Rising Coffee Prices Trigger Wave of Thefts
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Coffee growers in Lâm Hà, Di Linh, and Bảo Lâm districts (Lâm Đồng Province) are facing an alarming increase in coffee thefts as prices hit multi-year highs.
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On November 22, Thái Hòa Lâm Đồng Coffee Company reported a flood of complaints from farmers about stolen beans.
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Thieves break into homes to carry off entire sacks of dried coffee, and some even pose as hired workers to smuggle bags away.
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On the farms, criminals cut whole branches of unharvested cherries, causing long-term damage to coffee trees.
Farmers and Police Intensify Security
To combat the surge in theft:
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Lâm Đồng provincial police have ordered district forces in key coffee-growing areas to tighten patrols and implement tougher security measures.
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In Di Linh, Bảo Lâm, and Bảo Lộc, farmers have formed self-managed neighborhood watch groups, taking shifts day and night to deter criminals.
Early Harvesting Reduces Quality
Fearful of losing their crop—preferring “green beans at home over ripe beans left in the field”—many growers are stripping all cherries at once to cut labor costs and avoid theft.
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Proper cultivation recommends 3–4 harvest rounds spaced 10–15 days apart to ensure full ripening.
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Rushed harvesting reduces bean quality and affects Vietnam’s coffee reputation on the global market.
Warning From the International Coffee Organization
The International Coffee Organization (ICO) recently warned that up to 75% of Vietnam’s coffee fails to meet Coffee Quality Improvement Program (CQP) standards.
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Low-quality Vietnamese coffee accounts for nearly 80% of the world’s beans rejected by buyers, causing hundreds of millions of U.S. dollars in losses each year.
Prices Remain High Despite Harvest Delays
According to Thái Hòa Lâm Đồng Coffee Company:
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Fresh Arabica from Đà Lạt: about 10,700 VND/kg
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Other areas: around 9,200 VND/kg, with a tolerance of 10% green cherries and 10% floaters (dried cherries).
The company forecasts that prices will stay strong in the near term because the main harvest is just starting, weather conditions are slowing picking, and global coffee prices remain elevated.
The combination of record coffee prices and rising theft is pushing Lâm Đồng farmers into early harvesting—protecting their crop but risking bean quality and long-term market credibility.