Total cassava production for the 2025/26 season is estimated at around 22.1 million tonnes, down from approximately 28 million tonnes in 2024/25. Lower yield per hectare explains the decrease in total production.
At the same time, starch prices have decreased since the harvest began in October 2025, with the harvest expected to conclude this March. This is driven mainly by a changing competitive landscape on the global market: Laos has increased its production capacity significantly and started exporting to China, which is also a large buyer of Thai tapioca starch.
A secondary driver is the significant price decrease in substitute products such as potato starch, which has put further pressure on tapioca prices.
Read the full starch market analysis in Vesper’s Free Bakery H1 2026 Market Outlook: https://vespertool.com/downloads/