Norway salmon exports show April rise

NORWAY’S salmon farmers saw their export earnings rise by nine per cent during April, the latest figures from the Norwegian Seafood Council show.
Overseas sales last month totalled 74,000 tonnes, a volume increase of four per cent, but the value more than doubled to NOK 5.3 billion, up by NOK 442 million.
The average price for fresh whole salmon last month was NOK 68.52 per kilo, compared to NOK 63.56 in April 2017.
So far this year the country has exported 320,000 tonnes of salmon to a value of 21 billion kroner, more or less the same as in 2017. But volumes are up by five per cent.
The average price for the first four months of 2018 is NOK 62.74 per kilo compared to NOK 64.99 for the same period last year. So April 2018 seems to have been a very good month for the fish farming industry.
Paul T. Aandahl, analyst at the Norwegian Seafood Council, said: ‘Despite a good price trend so far this year, the price in the first three-month period is down by 2.25 kroners on last year.
‘Global demand growth and favourable exchange rates have not been enough to outweigh the negative price effect resulting from increased supply.
‘The decline in prices is primarily due to increased offerings from Norway.’
Meanwhile, exports of farmed trout continue to pick up. Sales for the first four months of 2018 have totalled 13,600 tonnes, worth NOK 883 million, a volume rise of 24 per cent and a revenue increase of two per cent.
Sales last month totalled 3,800 tonnes, worth NOK 246 million, with the US, Belarus and Japan the main markets.