September 2025 Outlook Report: Meat

September 2025 Outlook Report: Coffee, Sugar, Tea, and Cocoa

Record harvest, big imports – yet rice prices jump 11%-16% YoY

Despite record Boro rice production in Bangladesh, prices have sharply increased by 10-16% compared to last year. This is impacting low-income families, and is attributed to market manipulation by traders who stockpile rice, leaving the government with insufficient reserves to stabilize prices. While the government imported a significant amount of rice and claims to be addressing the issue, the high prices persist due to factors like increased input costs, post-harvest losses, and supply chain disruptions. Experts criticize the lack of effective market intervention and regulatory oversight.

Numerous markets to increase cashew exports

Vietnam's cashew exports to the US have dropped significantly due to a 10% US import tariff, resulting in a 25% decrease in volume and a 4.2% decrease in value in April 2025 compared to April 2024. However, exports to China have surged, increasing by 127% in volume and 130% in value in April 2025 compared to March 2025. Other markets like the Netherlands, UAE, Japan, Philippines, India, and Turkey are also showing strong growth. While the US market presents challenges, Vietnam's cashew industry is diversifying into promising markets like China, the EU, and Australia, mitigating the impact of US tariffs.

"Online transactions for aquatic pharmaceuticals are not allowed"

The National Fisheries Products Quality Management Service has launched a campaign to eradicate illegal online transactions of aquatic pharmaceuticals and to spread the culture of proper use. The service announced that it held a promotional campaign targeting 65 newly certified aquatic disease management specialists at the Asti Hotel in Busan on the 9th. This campaign was organized to raise awareness among sellers and buyers as cases of water quality improvers and supplementary feeds being sold online as if they were aquatic pharmaceuticals continue to persist. This is the second consecutive year the event has been held, following last year. Aquatic pharmaceuticals, which require specialized management and knowledge for disease prevention and treatment, are prohibited from being traded online under the "Pharmaceutical Affairs Act." Violation of this can result in a penalty of up to five years in prison.

High exchange rates cause a surge in import prices... the price gap between U.S. beef and Hanwoo narrows

Due to the rise in the won/dollar exchange rate and the burden of logistics costs, with overall import prices increasing, the price of U.S. beef has surged dramatically, creating a price gap with Korean beef.