08 January 2009
Norway's export of cod, saithe, haddock and other codfish reached 336 thousand tonnes in 2008. This volume equals the record set for 2007. Price and volume reduction for most cod products resulted in the total value of codfish dropping from 2007. According to figures from Statistics Norway and the Norwegian Seafood Export Council, the reduction amounted to NOK 617 million. The total ended just below NOK ten billion.
Photographer: Jean Gaumy
“Saithe from Norway had a strong year with high demand, while cod and haddock have seen a price and volume adjustment after a record breaking 2007. Financial turmoil in our seafood markets has led to a shift from high priced products of cod to cheaper products. The export value of codfish fell but at the same time the volume is maintained,” explains market analyst Ove Johansen at the Norwegian Seafood Export Council.
Clipfish from saithe passes one billion
In 2008, the export of clipfish from saithe increased by NOK 100 million and for the first time this product’s export value passed one billion. Brazil and the Dominican Republic are the two countries that lead the way for increased export of clipfish from saithe. Brazil is by far the largest market for this product and Brazil increased its import by 34.5 million to a total of NOK 481 million.
For clipfish made from cod, the export value was reduced by NOK 335 million to a total of 1.7 billion. Volumes of clipfish from cod were reduced by 4,900 tonnes and at the same time the mean price for 2008 was reduced by NOK 1, compared to 2007’s mean price. Exports to Portugal and Brazil were reduced by 170 and 83 million. Portugal is the largest market for Norwegian Clipfish from cod and buys close to 60 percent of the total Norwegian export volume. The total value of Portugal’s spending on this product alone is close to NOK one billion.
Exports of whole, salted fish from cod amounted to a total of NOK 1.15 billion. This is a reduction of 83 million on 2007. Reduction in value was largest in Spain, where the main reduction was registered, as the drop totalled 65 million in this market alone. Again Portugal is the largest market with a value of NOK 734 million. In spite of stabile export volumes, the value fell by 26 million following a price reduction for 2008 by 3.5 percent.
Dried codfish export increased by NOK 38 million in 2008. The increase was biggest for dried heads of cod and dried saithe to Nigeria. Looking at the premium product, the so called Lofotrund which is mainly exported to Italy, we see a value reduction reaching NOK 39.4 million, The export value to Italy was reduced by 47 million in 2008, in spite of a mean price close to NOK 161 per kilo.
Reduction for fresh cod
The export value for fresh codfish ended at a total of NOK 1.7 billion. This is a reduction by NOK 247 million, compared to 2007. 48,000 tonnes was exported from Norway showing a reduction of 6,100 tonnes, compared to 2007. The largest reduction can be found for fresh, whole fish where the reduction is 5,400 tonnes, while fresh fillets were reduced by 1,000 tonnes.
The total export of fresh cod reached NOK 883 million while the 2007 figure was 996 million. If we look at volume, the exported total was 20,300 tonnes which is a reduction of 2,300 tonnes, compared to the previous year. The mean price was reduced by NOK 0.70 in 2008. The split between cod from aquaculture and wild catch is 6,000 tonnes from aquaculture, while the main bulk, 14,000 tonnes, comes from the wild catch sector.
“We can see an increased demand among European consumers for processed products. While whole, fresh cod to both France and Denmark is reduced in 2008, the demand for processed products in the same countries is increasing,” says Market Director Karin Olsen at NSEC.
Export of Haddock reached NOK 232 million in 2008 and that is a reduction of close to 71 million, compared to 2007. In volume, exports reached 11,800 tonnes, compared to 15,000 tonnes in 2007. Whole, fresh haddock was reduced by 3,333 tonnes and the reduction was evenly distributed among the two largest export markets of Denmark and the UK.
Record for frozen saithe
Never before has the export of whole frozen saithe been higher than in 2008. 50,500 tonnes with a value of NOK 424 million represents an increase of 79 million on 2007. Ukraine and China both increased their share by NOK 33 million.
Whole, frozen cod was reduced by NOK 93 million to 400 million. Exports to China and the Netherlands showed the largest reduction. Measured in volume, the reduction was 2,540 tonnes and exported volume ended at 15,500 tonnes.
A reduction was also the result for whole, frozen haddock where the reduction amounted to NOK 143 million. The largest market is China and this country alone had a reduction of NOK 62 million. In terms of volume, the reduction was 2,470 tonnes in 2008.
Frozen fillet products - Reduction for cod, but increase for haddock and saithe
Frozen fillet of cod was reduced by 44.1 million and ended at NOK 514.5 million. The UK and Sweden showed the largest reduction. Lower volumes and decline in prices to UK are the primary factors.
Frozen fillets of saithe increased by NOK 32 million, compared to 2007, and Poland and Germany show the highest increase. Frozen haddock also increased, compared to 2007 and China and France are the key countries when explaining this rise in frozen fillets of haddock.
Fillet frozen in blocks was reduced both in price and volume and the value fell by 17 million to NOK 170 million. Block filet from haddock saw a price reduction per kilo, but increased both in terms of value and volume. For block filets of saithe the increase in value was NOK 26 millionto 80 million. China is responsible for the largest growth for this product.
Contacts
Market Analyst Ove Johansen, tel. +47 938 00 316
Market Director Karin Olsen, tel. +47 909 99 015