Overview of Moscow's freshfrozen fish market as per 16-November 2010
Warm weather not typical for this period of November has been preventing traders from good sales in the end of the year. Typically, in this part of the year seafood sales would grow rapidly and traders would sell everything that is lying in the inventories as "dead" weight. Currently, however, sales are weak especially of fish of table species and the traders are looking forward to cold days.
The situation on Alaska pollock market has been mixed. After the implementation of the new glazing requirements the sales, according to some market players, got halved because the demand for fillets processed from Russian raw material in China has decreased from Russian importers' side. At the same time, the demand for the product on the domestic market is also weak. According to a representative of a large company from the Russian Far East, the capacity of cod and Alaska pollock market in Russia has come down. It is perhaps due to general demand drop and bad market conditions for fish sales in retail sector. Alaska pollock prices fell to record low levels in the last 4 years. Headed Alaska pollock has become uninteresting as a wholesale category, said the source.
The situation on the squid market is unclear as well. On the one hand, the shortage of squid from supplying countries is felt, on the other hand, the squid of Russian origin has been selling poorly.
However, there are some products which have been moving very actively. Market players speak about strong demand for Atlantic herring and mackerel in the European part of Russia. Pacific herring is not capable to compete with the Atlantic species. In the situation, it is being distributed mostly in the Far East, the Urals and Kazakhstan.
The demand for bulk salmon caviar has been growing though market players speak about large quantities of caviar of low quality. As a result production of tinned caviar has been increasing to conceal the drawbacks of the material (too soft," juicy", sour due to unusually warm weather and lack of experience with the new VAREX and Sodium Benzoate preservatives).
The demand for Pacific salmon species has been growing while wholesalers are anticipating a jump in sales after cold weather will have set in.
Atlantic salmon/trout
According to the Norwegian Customs statistics, the export prices of fresh Atlantic salmon have been decreasing for four weeks while the shipments volume has been growing. In Russia the prices of Atlantic salmon have been also decreasing, in particular, of the frozen products of Russian origin.
According to a large processor, purchase prices for chilled salmon have been at about RUR260.00 per kilo of the size 4-5, RUR265.00 per kilo of the size 5-6 and RUR270.00 per kilo of the size 6-7.
Frozen Norwegian salmon 4-5 has been offered on the Russian market at about RUR270.00 per kilo; the size 5-6 has been marketed at RUR270.00 per kilo; the size 6-7 has been sold at RUR280.00 per kilo; size 7-8 at RUR290.00 per kilo and the sizes 8-9 and 9+ at RUR310-330.00 per kilo.
The prices of the frozen Chilean trout have been on a rise. The Chilean trout of the Premium quality has been marketed from RUR255.00 per kilo for the size 0.9-1.8, at RUR285.00 per kilo of the size 1.8-2.7 and at RUR295.00 per kilo of the size 2.7-4.0.
Pink and chum salmon
According to traders, sales of raw materials for processing have been growing. Headed gutted pink salmon frozen at sea of Kamchatka and Sakhalin producers has led the sales at a price from RUR110.00 to 120.00 per kilo due to good quality. The price of head-on gutted pink salmon especially the one frozen at sea has been on a rise. The price of headed gutted pink salmon 1 grade has been stably growing.
In Moscow prices for pink salmon head-on gutted of the harvest of 2010 have amounted to RUR94.00, w/r pink salmon has been traded from RUR93.00 per kilo, headed and gutted from RUR104.00 to RUR120.00 per kilo.
Prices for head-on gutted chum salmon from the harvest of 2010 in Moscow have been ranging at RUR102.00-115.00 per kilo, while headed and gutted products have been fetching RUR115.00-125.00 per kilo. The prices are stagnant.
Salmon caviar
As per the third week of November 2010 the sales of slightly salted caviar have been growing. There has still been a problem of availability of caviar of high quality on the market.
Slightly salted pink salmon caviar in cubotainers has been offered at RUR1400.00-1450.00 per kilo. Prices for slightly salted chum salmon caviar in cubotainers amount to RUR1400.00 per kilo.
Herring
Russian vessels have been actively operating in the Norwegian area, where the harvested volume in 45 week of November 2010 totaled about 6100 tonnes, the main part of the volume harvested by Kaliningrad-based vessels. According to provisional figures, since the beginning of the year 2010 Russian vessels harvested 1824300 tonnes of herring the quota covered at 90.7%.
According to traders, herring has been actively sold, the demand for herring from processors has been very high.
In Murmansk poorly graded and classified as large and fat herring has been offered ex-coldstore from RUR28.00 per kilo of the size 200-300 and at RUR33.00 per kilo of the size 300+.
