Russia’s dry-cured fish market displaying continuous growth
The Russian market for dry-cured fish which has seen continuous growth in the last few years is set for a further increase in the next five-year period, reports Megafishnet.com.
According to the report "Analysis of the dried fish market in Russia" prepared by BusinessStat in 2021, in 2016-2020, the product’s retail sales in the country increased by 90% and reached 23.8 thousand tons. Every year there was an increase in the sales compared to previous years. The boom in the consumption of craft beer gave an impetus to the development of the production of the snack in terms of both quantity and assortment because dried fish is one of the main dishes served with beer. As a result, these fish products are widely represented in draught beer stores, the number of which is rising in Russia.
The growth of dried fish sales is also influenced by the development of domestic tourism. In many regions that develop tourism, fish is a specific local product, a certain attraction. Such places include Astrakhan, Volgograd, Arkhangelsk, and the surroundings of Lake Seliger. In these places, the production and sale of dry-cured fish is part of the hospitality industry. Visiting such places, tourists not only actively consume fish, but also take it away as a souvenir.
The largest increase in sales of dried fish by 22.1% as compared to 2019 took place in 2020. The coronavirus pandemic contributed to the strengthening of the two factors noted behind the increase in the sales. As it was almost impossible to visit public catering establishments during the quarantine, beer was consumed by Russian residents mainly at home, and snacks such as dried fish, which do not require additional cooking time, partly took the place of products of the public catering industry. In addition, the inability for the Russians to go on holidays abroad during the pandemic contributed to the development of domestic tourism, which also led to an increase in sales of dry-cured fish in the regions of mass production.
In 2021-2025, retail sales of dried fish in Russia are predicted to increase by 5.9-11.3% per year. In 2025, the annual volume may reach 35.7 thousand metric tons to exceed the level of 2020 by 49.9%.