Another drop expected.
“This week has been tough and brutal. There’s still a lot left, fish that hasn’t been sold. It’s the big farmers who are left with the volume,” a buyer told SalmonBusiness on Friday lunchtime.
“You’ll see a price adjustment down on everything under six kilos. 6+ is holding up somewhat,” he said, before listing:
1-2 kg: NOK 50 ($4.55/€4.15)
2-3 kg: NOK 60 ($5.46/€4.98)
3-4 kg: NOK 67-68 ($6.10-6.19/€5.56-5.65)
4-5 kg: NOK 68-69 ($6.19-6.28/€5.65-5.74)
5-6 kg: NOK 71-72 ($6.46-6.55/€5.89-5.97)
6+ kg: NOK 76-78 ($6.91-7.10/€6.31-6.47)
Not at Full Speed
“But I’m not super confident about next week. This week has been heavy, and I’m not confident it will get better next week with holidays in Europe. The factories are not running at full speed.”
There is consensus that the price will drop, but how much is still under discussion between buyer and seller.
“Still early, but I’d say you need to add three kroner,” countered a farmer.
“It’s really dead. It’s been negative throughout the week. But how much it will come down… I expect it to come in around NOK 70 ($6.37/€5.81). That’s what I’ve heard,” said an exporter.
“I’ve gone out with prices of NOK 67, 68, and 72 ($6.10, 6.19, and 6.55/€5.56, 5.65, and 5.97) on 3-6 kg. 6+ is holding somewhat stable,” said another exporter.
“We’re still going out with NOK 72 on 3-4 kg and NOK 75 ($6.83/€6.23) on 4-5 kg, but the market is more NOK 68-70 on 3-4 kg and, if I’m optimistic, NOK 71 on 4-5 kg,” says a farmer.
High Exports It is undoubtedly a drop from the week before.
“Yes, it is. Last week’s export was surprisingly high. In Nordland, the water is very warm, up to 17-18 degrees. So, they’ve gone from having control over the lice situation to emergency slaughter. This suggests there is quite a heavy volume behind these moderate prices,” he said.
“Even though it’s holiday season in France, the smoking industry will likely gear up at these prices. And then there’s the question of the freezing strategy of the Poles,” he adds.
SalmonBusiness gathers spot prices for salmon every Friday after lunch, tracking fish to be delivered the following week. This process involves contacting multiple entities in the value chain, including farmers, exporters, and importers. At least five independent sources are consulted, though they may not always be publicly disclosed.
