Frozen pink salmon price trends in July-August 2009

From the beginning of July to the end of August frozen pink salmon prices in Russia have considerably decreased, analysts of www.fishnet-russia.com (www.fishnet.ru) concluded after analyzing the current situation on the market.

In connection with a considerable increase of Pacific salmon catches, in particular, pink salmon, the market prices for the products have decreased greatly. The price fall was especially distinct in August 2009, when the quotations changed every day. The price decrease reached more than RUR5.00 per kilo weekly, while the total fall during less than two months amounted to nearly 300%. As per early July 2009, head-on gutted pink salmon from the last year harvest was offered ex-coldstore in Moscow at RUR130.00-140.00 per kilo. The first lots with pink salmon from the new harvest were delivered to Moscow's market by the middle of August 2009. The prices for the first pink salmon amounted to ca.RUR75.00 per kilo for the fish yet to be delivered. By the end of August 2009 the price per kilo of head-on gutted pink salmon from the new harvest of 2009 approached RUR52.00 per kilo in Moscow.

In Vladivostok the offer prices of the first pink salmon from the new season as per early July 2009 amounted to ca.RUR65.00 per kilo, while as per the end of August 2009 the prices fell to RUR30.00 per kilo. Such progressing of prices was caused by a number of main factors exerting cardinal influence on the market. They were a considerable increase of salmon catches in the Russian Far East, simultaneous calls of transport vessels with fish cargoes onboard, absence of coldstore capacities onshore and lack of railway reefer sections. It is not improbable that in late August - early September the offer prices decline below the psychological mark of RUR30.00 per kilo.