Some Vietnam coffee farms thrive despite drought, but may not stop espresso price hikes

PLEIKU, Vietnam – Vietnamese coffee growers have been hit hard this year by the worst drought in nearly a decade, raising concerns of pricier espressos across the world, even as some farmers keep yields healthy with clever countermeasures.

Domestic forecasts for next season’s harvest in Vietnam, the world’s second biggest coffee producer, remain grim.

The Mercantile Exchange of Vietnam expects a 10% to 16% fall in output because of the extreme heat that hit the Central Highlands coffee region between March and early May...