From May to July 2026, rice production in Vietnam was in a transitional and overlapping phase between different growing seasons, characterized by significant regional phenological variations. In major southern rice-producing regions, such as the Mekong River Delta, the winter-spring rice crop was mostly in the maturatio and harvesting stages or undergoing post-harvest land preparation. Meanwhile, the summer-autumn rice crop successively entered the sowing, transplanting, greening, tillering, and jointing stages, with early-sown fields advancing to the booting and heading stages. In the northern Red River Delta and parts of the central rice-producing regions, spring rice was in the grain filling, maturation, and harvesting stages, whereas summer rice was in the sowing, transplanting, and vegetative growth stages.

CropWatch agro-meteorological indicators reveal that Vietnam experienced generally optimal thermal conditions, alongside slightly below-average precipitation and solar radiation. Cumulative precipitation was 600 mm, representing a 9% decrease compared to the 15-year average for the same period. The average temperature was 28.1°C, which is 0.3°C higher than the long-term average, providing favorable conditions for the greening, tillering, jointing, and booting of rice crops. Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR) was 754 MJ/m², 2% below the average, and the potential cumulative biomass was 1,318 gDM/m², down by 3% compared to the long-term average. This indicates that slightly weaker solar radiation imposed some limitations on dry matter accumulation, though the overall impact remained limited.

CropWatch agronomic indicators show that the Cropped Arable Land Fraction (CALF) in Vietnam reached 88%, a 5% increase compared to the five-year average for this period, indicating active land utilization and seasonal sowing activities. The maximum Vegetation Condition Index (VCIx) was 0.83, and the Crop Production Index (CPI) was 0.90, suggesting that the overall condition of planted crops was close to, but slightly below, normal levels. Simultaneously, the Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI) was −2.98, the Crop Water Stress Index (CWSI) was 2.18, and the Agricultural Drought Area Alleviation Index was −90.0%. These metrics reflect notable soil moisture deficits and crop water stress in certain rice regions, highlighting a specific need to monitor irrigation supply and subsequent rainfall supplementation during the tillering to booting stages of the summer-autumn rice crop.

In summary, optimal thermal conditions, a high cropped arable land fraction, and relatively stable vegetation growth laid a solid foundation for improving rice yields in Vietnam. However, below-average precipitation, slightly weaker solar radiation, and soil moisture deficits remain potential constraints on late-stage yield formation. CropWatch monitoring results indicate that during the monitoring period, the planted rice area in Vietnam was 1.791 million hectares, a decrease of 1.65% compared to the same period in 2025. This variation in planted area was influenced by seasonal transitions, multiple-cropping arrangements, and regional differences in sowing dates. The yield reached 3,821 kg/ha, representing a year-on-year increase of 6.07%, while total production stood at 6.84 million tons, a year-on-year increase of 4.33%. Although the planting area saw a minor reduction, the significant improvement in yield fully offset the impact of this decline, making yield enhancement the primary driver behind the year-on-year increase in Vietnam's total rice production.

Figure 2.29 Spatial Distribution of Rice Planted Area in Vietnam, 2026