Khabarovsk fish exporters boost value to offset declining sales

In the first half of 2021 the fishery businesses of the Khabarovsk province boosted exports of value-added seafood to offset the declining volumes due to COVID-19, reports Megafishnet.com.

According to the region’s government, during the 6 months of 2021, the enterprises of the fisheries complex of the Khabarovsk Territory sold 72 thousand tons of fish and seafood products worth 197.5 million US dollars for export. The above figures accounted for 77.3% and 97.7%, respectively, compared to the same period last year.

The past 6 months have been difficult for the exporting companies. Due to the restrictions imposed by China, the supply of fish products from the area by trampers has essentially been stopped. The remaining insignificant volumes of unloading in refrigerated containers did not make it possible to export the volumes that had been usually exported in previous years. The period of passing veterinary and other types of controls of products and ship crew members has significantly increased.

As a result, the enterprises under-delivered 46 thousand tons of products worth 37.5 million US dollars to China in the first half compared to the same period in 2020.

In the situation the exporters were forced to redistribute the main export volumes to the Republic of Korea and Japan.

More specifically, the export of fish products and seafood to the Republic of Korea increased 1.5 times in tonnage and by 25 % in value terms.

In the total sales in millions of US dollars this year, the majority is represented by products from crustaceans with 49 %, frozen fish with 40.6 %, the other fish products standing at 10.4 %.

In the first half of 2021, enterprises significantly increased the export of processed products (fillets, mince, finished products from crustaceans). In general, these items grew 3.2 times in volume and 2.4 times in value.

The average export price per ton increased by almost 26 %.