UK salmon demand ‘a great strength’ for Norway
Continued British retail demand for Norwegian salmon and other seafood is a “great strength” during a time of uncertainty in the food service sector, the Norwegian Seafood Council’s seafood ambassador to the UK says.
Hans Frode Kielland Asmyhr was speaking after the publication of figures showing that 6,699 tonnes (round weight) of salmon worth NOK 329 million (£27.3m) were exported from Norway to the UK in September. That’s marginally more salmon than Norway exported to the UK in September last year volume, and it made around 10% more per kilo.
In September 2019, the UK bought 6,677 tonnes of Norwegian salmon for NOK 298m, which works out at NOK 44.63 per kilo. This September’s salmon exports to the UK averaged out at NOK 49.11 per kilo.
51,784 tonnes in nine months
So far this year (Jan-Sept), Norway has exported 51,784 tonnes of salmon worth NOK 2.92 billion to the UK against 51,333 tonnes NOK 2.82bn last year.
During this month and November, the Norwegian Seafood Council is conducting two campaigns for Norwegian whitefish in retail chains Waitrose and Asda, for which Kielland Asmyhr has high hopes. But there won’t be a push on Norwegian salmon.
“Unfortunately, we no longer have a market budget for salmon in the UK and therefore cannot include that species in the campaign,” says the envoy.
