Record Exports of Norwegian Cod

Norway's exports of groundfish including clipfish, salted fish and stockfish in the first quarter of 2010 totalled NOK 2.75 billion. This is an increase of 13% or NOK 323 million compared with the same period last year. The volume of exports increased by 17% or 14,700 tonnes to a total of 102,100 tonnes,reports http://www.megafishnet.com/ with reference to the latest figures from the Norwegian Seafood Export Council.

"Despite lower prices, exports of Norwegian cod are going well," says market analyst Ove Johansen from the Norwegian Seafood Export Council. "Salted fish and block frozen Norwegian Cod, which went through a difficult market situation in the early part of last year, have now regained the level of previous years. At the same time, exports of fresh fillets, whole Norwegian Cod and clipfish are reaching record volumes. All of which has made this the best first quarter for Norwegian Cod exports in terms of volume since the record years of the late 1990s."

Excellent quarter for clipfish

Exports of clipfish in the first quarter of 2010 totalled NOK 910 million, an increase of NOK 91 million or 11% compared with the same period last year. The volume of clipfish exports in the first quarter totalled 24,600 tonnes, an increase of 9% on the first quarter of 2009. Fully 46% of all clipfish exports in the first quarter of 2010 were destined for Brazil.

Exports of Norwegian Cod clipfish showed the biggest growth in value, up by NOK 77.3 million or 19% to a total of NOK 489 million. The volume of exports of Norwegian Cod clipfish totalled 10,367 tonnes, compared with a total of 7,431 tonnes in the same period last year. This is a growth rate of 40%.
Exports of Norwegian Saithe clipfish in the first quarter of 2010 showed a drop of NOK 15 million to a total of NOK 333 million. Also in the first quarter of 2010, exports of ling clipfish increased from NOK 27.8 million to NOK 44 million and exports of tusk clipfish increased from NOK 28.5 million to NOK 43.9 million.
Exports of salted fish rebound in first quarter

After the challenging start to last year, exports of salted fish have rebounded strongly. In the first quarter of 2010, exports of salted whole Norwegian Cod totalled NOK 281 million, up by NOK 117.6 million or 72% compared with the same period last year. The volume of exports of salted whole Norwegian Cod totalled 9,450 tonnes, compared with 4,470 tonnes in the first quarter of 2009, although the price has fallen by 19% in the same period. Portugal is our biggest market for salted fish, accounting for 57% of the total value of exports in the first quarter of 2010.
Prices down for stockfish

Exports of stockfish in the first quarter of 2010 totalled NOK 128.5 million, down by NOK 61 million or 32% compared with the first quarter of 2009. Norwegian Cod stockfish from Lofoten suffered the biggest reduction in export value, down in price by 35% from NOK 150 per kg to under NOK 97 per kg. Sales of stockfish to our main market in Italy showed a decline, although exports to our second biggest market, Nigeria, increased in volume.
Exports of fresh Norwegian Cod set record

Exports of fresh Norwegian Cod fillets in the first quarter of 2010 totalled NOK 166.5 million, an increase of 22% compared with the same period last year. The volume of exports grew by 30% to 2,650 tonnes. Never before have exports of fresh Norwegian Cod fillets hit such first quarter heights, either in value or volume. The same period saw a decline in prices of 6%.

Exports of whole fresh Norwegian Cod totalled NOK 161.2 million in the first quarter of 2010. This is an increase of 56% or NOK 58 million compared to the first quarter last year. The volume of exports was 7,350 tonnes, no less than 90% up on the same period last year. In the same period, the price per kg fell by an average of 18%.  Denmark is the biggest importer of fresh whole Norwegian Cod and fresh whole Norwegian Cod fillets.
Good quarter for frozen Norwegian Cod

Exports of frozen whole Norwegian Cod in the first quarter of 2010 were up by NOK 54.4 million to a total of NOK 152.5 million compared with the same period last year. The volume of exports grew by 69% to a total of 9,100 tonnes in the same period. China is the biggest market for frozen Norwegian Cod, followed by Portugal and Poland.

Exports of frozen Norwegian Cod fillets increased by NOK 22.8 million compared with the same quarter last year to a total of NOK 133 million. The volume of exports increased by 29% to a total of 3,180 tonnes. The price of frozen Norwegian Cod fillets fell by 6% from the same period last year.

Block frozen Norwegian Cod fillets showed growth of NOK 18.5 million to a total of NOK 47 million. Export volume was up by an impressive 121% to a total of 1,580 tonnes. There has been a substantial increase in the volume of exports to the UK and France.
Farmed Norwegian Cod

Exports of farmed Norwegian Cod in the first three months of 2010 totalled NOK 77 million, up by 25% from the same period in 2009. Exports of fresh whole farmed Norwegian Cod increased in value by NOK 16 million to a total of NOK 69 million in the first quarter of 2010, compared with the first quarter of 2009. However, prices declined by an average of 22% compared with the same quarter last year. Sweden and France were the biggest importers of farmed Norwegian Cod.