Salmon prices swing back up again

In the period between 10 and 16 November – week 46 – they rose to NOK 80.10 per kilo (£6.02), just a few pence down on the prices seen two weeks earlier. This represents an increase of 2.6% which is hardly likely to cause a great deal of excitement on the market.

Norway’s export volumes were down by just over 600 metric tons to 23,488 tons, which is still a reasonable figure and several thousand tons higher than back in the spring when they were hovering around the 18,000 ton mark.

The fresh salmon market has taken a turn for the better over the last week, although prices have been erratic.

But with Christmas just five weeks away they are starting to rise although the pick-up has been later than expected. Much of the extra demand is from China which normally doesn’t celebrate Christmas. China’s New Year does not come until mid-February (the Year of the Horse, this time).

The US market remains subdued on the back of tariffs at the moment but there is fairly demand from Europe.

Traders say there is too much large fish around at present which is not making the money it should.

Frozen salmon exports were up by 179 tons to 748 tons, the highest total for almost two months and prices were also on the rise but prices slipped by almost NOK 6  to NOK 72.24 (£5.46).

The Statistics Norway figures include whole salmon with and without heads, all sizes and fish sold on contract.