Today, May 18, 2026, the average price of coffee in the Central Highlands is 87,100 VND/kg, a decrease of 700 VND/kg compared to the previous session. Competitive pressure from Mexico is becoming increasingly evident as the USDA forecasts Mexico's coffee production for the 2026-2027 crop year to reach 4.135 million bags, with robusta production increasing sharply to 560,000 bags – a direct challenge for Vietnamese robusta coffee.
Coffee prices in the Central Highlands have fallen across the board, with Lam Dong losing 900 VND/kg.
A survey of coffee prices today, May 18, 2026, in three key provinces of the Central Highlands shows an average price of 87,100 VND/kg, a decrease of 700 VND/kg compared to May 17, 2026. All coffee-producing regions recorded price decreases ranging from 600 to 900 VND/kg.
Dak Lak and Gia Lai provinces both traded coffee at 87,000 VND/kg, down 700 VND/kg from the previous session. These are the two largest robusta coffee producing provinces in Vietnam, and the similar price levels indicate that the robusta coffee market in the Central Highlands is trending downwards.
Lam Dong province (after merging with Dak Nong and Binh Thuan provinces from July 1, 2025, according to Decision 759/QD-TTg) shows a clear divergence in coffee prices across different regions. The former Dak Nong region holds the highest position in the Central Highlands with 87,200 VND/kg, a decrease of 600 VND/kg - the smallest decrease in the group. The former Lam Dong region experienced the deepest decrease of 900 VND/kg, falling to 86,200 VND/kg - the lowest in the Central Highlands. The price range for coffee in Lam Dong province fluctuates between 86,200 and 87,200 VND/kg.
Coffee price list for the Central Highlands today, May 18, 2026
| Province/Region | Average price (VND/kg) | Changes compared to the previous session |
|---|---|---|
| Dak Lak | 87,000 | -700 |
| Lam Dong (formerly Lam Dong region) | 86,200 | -900 |
| Gia Lai | 87,000 | -700 |
| Lam Dong (formerly Dak Nong region) | 87,200 | -600 |
| Medium | 87,100 | -700 |
Mexico raises its coffee production forecast to 4.08 million bags for the 2025-2026 crop year.
In Mexico, improved weather conditions coupled with investments fueled by high coffee prices are helping to revive production. In its recent annual report, the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) raised its forecast for Mexico's current crop year coffee production to 4.08 million bags, compared with 3.928 million bags for the 2024-2025 crop year.
Mexico's arabica coffee production remains stable at 3.58 million bags. Robusta coffee production is increasing, estimated at 500,000 bags compared to 340,000 bags in the 2024-2025 crop year. This represents a growth of 47% in just one crop year – a very rapid expansion rate for the robusta segment in Mexico.
The USDA forecasts Mexico's coffee production for the 2026-2027 crop year to increase by 1% to 4.135 million bags. Of this, arabica production will remain similar to this year, while robusta production will continue to increase to 560,000 bags. This is a clear indication that Mexico is shifting its production structure towards increasing robusta production.
Approximately 80% of Mexico's coffee production comes from the states of Chiapas (Mexico's largest coffee-producing state), Veracruz, and Puebla. Coffee yields in Mexico remain very low, at just over 6 bags per hectare. Puebla – the state with the highest yield – only averages about 13 bags per hectare.
Productivity is expected to improve thanks to investments in recent years in new rust-resistant coffee varieties, the adoption of better farming techniques, and more effective quality control measures. The commencement of harvests in replanted areas, along with the shift towards more intensive farming methods, is laying the foundation for a more efficient and sustainable production model.
Mexico's expansion of robusta production is driven by large businesses in the coffee industry, particularly in the instant coffee sector. Robusta can be grown at lower altitudes, in hotter climates, and is less susceptible to adverse agricultural conditions – a natural advantage that has helped Mexico expand its acreage rapidly.
Mexico's coffee exports this year are projected to remain stable at 3.45 million bags, including 1.8 million bags of green coffee beans and 1.62 million bags of instant coffee. The United States remains Mexico's largest market for coffee, with exports reaching 2.6 million bags last year.
Notably, to meet the supply needs of the industry and domestic consumption, Mexico imported more than 2.6 million bags of coffee from international markets in the 2024-2025 crop year, of which approximately 2 million bags were green coffee beans. This shows that Mexico is both a major exporter and importer, playing a crucial role in the global coffee supply chain.
The 2026-2027 coffee harvest in Brazil is progressing slowly in early May 2026, with many plantations still showing a high percentage of green beans and uneven ripening. According to researchers at the Center for Advanced Studies in Applied Economics (Cepea) at the University of São Paulo, the average harvest progress currently stands at only about 3% to 5% of the total yield in key producing regions.
The coffee industry is placing high hopes on the new crop's supply, as forecasts indicate abundant production, whereas the previous crop had relatively limited yields, especially for Arabica coffee. The remaining coffee from the 2025-2026 crop available for trading is currently limited.
Although harvesting is still in its early stages, the prospect of a large crop in Brazil has put downward pressure on arabica coffee prices throughout the past week. However, the decline was limited by the recent cold snap in Brazil's coffee-growing regions, raising concerns about the possibility of frost – a factor that could limit production.
World coffee prices: Robusta London 3,365 USD/ton, Arabica New York 266.9 cents/pound
On the London exchange, robusta coffee futures for July 2026 delivery fell 1.4% ($49/tonne) compared to the previous week, closing at $3,365/tonne. The September 2026 contract fell 1.7% ($57/tonne), reaching $3,245/tonne.
On the New York Stock Exchange, the price of Arabica coffee for July 2026 delivery also fell 2.6% (7.3 US cents/pound) last week, to 266.9 US cents/pound. The September 2026 contract fell 2.3% (6.2 US cents/pound), reaching 260.1 US cents/pound.
Source: https://baodanang.vn/gia-ca-phe-hom-nay-18-5-2026-ca-phe-viet-giam-700d-3337046.html
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