Figures released by the Norwegian Seafood Council have revealed that lower salmon production in Scotland has allowed Norwegian farmers to bolster their position in the market, selling more goods into the grocery industry.
“We are now seeing significantly lower salmon production in Scotland. The Norwegian salmon has therefore taken larger market shares in the grocery trade, where most chains sell fresh fillets of both Norwegian and Scottish salmon,” Hans Frode Kielland Asmyhr, the Seafood Council’s UK envoy, said.
While not specifically naming any Scottish companies, recent first quarter figures showed both the Scottish Salmon Company and Mowi Scotland reported a significantly lower harvest.
“The strong global demand for Norwegian seafood led to an export value in May which is the second-highest ever in a single month, only beaten by March of this year,” Børge Grønbech, acting CEO of the Norwegian Seafood Council, said in a press release.
Revenues for Norwegian seafood exports in May increased by 49% compared with May last year. In total, NOK 12.4 billion (€1.2 billion) worth of seafood was exported. Specifically, salmon exports for the period totalled 84,800 tonnes, valued at NOK 8.6 billion (€848 million), up 47% compared with the year before, bolstered by soaring prices.
“Weak export volume over time and demand growth led to a strong price development, and in terms of value, May was the second-best ever for Norwegian salmon exports,” Paul Aandahl, an analyst from the Norwegian Seafood Council, noted.
