Farmers are harvesting fresh cinnamon bark on the hillside
Vietnam has two main harvest seasons: Spring (March-April) and Autumn (August-September). These are the two times when cinnamon bark is easiest to peel (róc vỏ), ensuring intact bark pieces and high essential oil content. Especially, this is also the time of ideal sunny weather in Northern Vietnam for natural sun-drying. This ensures the finished cinnamon maintains its natural golden-brown color and characteristic pungent aroma, perfectly meeting strict export standards.
The cinnamon bark is being dried and prepared for sale to processing companies
In the cinnamon "hubs" of Lao Cai and Yen Bai, peeling and procurement activities are taking place very busily. Across the hillsides, from early morning, farmers are hối hả (busily) cutting trees, peeling bark, and urgently transporting them to the roads for the trucks.
Cinnamon drying yards are scattered all over, directly under the sun
Across the large drying yards, cinnamon is spread evenly on clean mats to be naturally sun-dried under the sun. This helps the bark curl beautifully and retains the highest essential oil content for export shipments.
MARKET INFORMATION
Cinnamon exports in 2025 exceeded 260 million USD. India maintained its position as the No. 1 customer (accounting for over 30% market share), followed by Bangladesh, the USA, and the Middle East. The trend of standardizing Organic cinnamon is also growing strongly to meet the EU market.
Vietnamese cinnamon is conquering the most demanding markets
In just the first 2 months of 2026, Vietnam exported more than 1,151 tons of cinnamon, a strong increase compared to the same period last year. Purchase prices for fresh cinnamon bark at the beginning of the 2026 season show signs of cooling down compared to last year's peak, creating favorable conditions for businesses to close large-volume orders. The Vietnam cinnamon industry continues to focus on building high-quality OCOP raw material areas in Lao Cai and Yen Bai to enhance global competitive value.