New sanitary standards might increase costs by 30%
Among other modifications to the production model, César Barros commented the zoning into Sanitary Management Areas. He believes that this new setting is going to increase costs of operation and transport within the industry.
He further explained that one of the most significant new costs is related to sanitary fallows because that means a halt in production of 3 to 4 months each year, decreasing production by 30%, he added.
According to the Chilean newspaper La Tercera, César Barros detailed that another important new cost is connected to the inland production of smolts, which might be between 30% and 50% most expensive than producing smolts in lakes.
Likewise, he said that because of higher restrictions to the roe imports, most of the eggs have to be bought in the domestic market at higher prices and consequently at the expense of costs.
Despite these growing costs, César Barros considers that the Chilean salmon industry is still competitive at the current salmon prices.
