Salmon prices have been under severe pressure in recent weeks. The main explanation is a supply normally associated with the Christmas trade.
Last year, many European salmon processors finished most of the Christmas trade in early autumn. Low salmon prices in August and September were used to replenish the freezer stores and thus secure plenty of supplies for the production of smoked salmon for the winter.
This, in turn, has dampened the seasonal rise in prices in the late autumn.
Repeat
Now it seems that the processing industry can repeat last year’s success.
For last week, a total of 28,102 tonnes of salmon were exported (converted to round weight) from Norway.
That’s quite exactly 4,000 tonnes more than in the same week last year – and an increase of almost 1,600 tonnes from the previous week, according to daily export statistics from the Norwegian Seafood Council.
Increases
Leading importers were Poland, Denmark and France. Poland alone purchased 3,791 tonnes of salmon, corresponding to 190 fully loaded semi-trucks, in week 37.
So far this year, Norway has exported 823,514 tonnes of salmon, compared with 786,306 tonnes at the same time last year.