OSLO: The biomass was estimated at 697,000 metric tons of salmon, down from 724,000t the previous month.In January, salmon biomass was up 4% year-on-year and in December year-on-year growth was 7%. During the first quarter of 2018, Norway exported 246,000t of salmon worth NOK 15.8 billion. This is an increase of 6%, measured in volume, while export value fell by 1.5% year-on-year. The average price for fresh whole salmon fell from NOK 65.43 per kilo ($8.38/kg) to NOK 61.11/kg. Poland, France and the US were the largest markets for Norwegian salmon in the first quarter.
“A strong growth in salmon prices in recent months means that we are optimistic about the further development of seafood exports for 2018. For example, the average price in November for fresh whole salmon was NOK 50.50/kg. In March, this had risen to NOK 67.59/kg. High campaign activity in large markets such as France, Britain and Italy in combination with a strong euro has contributed to a price boost for salmon,” said Paul T. Aandahl, seafood analyst with the Norwegian Seafood Council.
