Supermarket chains fill fresh counters with salmon.
The time just before Easter is seasonally normally one of the better sales periods. Prices are also climbing this year.
“We have received NOK 64 (EUR 6.2 .ed) on a truck. This is FOB (processing facility) price. And then we operate and negotiate on a NOK 0.5 (EUR 0.04 .ed) underneath it on some other trucks,” a salmon farmer told SalmonBusiness.
He records high activity towards the last week before the Easter break. [factbox]
Optimism
“From the phones, we’ve received lately, customers don’t call us often. There’s a lot of activity in retail now. Easter is slightly varied from country to country, but it will be stronger this year than normal,” he believes.
“The price will rise to NOK 65 (EUR 6.3 .ed) at 3-6 kilos. I’m in the middle of the negotiations now,” said a trader.
“Optimism is high for next week,” said another. “NOK 65 (EUR 6.3 .ed) is well wanted from the fish farmer, and so is well wanted from those who want to trade NOK 60 (EUR 5.8 .ed). I guess it’s going to end up there,” he said.
This means a clear increase from last Friday’s prices of EUR 5.7 – EUR 5.8.
Delayed
“Little has yet been done. But paying a NOK 65 (EUR 6.3 .ed) I think one should have trouble placing it in the market,” pointed out an exporter.
“The salmon farmers believe in an adventurous price, but the market is not there at all. We need to check with the market what they are willing to pay – and can pay,” he said.
He added that some fish have been delayed after a train derailed on its way from Northern Norway.
“That fish came to Oslo a couple of days late,” he said.
“Now they are very much shutting down in France and elsewhere in Europe. We see the same thing in Norway really. We fear a fall in the price. There is increased uptake, although there is very much production fish (fish with injuries or of reduced quality .ed). It is processed, and comes out a few days later in the market like any other fish,” he pointed out.
“Many people talk about EUR 6 in the market, but it hasn’t set a price yet. Anything more than EUR 6 I have no faith in. That’s a steady price for 3+. We also know that we are entering a quieter period. We know that the Easter fish is produced. We’ll take it easy,” he added.
