compliance
Density, light berries, pinheads, and microbiological cleanliness are critical. Steam sterilization must be carefully controlled to preserve volatile oils and aroma profile.
Pricing & Order Window
Price Trough: March to May, when physical product volume is highest on the local markets.
Procurement Playbook: Lock steam sterilization and processing capacity in November–January. Negotiate spot shipments or spot-price contracts between March and May for maximum cost savings.
Coconut (November – April)
Origin: Ben Tre, Tra Vinh, Tien Giang — Mekong Delta
Harvesting Mechanics
Coconut palms produce year-round, but supply quality and yield peak during the dry season from November through April. Ben Tre province — Vietnam's coconut capital — accounts for the largest share of processed coconut exports. Raw coconut is routed to factories producing coconut water, coconut milk, cream, desiccated coconut, and refined coconut oil.
Quality & Processing Compliance
Key parameters include fat content (for oil and cream), Brix (for water and milk), microbiological load, and shelf-life stability under the target packaging format. Desiccated coconut requires moisture below 3% and specific mesh sizes.
Pricing & Order Window
Price Trough: January to March, when dry-season supply peaks and factory intake is at maximum capacity.
Procurement Playbook: Place forward orders in October–December to lock processing slots. Specify salinity exposure, irrigation source, and packaging barrier — El Niño saltwater intrusion risk in the Mekong Delta raises raw material inconsistency through Q1 2027.
Durian (April – September)
Origin: Mekong Delta & Central Highlands
Harvesting Mechanics
Vietnam's durian main season runs from April to August, concentrated in Tien Giang, Vinh Long, and Ben Tre provinces of the Mekong Delta. A secondary flush from highland orchards in Dak Lak and Lam Dong extends supply into September. Fresh export requires GACC-registered packing-house approval for China-bound shipments. Frozen pulp and puree are processed during peak glut periods.
Quality & Cold-Chain Compliance
Fresh programs require dry-matter content checks, carton ventilation specs, and harvest-date traceability. Frozen pulp must maintain continuous cold-chain from packing house to container, with Brix and seed-count tolerances agreed in advance.
Pricing & Order Window
Price Trough: May to July, when peak harvest volumes hit local markets simultaneously across multiple provinces.
Procurement Playbook: Secure packing-house allocations and cold-chain commitments in February–April before the season opens. El Niño irrigation pressure during April–June fruit set raises sizing variability risk — lock grading and rejection rules before ordering.
Frequently Asked Sourcing Questions
When is the best time to negotiate forward contracts for Vietnam Robusta?
The ideal window for forward contracts is September through November, just before the harvest begins in October/November. Booking during this window allows buyers to secure mill processing capacity and set pricing baselines before physical stock floods the market and shipping capacity tightens in December.
Why do price troughs lag behind the start of harvest seasons?
Price troughs typically occur 1 to 2 months after the harvest begins. This delay represents the time needed for farmers to harvest, dry, and transport the crop to aggregate dealers and processing mills. For instance, the black pepper harvest starts in February, but the pricing trough is most pronounced in March and April when supply reaches its maximum physical concentration.
Can frozen passion fruit products be sourced year-round?
Yes. While passion fruit has peak harvests from June–August and October–December, processors maintain frozen storage for pulp and puree. However, buying during the peak windows guarantees the lowest raw material cost, which directly impacts the FOB contract price for bulk orders.
What is the typical lead time for freeze-dried fruit shipments?
Typical lead time is 45 to 60 days. Because freeze-drying is a slow, technology-intensive process, facility scheduling is the primary bottleneck. We recommend planning orders 3 months ahead of your required arrival window, particularly before major holidays (such as Lunar New Year) when regional logistics experience congestion.
How do moisture levels change throughout the pepper harvest?
Early harvest pepper (February) often has higher moisture levels, requiring longer mechanical drying. By March and April, the hot, dry weather in the Central Highlands allows for highly efficient sun-drying, resulting in stable moisture levels (12.5% max) and cleaner aggregate lots.
How does the 2026 El Niño affect Vietnam coffee and pepper sourcing?
NOAA confirmed El Niño conditions in June 2026, with a 63% probability of a very strong event through the November–January window — the same period as the Vietnam Robusta harvest peak. Hotter, drier conditions in the Central Highlands during flowering and cherry filling increase the risk of smaller bean sizing, higher defect rates, and spot premiums on Screen 18 lots. Pepper faces similar moisture variability around flowering and berry set. Buyers should secure forward contracts earlier than usual, specify moisture and defect tolerances explicitly, and request retained samples before payment.
What is the El Niño impact on coconut and durian supply in 2026–2027?
Coconut faces medium-high risk from saltwater intrusion into the Mekong Delta during the dry season. Heat stress can reduce juice yield and shorten shelf life for fresh programs. Durian is exposed to irrigation cost pressure and fruit sizing variability — irregular rainfall during flowering and fruit set in April–June can reduce fresh program consistency. Both crops benefit from buyers locking quality specifications (dry-matter content, sizing, packing-house eligibility) before the risk window widens in Q3–Q4 2026.
