Chile is leading the world on salmon farming cost, says analyst
And coho is becoming a key second leg of the sector
Salmon farmers in Chile are currently global cost leaders in Atlantic salmon as a result of good climatic conditions, strong biological performance and cost control, sector analyst Gorjan Nikolik has said.
Nikolik, senior analyst at Rabobank International, posted the assessment on LinkedIn after visiting the country.
Farmers of coho salmon – “a uniquely Chilean industry with a cost of production considerably lower than Atlantic salmon” – are also enjoying success, said Nikolik.
“The coho exports are successfully diversifying out of Japan and finding new markets. Given the strong profitability of coho farming, this species is becoming a key second leg of the Chilean salmon industry.”
A lot of look forward to
Nikolik concluded that the Chilean salmon sector has a lot to look forward to for 2026. Salmon supply is expected to be tight, with Chile virtually the only region with meaningful supply growth.
Nikolik’s assessment was backed up in a comment by Jamie Gaskill, chief executive of Canadian aeration and oxygenation supplier Poseidon Ocean Systems, which has found a strong market in the South American country.
“The Chilean industry is much more sophisticated than many non-Chilean farmers may realise,” wrote Gaskill.
He added: “Chile has the second highest yield per smolt in the world (@~4.2kg/smolt) after Faroes, which says a lot positive about the state of fish welfare and biological risk as compared to other regions.”
