For roasters and importers buying green coffee from Vietnam, timing is as important as origin. Contracting too early means locking in price before quality is confirmed; contracting too late means missing the freshest lots before they're sold to domestic exporters. Here's a working calendar for the 2026/27 crop year, built around Vietnam's two harvest windows and the latest production outlook.
Robusta Harvest: October to January
Robusta — grown mainly in the Central Highlands provinces of Dak Lak, Gia Lai and Dak Nong — is picked from October through January, with peak cherry harvest in November and December. Fine Robusta lots destined for specialty buyers are typically hand-picked and processed slightly later in this window to allow for better ripeness selection. Fresh-crop green beans usually clear export documentation and start shipping from December through February.
Arabica Harvest: September to February
Arabica, concentrated in Lam Dong province (Cau Dat, Da Lat) and pockets of the Central Highlands, has an earlier main harvest running September to November. In the higher-altitude Lam Dong districts, picking can extend from November into February as different micro-regions ripen at different elevations. Because Arabica volumes are much smaller than Robusta, quality lots move quickly once cupping scores are confirmed — buyers who wait until January risk missing the best washed and honey-processed lots.
2026/27 Production and Export Outlook
Vietnam's total coffee production for the 2026/27 marketing year is forecast at approximately 32.5 million 60kg bags (green bean equivalent) — around 31.4 million bags of Robusta and 1.1 million bags of Arabica. Exports are projected at roughly 28.95 million bags, up about 2% from 2025/26 and 15% above 2024/25, as newly replanted trees from the 2021–2023 replanting program reach stable, higher-yield production.
Dak Lak, Lam Dong and Gia Lai together account for more than 92% of planted area and roughly 95% of national output. Lam Dong alone holds about 327,000 hectares — 45% of the country's coffee land — and produces roughly half of Vietnam's total crop. A growing share of farms in both provinces are shifting from coffee monoculture to intercropping with durian, avocado, macadamia or pepper, which is gradually changing yield patterns and should be factored into multi-year supply planning.
A Sourcing Timeline for Buyers
- June–September: Pre-harvest contracts and forward positions based on flowering conditions and early yield estimates. Good window to lock indicative pricing before peak-season demand pushes FOB prices up.
- October–November: Arabica main crop comes in; first cupping samples available. Move quickly on standout lots — top Cau Dat and Da Lat Arabica sells out early.
- November–January: Robusta peak harvest and processing. This is the best window to request pre-shipment samples and verify moisture content (aim for 12.5% or below) and defect counts before confirming final contracts.
- December–February: Fresh-crop shipping season for both varieties. Book container space early — port congestion at Ho Chi Minh City and Qui Nhon typically peaks in this window as exporters across the region compete for capacity.
Practical Tips
Always request a pre-shipment sample and independent moisture/defect check rather than relying on cupping scores from months earlier — quality can shift during storage. Build a relationship with your exporter before peak season so you're not negotiating container space and price at the same time. And keep an eye on replanting-driven yield growth: as new trees mature, more consistent fresh-crop volume should gradually reduce the scramble for early contracts in future years.
Looking to source fresh-crop Vietnamese specialty coffee for the 2026/27 season? Get in touch with our team to discuss volumes, cupping samples and shipping timelines.