Norwegian salmon exports stall

EXPORTS of Norwegian salmon stalled slightly last month, but for the year so far they are still well up in both volume and value.
Sales during September totalled 88,200 tonnes and were worth NOK 5.7 billion, down eight per cent in volume terms but with the value at the same level as September 2017.
The average price per kilo was NOK 60.96 compared with NOK 55.46 12 months ago.
However, figures for the first nine months of 2018 show that exports are 50,000 tonnes, or seven per cent higher at 759,000 tonnes, and were worth NOK 49.4 billion, a value increase of four per cent or NOK 1.7 billion.
Norwegian Seafood Council analyst Paul T. Aandahl, said: ‘A weakening of the Norwegian kroner against the euro and dollar has contributed to the stable export of salmon exports in September.
‘Growth demand in the EU, Norway\’s most important salmon market, has levelled out.
‘Growth is primarily in Asia and Eastern Europe, and with free access to markets like Russia and China, Chile has been able to exploit this in 2018.’
Farmed trout exports last month remained broadly the same at 3,800 tonnes, but the value fell by three per cent to NOK 246 million.
So far this year volume sales are up by 22 per cent worth a total of NOK 2.1 billion, a rise of three per cent.
Aandahl said that in the past five years the United States has risen from 17th to second in the league table as Norway’s most important market for trout.
Overall, seafood exports during September, including cod, shellfish and pelagics such as mackerel and herring were 160,000 tonnes and were worth NOK 7.7 billion, down by 21 per cent in volume and four per cent in value.
So far this year seafood exports have reached two million tonnes, worth NOK 71 billion up by eight per cent (volume) and three per cent (value).
The Norwegian Seafood Council is hoping that sales can once again break the 100 billion kroner barrier by the year end.