At full speed back to old heights.
Bad weather is making salmon logistics a challenge. The railroad between Bergen and Oslo has been closed due to an avalanche this week. Most of the mountain crossings between Western and Eastern Norway are closed due to winds and heavy snow fall.[factbox]
“Prices are high. They will probably rise 7-8 kroner (€0.7-0.8). I think we should expect that,” says an exporter to SalmonBusiness.
“Low availability of fish – and storms. With the weather, we have now, and many closed roads, there will be high prices. You can’t load wellboats either. It’s been such damn weather. There is little fish to get hold of.”
He does not think this is a temporary problem.
“There will be low harvesting in March. So, there will be high prices going forward. We see low supply before Easter. And then we think more fish will come after that,” he says.
A seller at a large salmon farming company confirms a sharp rise in prices, but for the time being, he will not estimate how much.
“76/78/80 [NOK]. A small volume, and fearing 80-85 [NOK] towards Easter,” writes an exporter in a text message to SalmonBusiness.
This means that most of the fall in prices over the last month has been reversed.
“It’s a powerful shortcoming. Several processors are closed,” another trader points out.
Industry sources refer to the following farmgate prices for salmon to be delivered the coming week:
- 3-4 kg NOK 73-76 (€7.3-7.6)
- 4-5 kg NOK 74-78 (€7.4-7.8)
- 5-6 kg NOK 75-80 (€7.5-8.0)
- 6+ kg NOK 73-78 (€7.3-7.8)
