This Christmas saw the highest salmon prices in a year and a half. Now, storms are making sure prices do not fall back significantly.
“The weather saves the price. Mountain crossings are closed. The wellboats did not get loaded yesterday, in Sogn and Fjordane, Møre and Romsdal and Trøndelag (Norway). It still blows here,” says a Florø-based fish exporter to SalmonBusiness. “They don’t get loaded here today either.”
“It’s a little lower next week,” he says about the salmon price. “But there have been some cancellations due to bad weather. It saves a little. There will be more fish next week,” he points out.
Severe weather
According to the Norwegian Public Roads Administration, a large number of mountain crossings, especially between Western Norway and Eastern Norway, have been closed due to severe weather.
Snøstorm på Haukeli stopper ikke brøytemannskapene! Her lager snøfreseren en grøft på siden av veien, slik at snøen samler seg der og ikke i veibanen. Da får brøytebilene en lettere jobb senere. #hverdagshelter @VegvesenSor @VegvesenVest @Presserom @VTSvest @VTS_sor pic.twitter.com/GUWCdR5oBY
— Lars Magne Hovtun (@lmhovtun) January 3, 2020
According to NRK, the Nordland railroad is also closed due to difficult weather conditions.
This prevents the salmon from getting out to the international markets.
Limited decline
The heaviest salmon, which has seen prices over €9/kg over the past couple of weeks, is falling back. Otherwise, there seems to be a limited decline in the most traded weight classes, fish between three and six kilos.
“It’s an adjustment – a little down,” says a buyer abotu the spot price. “But the ones I have talked to have not expressed not getting fish.”
SalmonBusiness’ industry sources refer to the following farmgate prices for salmon to be delivered this week:
- 3-4 kg NOK 67-68 (€6.7-6.8)
- 4-5 kg NOK 70-71 (€7.0-7.1)
- 5-6 kg NOK 73-74 (€7.3-7.4)
- 6+ kg NOK 85-90 (€8.5-9.0)
