Along with Thailand, Vietnam is dominant in cassava and cassava products worldwide. Currently, Vietnam is the second-largest cassava exporter in the world after Thailand. In the past five years, the country has consistently achieved an export turnover of over one billion USD.
According to the General Department of Customs, in January 2025, Vietnam exported over 295,000 tons of cassava and products, worth more than 99.3 million USD. This was a slight decrease of 1.3% in volume and a 9.3% decrease compared to December 2024. Compared to the same period in 2024, the export volume decreased sharply by 29.6%, and the value dropped by 48.9%.
In terms of the market, China, Taiwan (China), and the Philippines were the top three markets importing cassava from Vietnam. Specifically, Vietnam exported over 281,000 tons to China in January 2025, worth more than 92 million USD. This is a decrease of 29% in volume and 49% in value compared to January 2024, accounting for 95% of the total output. The average price was 329 USD/ton, down 28%.
Cassava has many uses in industrial processing, animal feed, and food.
Taiwan ranked second with nearly 4,000 tons, worth over 1.4 million USD, a decrease of 23% in volume and 46% compared to the same period last year. Prices also recorded a 30% decrease, equivalent to 382 USD/ton.
Exports to the Philippines reached over 2,800 tons, worth over 1.1 million USD, a significant increase of 175% in volume and 124% in value. However, the price only reached 396 USD/ton, a decrease of 19% compared to the same period last year.
The demand for cassava slices in the Chinese market continues to decline and has lasted since 2023. According to the Chinese Customs, in 2023, this country imported over 5.61 million tons of cassava slices, worth 1.55 billion USD, a decrease of 21% in volume and 24% in value compared to 2022. This trend still continued in 2024. Due to low corn prices, cassava processing factories have increased the ratio of corn instead of cassava slices.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development said that Vietnam currently has over 140 cassava starch processing factories, with a total designed capacity of 13.4 million tons of fresh cassava per year and an actual capacity of 9.3 million tons per year.
According to the Vietnam Cassava Association (VCA), the cassava slice market for the 2024-2025 season will continue to decline in both price and demand. The cassava slice traders may focus on purchasing cassava slice for animal feed standards instead of buying large quantities for alcohol production factories.
Under the project “Sustainable Development of the Cassava Industry by 2030, with a vision to 2050”, the goal by 2030 for the country’s fresh cassava production is to reach about 11.5 – 12.5 million tons. The export turnover of cassava and cassava products is expected to reach 1.8 – 2.0 billion USD by 2030.