Russian $740 million worth exports of wild salmon led by Kurile combine
In 2018 Russian export of wild salmons was soaring and by the end of the year exceeded USD$740 million. For comparison, Alaska pollock exports were not much ahead with ca. 1067 million USD, according to FISHNET analysts who studied customs raw data.
Among exporters of pink salmon, chum salmon and other Pacific salmons the leading supplier was Kurilskiy Rybak ZAO contributing ca.17% of the total value of shipments to the international market. In value terms, the results of the bulk of some 200 exporters of Russian salmons were much lower.
(Kurilskiy Rybak is the region’s major city-forming company playing a great role in the Kuriles’ social life and infrastructure. The company owns a fishing fleet and four processing factories producing frozen fish and fillets for the domestic market and for export.)
Main export articles by value were pink salmon headed and gutted, chum salmon headed and gutted and frozen roes of the above two species.
Product prices as calculated from statistical value in USD differed much depending on supplier, and as for the price ranking Kurilskiy Rybak was no leader in terms of higher prices, which can be explained by big volumes of shipments.
Pink salmon roes
As for average prices of freshfrozen pink salmon roes based on the statistical value in USD, the company took the 15th position as its price per kilo was more than 3 USD lower that the leader’s price.
Chum salmon roes
As for average statistical value per kilo of frozen chum salmon roes, Kurislkiy Rybak also took the 15th place (its price per kilo was 10.48 USD lower than the highest price).
Pink salmon headed and gutted
In terms of average statistical price per kilo of frozen headed and gutted salmon Kurislkiy Rybak took the fifth place with a lag of 0.28 USD from the first place accompanied by the company’s big win in volume terms.
Chum salmon headed and gutted
As for average prices of headed and gutted chum salmon based on the statistical value in USD, Kurislkiy Rybak took the 47th place with the result of 3.24 USD per kilo versus 4.53 USD in 2017.
Competition
In 2018 some 130 Russian companies with an export volume of 100 tonnes and more were engaged in the wild salmon foreign trade. The total number of suppliers was ca.200 companies including those whose contribution to the total export volume was tiny.
Due to rising supply and sellers’ competition product prices declined noticeably as compared to 2017.
In 2019 the Russian scientists forecast another good salmon harvest in Kamchatka. AS the exporters are preparing for the new trading season, the importers should study the ways how to buy Russian wild salmon from the next season in a more efficient way. Towards that end, FISHNET team has prepared a report «Russian exporters of wild salmon and their shipments in 2018». Please click to view the contents.