Vietnam April coffee exports seen falling to 2 million 60-kg bags

Vietnam’s coffee exports are forecast to fall to around two million 60-kg bags in April from 2.87 million bags last month, traders said on Thursday, as farmers are not keen to sell at low prices.

Women sort coffee beans at a coffee factory in Hanoi, Vietnam September 29, 2015. Photo: Reuters

“A long holiday from this weekend will also put a break on coffee shipments,” a trader based in the Central Highlands, the country’s largest coffee growing area, said.

Farmers in the Central Highlands sold coffee at 30,400-31,500 dong ($1.31-$1.36) per kg on Thursday, compared with 30,500-31,400 dong last week.

“Farmers are selling moderately as they are complaining that prices are too low for them to make profit,” another trader said.

Traders in Vietnam offered 5 percent black and broken grade 2 robusta at a $45 per tonne discount to the July contract, flat from last week.

July robusta coffee settled down $8, or 0.6 percent, at $1,391 per tonne on Wednesday, after setting a new more than three-year low of $1,389.

Meanwhile, in Indonesia, premiums for the grade 4 defect 80 robusta rose to $130 to the July contract on Thursday from $100-$110 a week ago, according to a trader based in Lampung.

“Prices are rising due to increasing demand,” the trader said. Another trader said premiums were $100-$110 to the June contract.