In St. Petersburg Russia-produced herring 200-300 has been sold at ca. RUR28.00-29.00 per kilo; herring 300+ at about RUR32.00-34.00 per kilo.
In St. Petersburg the Norwegian herring 300+ has been marketed from RUR37.00 per kilo; the herring of the size 350+ at RUR41.00 per kilo.
In St. Petersburg the Icelandic herring 300+ has been offered from RUR36.00 per kilo, the size 350+ has been marketed at RUR40.00 per kilo.
In St. Petersburg the Faroese herring 350+ has been marketed at RUR39.50 per kilo, the size 400+ has been offered at RUR49.50 per kilo.
Mackerel
The mackerel market has been marked by positive trends with the high demand from processors' side as per the mid-November 2010. The shortage of large mackerel of the size 600+ has kept.
Russian headless mackerel made by Murmansk Trawl Fleet has been offered in St. Petersburg at RUR55.00 per kilo of the size 200-300, w/r mackerel of the size 200-300 has been marketed at RUR56.00 per kilo, the size 400-600 at RUR70.00 per kilo.
Icelandic headless mackerel frozen at sea in St. Petersburg has been offered at about RUR55.00-57.00 per kilo of the size 200-400, the size 300+ at RUR83.00 per kilo.
Norwegian mackerel 300-500 has been offered in St. Petersburg at RUR63.50 per kilo, the size 400-600 at RUR95.00 per kilo.
Scottish mackerel 300-500 has been offered in St. Petersburg at RUR62.00 per kilo, the size 400-600 has been marketed at RUR95.00 per kilo, mackerel 600+ at RUR147.00 per kilo.
Faroese mackerel has been traded in St. Petersburg at RUR95.00 per kilo of the size 400-600, the size 600+ has been traded at RUR145.00 per kilo.
Baltic sprat/Baltic herring
As per the mid November 2010 in St. Petersburg the Baltic sprat 8-12 from Estonia has been offered from RUR20.o0 per kilo ex-coldstore.
IQF Baltic sprat 9-11 produced in Latvia has been marketed in St. Petersburg from RUR23.00 per kilo.
As per the third week of November 2010 the prices of imported Baltic herring have been stable while the prices of Baltic herring of Russian origin have come slightly up.
In St. Petersburg the Baltic herring 10-14 from Estonia has been offered from RUR22.00 per kilo, ex-coldstore.
In St. Petersburg the Baltic herring 12-15 from Latvia has been sold from RUR23.50 per kilo.
Capelin
Due to reduction of quotas of blue whiting and herring Russian fishermen operating in Murmansk-led North Basin are planning in the beginning of the year 2011 to move a part of large-sized fleet to capelin fishery. This will help to create good conditions for Russian capelin quota take-up which in 2011 amounts to 105,000 tonnes.
Meanwhile, prices for capelin have remained stable on the market as per the third week of November 2010.
In St. Petersburg Norwegian capelin 25-35 has been offered at RUR31.00 per kilo, the size 30-40 has been offered at RUR29.00 per kilo, 35-45 at RUR26.00 per kilo, 40-50 at RUR25.00 per kilo.
Blue whiting
As per the third week of November 2010, the situation on blue whiting market has been stabilized. The majority of suppliers have been offering Blue whiting of Russian origin at an average price of ca. RUR31.00 per kilo. Good supply accompanied by strong demand secures stable sales.
In St. Petersburg the blue whiting 25+ from Ireland has been marketed at RUR32.00 per kilo.
Scottish blue whiting 27+ has been sold in St. Petersburg at RUR31.00 - RUR32.00 per kilo.
FOR-produced blue whiting in St. Petersburg has been sold at RUR31.00 per kilo.
Alaska pollock
On 2 - 9 November 2010 the pollock harvest in the Russian Far East has grown to 22,471 tonnes. Market players speak about the decline of demand for pollock raw material from the Chinese processors due to implementation of the new glazing requirements in Russia. According to some sources, the demand for Alaska pollock raw materials has been halved. The demand for head-off pollock on the domestic market has been relatively stable though the market capacity does not allow boosting sales. In this situation, Alaska pollock has stopped to be the main driver of sales. Besides, warm weather is another factor hindering the increase of sales and low demand for the species.
As per the third week of November 2010 headed pollock frozen at sea has been marketed in Moscow at prices from RUR49.00 per kilo of the size 25+, RUR50.00 per kilo of the size 30+ and from RUR52.00 per kilo of the size 35+.
