The aftermath of the coronavirus continues to give a negative impact on the market.
“There is a train that has stopped in the north (of Norway) – and then there is this damn virus,” says a frustrated fish exporter to SalmonBusiness.
“Now prices are dropping to a level that looks like the average price last year,” he adds. [factbox]
Deficit
It is the fifth week in a row that salmon prices are weakening.
“The signals are pretty much down. After all, there are no flights to Asia anymore,” says another exporter. “There is such a shortage of aircraft to Asia in general that the planes that go rather fly in medicines. They also increasing the rates. Emirates increased prices from one to four euros per kilogram.”
However, it is not only big fish, which are targeting the Asian air freight markets, that are seeing see a fall in prices.
“People don’t go out, you know. I hear from major processors in Europe – Poland, Italy and the Netherlands – they say that the order intake has been greatly reduced,” he comments.
Quiet
“3-6 kilos: 59-60-62 kroner. Some say we’ll have a flat price of 4+, but we are not quite there,” says a salesman at a fish farming company.
“That’s where we try, anyway. The world may change. It’s quiet in the market because of the coronavirus,” he adds.
SalmonBusiness’ industry sources outline the following farmgate price levels, for salmon to be delivered next week:
- 3-4 kg NOK 57-59 (€5.7-5.9)
- 4-5 kg NOK 58-60 (€5.8-6.0)
- 5-6 kg NOK 57-62 (€5.7-6.2)
- 6+ kg NOK 55-61 (€5.5-6.1)