Following a clear increase in sales this winter, feed sales have declined sharply in recent weeks.
Updated figures from Akvafakta show that sales of dry feed in Norway are down 14 per cent in the last four weeks, compared with the same period last year. Sales statistics have been registered up to and including week 21.
An obvious explanation is that it is considerably colder in the sea this year than the early summer last year.
According to Lusedata, which has measured sea temperatures at 517 of the country’s fish farms, the average temperature is now 8.4 degrees Celcius. The same week in 2019, the sea temperature was 9.1 degrees in comparison.
So far this year, a total of 541,518 tonnes of dry feed have been sold for salmon and trout. This is an increase of two per cent compared to the same time in 2019.
Summer and autumn is by far the most important sales season for fish feed, as sea temperatures are also at their highest. Salmon and trout have the highest growth at sea temperatures between 13 and 16 degrees celsius.
