While a large-scale southern sea cucumber harvest this spring pulled the price down from RMB 216 per kilogram to RMB 160 kilograms. However, prices will increase in the second half of the year predicts Sun Xia, aquatic industry analyst at Guo Hai Securities Co.
With prices rising to RMB 200 per kilogram, “earnings growth can be expected,” said Sun. Colder fall and winter weather drives an increased demand for dietary supplements “… and there are more festivals in these two seasons, therefore the demand for sea cucumber will rise,” explained Sun.
Among the key cultivators, Dalian Yi Qiao Marine Seeds Co. Ltd has been busy raising finances to expand its cultivation operations. It should be in for a boost as sea cucumber prices rise in the latter half of this year. Yi Qiao in June announced it would issue shares to raise RMB 798 million to add 14,000 acres of production, as well as a 80,000-cubic-meter plant for sea cucumber seedling cultivation. By the end of 2012 the company will have at least 2.6 million mu (15 mu equals one hectare) under cultivation with plans to add 30,000 mu early next year.
Listed on the Shenzhen stock exchange, Yi Qiao Marine Seeds drew 86.1 percent of revenue from shellfish seedling, with a gross margin of 59.4 percent.
However, the firm is keen to add more sea cucumber cultivation, given gross margins of up to 87.6 percent, according to company records. Sea cucumber prices in Weihai seafood wholesale markets rose from RMB 170 per kilogram to RMB 180 per kilogram in July, according to research by Qi Lu Securities. The firm predicts prices will climb to RMB 200 per kilogram in the latter half year of 2012.
The Dalian-based Homey Group International in the past year built an offshore artificial reef for cultivating sea cucumber by throwing 150,000 cubic meters of stone in 1,000 acres of sea. “The culture grounds can provide sea cucumber over 5 millions in one season,” explained a company spokesperson.
Another explanation for higher demand, says Sun Xia, is an expected shortage of supply in autumn given the fall off in supply from Southern China after the key spring harvest.
“Southern sea cucumber producers have not solved the problem of how to cultivate in warmer summer weather … therefore we still only have one season per year.”
Despite optimism on prices, beche mere producers also face potential risks, including a downturn of the sea cucumber demand and price due to a weaker Chinese economy. Any increase in yields is also threatened by the “fluctuation of the survival rate and potential risk of water pollution and extreme natural disasters.”
Local producers also face competition from better quality wild imports, particularly from Alaska and Canada. Demand remains strong for wild Alaska sea cucumbers, which are typically larger and have higher nutritional value than farmed Chinese sea cucumbers.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The year 2025 marks the 30th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and the United States (1995–2025). In parallel with the nation's progress in international economic integration, bilateral seafood trade has followed a remarkably impressive growth trajectory, expanding from an initial scale of just tens of millions of US dollars to nearly $2 billion annually. This growth has positioned the United States as Vietnam’s largest seafood export market for many consecutive years.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On December 12, 2025, the Vietnam Association of Seafood Processing and Export (VASEP) issued document 231/CV-VASEP regarding strengthening measures to combat IUU fishing and working with the Government to lift the EC's IUU yellow card warning.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Tilapia is easy to farm and provides high economic and nutritional value, making it a sought-after export commodity in many countries.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s seafood exports in the first 10 months of 2025 recorded significant progress, reaching more than USD 9.5 billion, up 15% year-on-year. This result reflects the sector’s persistent efforts amid a highly volatile market, especially policy shocks from the US Although signs of slowdown emerged in the third quarter due to countervailing taxes, key product groups still maintained strong momentum and created a foundation for full-year exports to reach USD 11 billion.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s agreement with the United States on a framework for reciprocal, fair, and balanced trade—reached during the 2025 ASEAN Summit in Malaysia—has generated strong optimism for Vietnamese exports, including tuna. Numerous positive points in the joint statement have raised high expectations for Vietnamese export goods, but turning these expectations into tangible benefits remains a long and challenging journey.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) At the conference on “Linking the Production and Consumption Chain of Ca Mau Crab 2025,” Vice Chairman of the Ca Mau Provincial People’s Committee Lê Văn Sử posed a central question: how to shift the province’s crab exports toward official trade channels, instead of relying heavily on small-scale border trade with China as currently practiced.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The whitefish market in Japan is showing a clear divergence among supplying countries, in which Vietnam continues to affirm its role as a stable and high-potential exporter. Vietnam currently ranks third after the US and Russia in whitefish export value to Japan. Thanks to tariff incentives and the ability to meet Japan’s strict standards, Vietnamese pangasius continues to record a stable and positive growth trend.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The People's Committee of Ca Mau Province has just issued a plan to expand the super-intensive, low-water-exchange, biosecure white-leg shrimp farming model (RAS-IMTA) for whiteleg shrimp farming to a scale of 1,500 hectares, aiming to develop high-tech, sustainable and environmentally friendly shrimp farming.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Sa Giang Import-Export Joint Stock Company (HNX: SGC) plans to issue over 7.1 million shares to raise nearly 465 Billion VND for Hoan Ngoc M&A Deal.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) According to Rabobank, global tilapia production is forecast to exceed 7 million tons in 2025, driven by a strong recovery in major producing countries including China, Indonesia, Egypt, Bangladesh and Vietnam. Among them, Vietnam is emerging as a potential tilapia supplier in the global supply chain, capitalizing on market fluctuations to expand production and exports.
VASEP - HIỆP HỘI CHẾ BIẾN VÀ XUẤT KHẨU THỦY SẢN VIỆT NAM
Chịu trách nhiệm: Ông Nguyễn Hoài Nam - Phó Tổng thư ký Hiệp hội
Đơn vị vận hành trang tin điện tử: Trung tâm VASEP.PRO
Trưởng Ban Biên tập: Bà Phùng Thị Kim Thu
Giấy phép hoạt động Trang thông tin điện tử tổng hợp số 138/GP-TTĐT, ngày 01/10/2013 của Bộ Thông tin và Truyền thông
Tel: (+84 24) 3.7715055 – (ext.203); email: kimthu@vasep.com.vn
Trụ sở: Số 7 đường Nguyễn Quý Cảnh, Phường An Phú, Quận 2, Tp.Hồ Chí Minh
Tel: (+84) 28.628.10430 - Fax: (+84) 28.628.10437 - Email: vasephcm@vasep.com.vn
VPĐD: số 10, Nguyễn Công Hoan, Ngọc Khánh, Ba Đình, Hà Nội
Tel: (+84 24) 3.7715055 - Fax: (+84 24) 37715084 - Email: vasephn@vasep.com.vn