Crops & Agricultural Products

In Europe, Alaska pollock has topped US$5,000 per tonne, and the cod quota is also at its lowest level in 30 years. Vietnamese pangasius exports reached US$1.3 billion in January to July 2026, up 8.8%. We lay out, from a practical standpoint, the knock-on effects for Japan's white-fish sourcing and why to act now, while supply is thinning.

Prolonged rain has cut Vietnamese dragon fruit output, doubling the farm-gate price since May to 15,000 dong (about 90 yen) per kilo. We lay out the structure—exports down 3%, 60% dependence on China—and explain three risks that Japanese sourcing managers should keep in mind.

The wholesale price of pineapple in north-central Vietnam has hit a record high of 19 million dong per tonne. We unpack DOVECO's contract farming, which absorbed the April-May price crash through floor-price guarantees and flowering adjustment, from a Japanese sourcing perspective.

Thai Nguyen University of Agriculture and Forestry tested blending 1–5% green-tea powder on 72 pigs. It has trademarked "green-tea pork," which commands a 20% higher live-weight price. We explain the branding of Vietnamese livestock and the key points for Japanese sourcing and processing.

On July 31, China Customs additionally accredited 18 Vietnamese testing labs, bringing the total to 50. The congestion in customs clearance to China has eased, and 2026 durian exports are heading for a record US$4.5 billion. We unpack the imbalance of 90% of exports going to China and the impact on Japan's frozen-durian sourcing.

An entrepreneur who has spent ten years attempting squid farming off Co To, Vietnam, reveals the reality, a survival rate of about 30% and live squid at 420,000 dong/kg, sounding a warning against overconfidence in "easy money." We also consider the link with Japan's demand for premium squid.

Vietnamese tilapia exports to Japan rose 54% in the first half of 2026. We unpack, through the numbers and the global supply and demand for white fish, how a fish once used as a substitute for sea bream at conveyor-belt sushi is opening up the Japanese market as a sashimi-grade, high-value-added product.

South Korea's largest convenience-store chain, GS25, has designated a Del Monte plantation in Tay Ninh province, Vietnam, as exclusive to itself. We interpret this lock-up style of sourcing of more than 200,000 packs a month from the perspective of Japanese retailers and trading houses that source Vietnamese fresh produce.

Vietnam, ranked seventh in the world, is moving toward full membership in the WCPFC. We read how efforts to fill the gaps in fisheries data, with observer coverage at 0% and operation records at 25 to 50%, connect directly to Japan's tuna sourcing and traceability requirements.

In July 2026, India officially opened its market to fresh Vietnamese durian, moving ahead of Thailand with no additional quarantine. We read what this means as the first large-scale diversification destination for Vietnamese durian, which has staked most of its earnings on the single Chinese market, and the knock-on effects that the scramble for fresh fruit will have on Japan's frozen sourcing.