$7.65 per 1 kilogram is the highest price in 10 years for this season, said the Association of produce and trade companies of fish market. In comparison with last year’s same period Norway chilled salmon price increased by 60%. Norway suppliers refer to tough weather conditions – due to them the price of transportation highly increased. As result the price to consumer grew up respectively.
The Association of fish market says that the same factor will also influence the price in future. “In other words, Norwegians will be able to sell fish at a price that does not have any market explanation. That means they can set any price”, – the Association says. Also the Association thinks that the situation worsened due to the lack of competition – now Norwegians are the only suppliers of salmon. Last year Polish companies could compete with them, but in the beginning of 2013 all big fish farming companies fell under Norway companies’ control.
According to Russian the Federal Fisheries Agency’s predictions, in 2013 the salmon market is 400,000 tons, 150,000 tons of which is Norway salmon. According to Norway Fish Committee, during period January-October 2013 the supply of fish and seafood from Norway to Russia decreased by 17.3% – till 224,700 tons. In monetary terms the import increased by 6.1% – till €630 million. Imports of Norway salmon decreased by 18.2% – till 87,000 tons while the average price of supplies increased by 37.8% – till €4.65 per kilogram. Imports of trout shrank by 14.1% – till 21,900 tons while costs increased by 37.8% – till €4.97 per kilogram.
Alexandr Savelyev, the representative of the Russian Federal Fisheries Agency, interprets the situation as an “outrage”. “In Russia the price on farmed fish is 4-6 times higher than price on wild fish. It is the only country with a situation like that”, – he says. According to the information of the Federal Fisheries Agency, prime cost of Norway salmon is 50 Rubles per kilogram, Russian salmon – 80 Rubles per kilogram.
Timur Mitulov, the head of informational fishery agency, considers the matter is not only the weather: “Russian Far East yield of salmon decreased by 12-13%, meanwhile Japan and USA demand strengthened”.
Meanwhile representatives of X5 Retail Group and “Sedmoy Kontinent” say, that during the last 3 months they haven’t noticed any price increases on the part of suppliers who sell Norway chilled salmon.