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) Although Germany’s tuna imports have declined, Vietnam’s tuna exports to the market continue to show positive signs. Notably, export value recovered strongly in Q3/2026, and German import data also show Vietnamese products strengthening their position amid competition among suppliers.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Seafood exports are holding double-digit growth, but the opportunities are not spread evenly across product groups and markets. As businesses draw up their plans for 2027, Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026 (VSS2026) offers a chance to look ahead together: what to sell, where to sell it, and how to prepare for growth in the coming years.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) With less than two weeks to go, the Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026 (VSS 2026) will officially take place in Can Tho. Under the theme “Seafood Market Outlook 2027–2029 – Opportunities and Potential for Double-Digit Export Growth,” the Summit is organized by VASEP at a time when seafood businesses are facing rapid market shifts, changing buyer demand, trade policy changes and growing competitive pressure all at once.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On October 28, 2026, the China Fisheries & Seafood Expo opened in Qingdao, China. The expo takes place over three days from October 28 to 30, 2026. This is a prestigious specialized seafood exhibition organized annually by Sea Fare Exposition Inc.
(vasep.com.vn) In the first nine months of 2026, Vietnam’s tilapia exports to the CPTPP bloc reached $7 million, marking a 51% year-on-year increase. The bloc rstands as the fourth-largest market for Vietnamese tilapia, trailing Brazil, the US, and Saudi Arabia.
(vasep.com.vn) VASEP has officially announced the program for Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026 (VSS 2026), featuring five in-depth sessions covering industry outlooks, trade barriers, buyer demand, the domestic market, and solutions to improve productivity and reduce costs across the seafood value chain.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s shrimp exports reached US$3.7 billion in the first nine months of 2026, up 11% year on year. Although growth has been supported by China and several markets within the CPTPP, momentum is slowing as exports to the United States and the European Union decline. Tariff pressures, international competition, and raw material challenges are creating significant hurdles for exporters in the final months of the year.
(vasep.com.vn) Markets are changing faster, buyer requirements are becoming more demanding, and trade barriers are growing increasingly complex. In this environment, seafood businesses need more than an understanding of current market conditions. They need a longer-term perspective to answer a critical question: Where will growth opportunities come from in 2027–2029, and what should businesses do now to prepare? This is one of the key reasons why VASEP is organizing Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026.
(vasep.com.vn) In the first eight months of 2026, Vietnam’s pangasius exports to the Middle East reached US$113 million, up 7% year on year from the same period in 2025. Growth has become more pronounced in recent months. In August alone, exports to the region totaled US$20 million, an increase of 24%. This indicates that demand for Vietnamese pangasius in the Middle East is gradually recovering after a slowdown in March, although the pace of recovery varies across markets.
(vasep.com.vn) China’s shrimp imports continued to grow strongly in 2026, while Vietnam’s shrimp exports to the market also recorded notable growth. However, behind these positive figures lie two distinct trends: Chinese consumption is growing more slowly than imports, and lobster accounts for a substantial share of Vietnam’s shrimp exports to China, making its product mix significantly different from those of Ecuador and India. Exporters therefore need to assess each segment carefully to understand the opportunities and risks.
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