Vietnam targets $1.8-2.0 billion in cassava exports by 2030

Cassava roadmap links exports with processing

Vietnam has set a target of raising annual export revenue from cassava and cassava products to $1.8-2.0 billion by 2030, according to Soha. The goal is part of the government’s project for sustainable development of the cassava industry through 2030, with a longer-term vision to 2050.

Under the plan, national fresh cassava output is expected to reach 11.5-12.5 million tonnes a year by 2030. Authorities want 85-90% of that crop to undergo deeper processing, with starch, monosodium glutamate and ethanol identified as three principal products. This would move more of the industry away from sales of minimally processed roots and chips and toward products with higher industrial value.

E10 mandate creates a domestic demand channel

From June 1, 2026, fuel retailers across Vietnam are due to switch to E10 gasoline, gradually replacing conventional mineral gasoline. The policy is intended to reduce dependence on imported petroleum products and support Vietnam’s Net Zero target for 2050. Ethanol used in Vietnam is produced mainly from cassava and corn, although imports are still required to serve a gasoline market consuming about 1 million cubic metres a month, Soha reported.

Vietnam harvested 10.24 million tonnes of fresh cassava roots in 2025, providing a substantial domestic feedstock base. Six biofuel plants using dried cassava chips have operated in the country since 2013. The E10 rollout could improve demand visibility for these processors, but the scale of the opportunity will depend on operating capacity, feedstock procurement and the competitiveness of domestic ethanol against imports.

Corn constraints strengthen cassava’s role

Corn can also be used for ethanol, but Vietnam’s domestic supply is already insufficient for animal feed. The country produced 4.4 million tonnes of corn grain in 2025 from a combined planted area of less than 900,000 hectares for cassava and corn. In the first four months of 2026, Vietnam imported 4.4 million tonnes of corn worth more than $1.1 billion, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment. These competing feed requirements make cassava the more likely source of medium-term growth in agricultural ethanol, with corn serving mainly as a supplementary input.

The policy is developing alongside a broader expansion of biofuels. A March 2026 Persistence Market Research report valued the global ethanol market at about $98.7 billion in 2026 and projected $134.3 billion by 2033. The Asia-Pacific market was forecast to grow at a compound annual rate of about 6.1% from 2026 to 2033. Soha also noted that the United States maintains roughly 15 billion gallons of annual ethanol demand under its Renewable Fuel Standard, Brazil requires an E27 blend, and India recorded average blending above 12% in the 2023-2024 marketing year while targeting E20 in 2025-2026.

Execution will determine export gains

Vietnam’s roadmap must balance two potential outlets: exports of cassava products and domestic ethanol consumption. Higher processing rates could increase the value captured by farmers and manufacturers, but fuel demand may also redirect some feedstock from export-oriented starch and other uses. Prices and plant economics will determine how the crop is allocated.

Longer term, agricultural residues could provide another pathway. Second-generation ethanol uses materials such as rice straw, sugarcane bagasse and sawdust rather than food crops. Experts cited by Soha estimate that it can reduce greenhouse-gas emissions by 80-90% compared with conventional gasoline. For now, however, the immediate industrial test is whether the 2026 E10 program can support reliable plant utilization while the cassava sector works toward its 2030 production, processing and export targets.