While a lot of processors of salmon are at the moment experiencing a decrease Noordzee Internationals sale of salmon is reaching its’ highest ever.
Last year the big frozen seafood supplier bought a salmon processing company to expand its horizon and intake. The corona virus has now boosted the demand of salmon for the still new salmon processor.
“We are experiencing an extreme growth in the demand on salmon. We are just trying to keep up. Our volume has tripled during the corona virus,” says Rein Kramer, commercial director at Noordzee International, who is also responsible for the salmon processing factory.
Since December Noordzee International has been handling salmon. Even though the company started with a great start, the last couple of weeks the company has been in a whole other league.
“Prices are down at the moment, due to dropping demand of fresh from food service, cancelation of air-routes and exchange rate from Norwegian kroner to Euro. The demand for frozen products just keeps increasing,” says Rein Kramer.
Noordzee International exports between 6-10 trucks with 160 tons of salmon a week.
Demand on frozen salmon growing
Especially the request for frozen salmon is something the company has met. From taking up 40% of the products sold, it now occupies 80% of the exportation sold. The sales of fresh salmon has been lowered, and only takes up 20 % now.
Noordzee International exports all their retail salmon mostly Europe, but also US and Australia.
“In Sweden, Germany, France, Italy and the US there is a very high demand in retail at the moment, but we are experiencing it all over Europe.”
Demand will grow even more, when the food service opens again
Yesterday the Dutch government announced that the lock down of the society, which both implements public meetings, but also the industry is extended to the 1st of June 2020. But unlike others Noordzee International is not scared of this statement.
“A lot of people are stuffing up their freezers at home and this does not seem to end anytime soon,” Rein Kramer states and adds:
“We expect to see a big spike in the food service when the industry opens up again. When people have not been allowed to go out for so long, we believe there will be a high demand on restaurants and hotels.”
