Salmon sales shatter national record

This is all the more impressive considering that the volume of exports fell by 5.2% to a total of 980,000 tonnes.

“Despite lower export volumes, increased prices have contributed to an all time record in salmon export values. This record year was mainly due to a strong demand for Norwegian salmon in both local markets such as the EU, and those further afield like Asia and USA,” says the Norwegian Seafood Council’s analyst Paul T Aandahl.

The average export price for fresh whole salmon was NOK 60.11 per kg, 40 per cent higher than in 2015, which was also a record year. The average export price for fresh whole salmon during 2016 varied between NOK 54.34 per kg in September and NOK 69.36 per kg in December, which was the highest average price ever recorded for a single month.

Norway exported 749,000 tonnes of salmon to the EU in 2016 with a value of NOK 45.3 billion – a reduction of 5.5 per cent (43,000 tonnes) by volume, but an increase of 29 per cent by value compared to 2015. Approximately 76 per cent of all Norwegian salmon exports, by volume, went to the EU.

The biggest markets for Norwegian salmon in 2016 were Poland and France. By volume, Greece was the strongest EU growth market, with an increase of 2,261 tonnes, while the largest decline was in Spain with volumes reduced by 7,544 tonnes or 12 per cent.

Norway exported 39,774 tonnes of salmon, worth NOK 3.4 billion, to the United States in 2016. This is an increase by volume of 2,262 tonnes, or 6 per cent. By value the US market has grown by 36 per cent compared with 2015.

Exports to Asia rose by 39% to be worth NOK 10.5 billion. The biggest buyers were Japan, Vietnam and South Korea.

Upturn in trout fortunes

Norway exported 68,227 tonnes of trout, worth NOK 3.9 billion, in 2016. This is a volume increase of 29 per cent, or 15,400 tonnes, and a value increase of 69 per cent, or NOK 1.6 billion from 2015.

The export price for fresh whole trout increased by NOK 16.14 per kg, or 41 per cent from last year to NOK 55.31 per kg.

Trout exports have previously been heavily dependent on individual markets, but in 2016 Norwegian trout found its way to more international markets. In 2013 Russia consumed 46 per cent of all Norwegian trout exports, while in 2016 the largest single market, Belarus accounted for only 13 percent of total exports. This growth in markets and diversification protects Norwegian exports of trout against fluctuations in demand and access to individual markets. The two biggest growth markets for trout in 2016, in terms of volume were the United States and Japan. Volume growth for the EU was up by 38 per cent, growth in Asia was up by 51 per cent and growth to the US up by 91 per cent.