In Moscow the Chinese skinned pollock fillets IQF 6-8 with content of glazing 35% have been offered from RUR61.00 per kilo, ex-coldstore, from RUR63.00 per kilo of the size 8+ subject to large wholesale lots. New consignments of Chinese fillets 6-8 with content of glazing 5% have been marketed at RUR95.00-97.00.
Russian skin-on pollock IQF fillets with glazing content 5-7% has been marketed from RUR100.00 per kilo while the skinned fillet from RUR106.00 per kilo. Block frozen skinned fillet from large Russian producers has been offered at about RUR95.00 per kilo.
Hake
As per the third week of November 2010 the situation on the hake market has been relatively stable.
US hake has been marketed ex-coldstore in Saint Petersburg at RUR73.50 per kilo of interleaved HGT product 200-400 and at RUR74.00 per kilo of HGT hake 300-500. Canadian HGT hake 300-500 IQF has been sold at RUR80.00 per kilo, while interleaved product has been sold at RUR74.00 per kilo.
In Saint Petersburg HGT hake IQF from Uruguay has been traded at RUR72.00 per kilo of the size 150-250, RUR73.00 per kilo of the size 300-500, meat in discs and cubes has been offered at RUR60.00-70.00 per kilo.
In Saint Petersburg HGT hake from Argentina has been marketed at RUR84.00 per kilo of the size 300-500, hake fillets have been sold at RUR140.00 per kilo of the size 100-300 and RUR127.00 per kilo of 120-200.
Interleaved HGT hake from Spain has been sold in Moscow at RUR83.00 per kilo of the size 200-350, fillets 150-250 have been marketed at RUR118.00 per kilo.
In Moscow skin-on hake fillets of the Chinese origin 6-8 and 8+ with high content of glazing have been offered from RUR68.00 per kilo.
Squid
As per 16 November 2010 the squid fishery in the Russian Far East has declined. Through the week under analysis, the Russian fishermen harvested about 450 tonnes of squid. Traders speak about the increase of prices of squid in Vladivostok to RUR85.00 per kilo, ex-vessel though according to a representative of one company from the Russian Far East, such a high price is speculative and there have been no objective reasons for growth of prices of the squid. The demand for this category has been weak. Wholesale prices in Moscow have also come up slightly. The price of giant squid fillet has continued to rise.
The average prices for T. pacificus squid in Moscow range from RUR90.00 to RUR92.00 per kilo.
In Saint Petersburg cleaned squid tubes U7 of the Chinese origin have been traded from RUR143.00 per kilo.
Fillets of giant squid from Peru have been offered at RUR70.00-75.00 per kilo.
Tilapia
As per the third week of November 2010 the situation on the tilapia market has been mixed. The prices for tilapia fillets with glazing content of 20% have remained fairly stable while the price of fillet with glazing content of 5% has come slightly down for the fillet 3-5 ounces.
Large importers have been offering products with 20% of glazing and more at ca.RUR105.00 per kilo of the size 3-5 ounces and RUR110.00 per kilo, ex-coldstore of the size 5-7.
Importers have been offering products with 5% of glazing at ca.RUR150.00 per kilo of the size 2-3 ounces, RUR150.00 per kilo of the size 3-5 and RUR165.00 per kilo of the size 5-7 on prepayment.
Pangasius
According to the latest figures, in the first 9 months 2010 Vietnam exported 26,143 tonnes of pangasius fillets to Russia that is by 28.3% less in comparison with the same period of the year 2009. Experts suppose that the reasons of such drop of consumption are hidden in continued negative promotion of Asian fillets with high content of glazing as well as coming implementation of the new glazing requirements.
In Moscow and Saint Petersburg large importers have been offering pangasius 220+ from RUR67.00 per kilo of the product with 20% glazing, while fillets with 10% glazing have been offered at RUR73.00 per kilo, while fillets with 5% have been marketed at a price RUR84.00 per kilo.
Importers have been selling white meat fillets of 5% glazing at about RUR105.00 per kilo, while fillets with 20% glazing have been marketed at about 88.00 per kilo.
Cod
As per the third week of November 2010 the cod market has been characterized by mixed trends. The prices of Pacific cod have been stable, while the price of the Atlantic cod has grown. Traders speak about the drop of demand for cod species on the domestic market while the situation may change shortly.
Prices for headed and gutted Atlantic cod IQF in Murmansk amount to RUR90.00-93.00 per kilo of the size 0.5-1 and 1+.
Skinned cod fillets IQF made in Murmansk have been offered in Saint Petersburg from RUR135.00 per kilo.
Pacific cod headed block frozen 1.5+ and 2+ has been offered in Moscow at RUR74.00-76.00 per kilo.