Purchases dominated by fresh market after smoking ovens have been filled up before Easter.
“It’s been a week we haven’t managed to cover our costs. We paid 65, 66, 67 kroner (for 3-6 kilograms) last Friday,” says an exporter to SalmonBusiness.
That implies spot prices (FOB fish farmer) at EUR 6.7, 6.8 and 6.9.
“We sell at best in zero. We have to go down a krone to maintain the same price,” he added.
With good access to fish, purchasers are in control of the market price for next week. [factbox]
“The processing industry has plenty of trucks standing. They will not have more fish before Easter, so next week we must bet on the market for fresh/chilled fish. It’s a bit like Christmas: The industry stops. They have finished producing. And the fresh market doesn’t have the capacity to take all of it”, he continues.
“We are going to calm down, we will not be left with lots of unsold fish. We buy little fish because we fear it falls over the weekend.”
“It’s not like last year. There is a good temperature in the sea and the fish are growing well,” he says.
A picture with a small price decrease is a common opinion today.
“Maybe it’s a notch down. Now I hear prices from: 64-66 NOK 3-4 kilograms, 65-67 NOK 4-5 kilograms and 66-68 NOK 5+ kilograms,” says another exporter.
“It is actually spot on,” says a sales manager at a fish farming company. “I’ve been hearing the same thing all day. 4-5 kilograms have been in solid demand. There is a good interest in 3-5 kilograms, which goes to the industry, but there is a little too much 5+ kilograms out.
Another farmer sees the same picture.
“We hope for more, but see it is some big salmon. We actually see 65 kroner (€6.7) at 6+,” he says, adding that this primarily goes to the fresh market.
“Definitely down, more three notches than one notch,” writes an exporter in a text message to SalmonBusiness.
