Salmon market firms ahead of Christmas, with industrial sizes driving price gains.
“It has gone fine this week. The only thing that has been difficult is 6+. Everything below 6 has moved fine,” an exporter tells SalmonBusiness.
He refers to the following spot prices, to farmers, for salmon to be sold in the coming week:
2–3 kg: NOK 70 ($6.93/€5.95)
3–4 kg: NOK 78–80 ($7.72–$7.92/€6.63–€6.80)
4–6 kg: NOK 80–81 ($7.92–$8.01/€6.80–€6.89)
6+ kg: NOK 78 ($7.72/€6.63)
“We’re struggling with too much big fish. But the prices are good. Christmas sales haven’t started yet, but there is slightly less harvesting,” he notes.
The price range is confirmed by several independent sources, both farmers and exporters.
“I haven’t bought anything, but I’m hearing the same,” says one of them.
“It’s an incredibly strong market here,” a farmer says. “Sales prices are NOK 81, 82, 83 ($8.01, $8.17, $8.23/€6.89, €6.97, €7.06) all-in, which corresponds to NOK 1–1.50 ($0.10–$0.15/€0.09–€0.13) lower to the farmer.”
“There are major players showing interest above NOK 80 ($7.92/€6.80). NOK 78 ($7.72/€6.63) for 6+. There’s no premium. China is full of fish,” he adds.
This means a price increase of NOK 5–6 ($0.50–$0.59/€0.43–€0.51) since last Friday for industrial sizes of three to six kilos.
“Yes, it’s in that price range. I would say 6+ should go even lower. It should have been at NOK 75–76 ($7.43–$7.52/€6.38–€6.46). There has been heavy pressure on that size this past week. It’s difficult to move everything that doesn’t go straight on a plane,” a trader says.
