Mark Godfrey

Contributing Editor

Mark Godfrey is an Irish journalist covering the agriculture and fisheries sectors in Asia, with a focus on China. Proficient in Mandarin, he has frequently traveled across China's fisheries and aquaculture regions and learned the inner workings of China's corporate world during a nearly three-year stint at the Financial Times' “China Confidential” publication. He has also reported widely across Southeast Asia and the former Soviet Union. He has educational certificates in agriculture and food science, as well as Mandarin.


Author Archive

Published on
May 8, 2024

The Australian lobster sector is hopeful of an imminent return to the lucrative Chinese market.

Geraldton Fishermen’s Co-operative CEO Marc Anderson, who took over the position in March, said at the 2024 Seafood Expo Global his organization is “very optimistic” that exports of live lobster into China will soon be permitted after being blocked since 2020. Based in North Fremantle, Australia, Geraldton had built up a large

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Published on
May 6, 2024

A free trade agreement (FTA) signed in May 2023 by China and Ecuador came into effect at the beginning of May.

Ecuadorian shrimp has become a favorite in China, increasing its shipments tenfold to China between 2018 and 2022. Ecuador accounted for 697,357 metric tons (MT) of China’s 987,601 MT of shrimp imports in 2023, accounting for a 71 percent market share. However, Ecuador’s shrimp exports to China fell 21.5 percent by volume

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Published on
May 2, 2024

Indonesian food processor PT United Harvest Indonesia has entered the Chinese snack food market, offering a range of shrimp crackers in the market.

The Jakarta-based firm is now distributing its Deep Ocean Treasure range of dried shrimp snacks through retailers across northern China. PT United has appointed Carme Import and Export Trading Co. as its sole agent for the Chinese market.

Indonesia, which has duty-free access to the Chinese market as

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Published on
May 1, 2024

Chinese premium retailer T11 Food Market is betting on high-end grocery buyers in the country to start buying more Alaskan pollock.

T11 was founded in 2018 by Derek Du, the founder of the 7Fresh supermarket chain, which was sold to JD.com in 2017. Heavily dependent on smart retail technology for its supply chain, it provides fresh groceries through an online platform and a handful of brick-and-mortar stores.

At the T11 Fresh Plaza Food

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Published on
May 1, 2024

Chinese oyster producer Shandong Lighthouse Jellyfish Marine Technology Co. has set its sights on building a market for frozen oysters in the European Union.

The company’s director, Wang Lingling, said it will be introducing its liquid nitrogen frozen fresh oyster meat and half-shell oysters to distributors in Europe.  

“They’re ready to use after thawing, which ensures more efficient meal preparation,” Wang told

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Published on
April 29, 2024

Later this year, Chinese officials in Beijing are set to welcome ambassadors from several African nations for the ninth edition of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), previous editions of which have led to the inking of many Chinese-backed infrastructure projects in Africa.

China has the largest diplomatic presence in Africa of any nation, operating 60 diplomatic posts across the continent. Economic ties between China and Africa have

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