From July to September 2026, rice production in Vietnam was in a phase where the summer-autumn rice was vigorously growing in parallel with the staged harvesting of early-sown fields, with notable regional phenological differences. In the southern major rice regions such as the Mekong Delta, the winter-spring rice had mostly completed harvesting and entered the fallowing or land preparation stage, while the summer-autumn rice was predominantly in the jointing, booting, heading, and grain-filling-to-maturity stages, with certain early-sown fields entering the harvesting period. In the northern Red River Delta and parts of the central rice regions, the spring rice had essentially completed harvesting, while the summer rice was in the critical growth period spanning the tillering, jointing, and booting-to-heading stages, with certain early-transplanted fields entering the grain-filling and maturity stages.

CropWatch agro-climatic indicators suggest that Vietnam generally experienced stable thermal conditions, above-average precipitation, and slightly below-average solar radiation. The cumulative precipitation was 902 mm, representing a 9% increase compared to the 15-year average for the same period. The abundant precipitation effectively replenished soil moisture, adequately meeting the water requirements of the rice crops during the jointing, booting, and grain-filling stages. The average temperature was 27.1°C, which is 0.1°C higher than the long-term average. The overall thermal conditions were generally favorable, facilitating the coordinated advancement of vegetative growth and reproductive development of the rice crops. Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR) reached 650 MJ/m², an 8% decline from the average, while the potential cumulative biomass stood at 1,409 gDM/m², down by 2% compared to the long-term average. This indicates that below-average solar radiation imposed certain constraints on dry matter accumulation; however, owing to adequate moisture conditions, the overall impact remained limited.

CropWatch agronomic indicators reveal that the Cropped Arable Land Fraction (CALF) in Vietnam increased by 10% compared to the five-year average for this period, indicating active progress in arable land utilization and seasonal sowing. The maximum Vegetation Condition Index (VCIx) was 0.93, and the Crop Production Index (CPI) was 1.02, suggesting that the overall condition of the planted crops is superior to recent years, with favorable field growth. Meanwhile, the Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI) was -1.27, the Crop Water Stress Index was 2.18, and the agricultural drought area alleviation index was -47.1%, reflecting that some rice regions still experienced a certain degree of soil moisture deficit and crop water stress. However, the overall drought pressure has eased compared to the earlier period, and attention should still be paid to irrigation supply in localized rainfed rice areas and the weather conditions during the grain-filling and grain-setting stages.

In summary, the abundant precipitation, stable thermal conditions, and crop growth superior to recent years provide a solid foundation for improving rice yields in Vietnam; however, below-average solar radiation still imposes certain constraints on dry matter accumulation and late-stage yield formation. CropWatch monitoring results indicate that during the monitoring period, the planted rice area in Vietnam was 1.757 million hectares, a decrease of 3.49% compared to the same period in 2025. The change in planted area during the monitoring period was simultaneously influenced by seasonal transitions, multiple-cropping arrangements, and regional variations in sowing dates. The yield was 3,734 kg/ha, representing a year-on-year increase of 3.65%, while total production stood at 6.562 million tons, a year-on-year increase of 0.03%. Although the planted area decreased, the steady improvement in yield essentially offset the negative impact of the area reduction, keeping total production broadly on par with the same period last year. Yield improvement remains the core factor supporting the stability of Vietnam's total rice production.

Figure 2.25 Spatial Distribution of Rice Planted Area in Vietnam, 2026