Norway’s seafood exports amounted to NOK 12 billion (€1.16 billion) in November, up 28% compared to the same period last year, according to data from the Norwegian Seafood Council.
The country’s seafood exports for the year to November amounted to NOK 108.8 billion (€10.5 billion), surpassing the annual record of NOK 107.2 billion (€10.3 billion) last year.
Renate Larsen, CEO of the Norwegian Seafood Council, said, “Although we still have major challenges with the coronavirus pandemic both at home and abroad, we are experiencing a growth in demand compared with November last year.
“This applies to important species such as salmon, cod, trout, saithe and king crab.”
'Impressive Export Record'
Bjørnar Skjæran, Norway’s minister of fisheries and marine affairs, said, “There are many skilled professionals along the entire coast who have contributed to the industry's impressive export record.
“With high demand for Norwegian seafood, good prices and the Christmas season ahead of us, I believe that we will have a strong end to this record year 2021.”
According to Larsen, Noway will beat the annual record from 2019 by around NOK 10-11 billion.
“This is happening despite the fact that both 2020 and 2021 are very challenging. When we still set a new value record after the first 11 months of the year, it shows that Norwegian seafood resonates well in terms of market demand,” Larsen added.
Export Figures
Salmon exports hit a new record, with the country exporting 127,000 tonnes of salmon worth NOK 8 billion in November.
Poland, France, and Denmark were the largest markets for Norwegian salmon in November.
Trout exports amounted to 6,600 tonnes, valued at NOK 427 million, with Belarus, Japan and the USA as the largest markets.
In this period, Norway exported 2,600 tonnes of fresh cod, including fillets, worth NOK 125 million.
The biggest markets include Denmark, Sweden and Germany.
It also exported 8,100 tonnes of frozen cod, worth NOK 351 million, with the United Kingdom, Poland and China as the biggest markets.
Clipfish exports touched 9,200 tonnes, while salted fish declined by 8% to 1,900 tonnes.
Outlook
Larsen believes that the emergence of new coronavirus variant omicron is unlikely to lead to new shutdowns similar to that at the onset of the pandemic.
Larsen explained, “Many people have learned to make seafood at home at the same time as new shopping patterns have been established with online shopping and increased use of home delivery.
“This makes fresh seafood products better equipped than at the start of the pandemic when the fresh fish counters in several countries closed down.”
© 2021 European Supermarket Magazine. Article by Dayeeta Das. For more Fresh Produce news, click here. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
