Willcom and Sanyo Foods to Fully Launch Oyster Business in Vietnam, Aiming a 100 MT Production
Willcom, a seafood trading company from Fukuyama City, Hiroshima, and Sanyo Foods, a frozen food manufacturer from Shikokuchuo City, Ehime, have launched Japan's first business using frozen shucked oysters from Vietnam, according to Minato Shimbun.
They will take advantage of Vietnam’s supply system, which produces shucked oysters year-round, and the cost benefits of tariff-free shipping under the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).
In 2024, Sanyo Foods commercialized frozen fried oysters made from Vietnamese ingredients. In Japan, orders have been placed by major manufacturers’ private brands and major wholesalers for restaurants, and overseas exports have also begun. Willcom has positioned Vietnam as the third largest oyster-producing region after Japan and South Korea. In 2024, they imported frozen shucked oysters from Vietnam, the first in Japan.
Vietnam stretches 2,000 km from north to south, and oyster farming is thriving in Halong Bay, a World Heritage Site in Quang Ninh Province in the north, with an estimated production of about 20,000 tons per year (whole-in-shell equivalent). Oysters are mainly grown for export to Taiwan and Thailand, and sanitary management of the farming area is a significant priority. Some companies shuck and freeze oysters, producing high-quality frozen shucked oysters. Willcom has already signed partnership agreements with local producers’ associations and freezing processing plants and aims to expand further from 2025.
Due to the geopolitical risks of typhoons, longline hanging methods resistant to waves are the norm for oyster farming in Vietnam. Oyster species are secured through artificial seed production using local oysters as parents. Although they are of the Magallana genus, there is a mixture of the original local species and Portuguese species, which is said to produce oysters with the heat resistance unique to Vietnam. Universities and other research institutions are working to develop superior species.
Making use of a year-round supply of shucked oysters with zero tariffs
Farming is 6-8 months after the oysters are transferred to offshore. The average size of shelled oysters at harvest is 6-15 grams per shucked meat. The focus is on sales turnover, not size, and the plan is to continue shucking year-round. The peak harvest season is from June to December. This is an advantage in sourcing raw materials, as it coincides with the off-season in Japan and Korea.
500 tons in 3 years
Willcom COO Kohei Kawasaki says, “Vietnamese shellfish are low cost and have zero tariffs. We also have the workforce to shuck oysters. We will support increased production and expansion of sales channels so Vietnamese trainees who have acquired skills in Hiroshima Prefecture can have more opportunities to work when they return home.”
In the future, the aim is to expand production from neighboring Southeast Asian countries to Europe, North America, the Middle East, Africa, and other areas and establish a global food value chain. “Where there’s the sea, oyster farming is possible. By utilizing our know-how and working with local partners to industrialize the oyster farming business, we hope to secure a protein source and create local jobs. We can also promote Japanese food culture through oysters as an attractive ingredient,” said Kawasaki COO.
In 2025, Willcom and Sanyo Foods plan to handle 100 tons of frozen shucked oysters from Vietnam as raw materials and 200 tons of frozen fried oysters. The goal is to achieve 500 tons of frozen fried oysters three years later.
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