OSLO: Norway exported seafood worth NOK 7.4 billion (USD 859,000 million) in November, representing an increase of 12 per cent compared to the same month in 2014. So far this year, seafood exports have totalled NOK 67.3 billion (USD 7.8 billion), which is 8 per cent more than in the first 11 months last year.
”At the start of December, seafood exports for the year to date were NOK 1.5 billion under the export totals for the whole of 2014. We are expecting normal export volumes in December, so expect 2015 to be a record year for the Norwegian seafood industry,” pointed out Marit Rein, Acting Director of Communications with the Norwegian Seafood Council.
“The demand for Norwegian seafood has been very strong, especially from the EU countries. Here we have attracted many new consumers in key markets such as France and Poland, which have also been the biggest buyers of Norwegian salmon so far this year”, Rein stressed.
She also explained that this year there have also been increases in saltfish, clipfish, fresh and frozen cod and that while herring exports have shown a small decline, mackerel exports in November increased by NOK 16 million. Norway exported salmon worth NOK 4.5 billion in the eleventh month of the year, which is an increase of 17 per cent compared to the same month last year.
Year-to-date salmon exports have totalled NOK 42.7 billion, an increase of 8 per cent compared with the same period in 2014. The average market price for whole fresh Norwegian salmon in November was NOK 44.92 per kg compared with NOK 40.67 per kg in the eleventh month in 2014. France and Poland remain the biggest importers of salmon from Norway. Trout exports totalled NOK 276 million in November, representing an increase of 57 per cent from the same month last year.
So far this year, trout exports have totalled NOK 2 billion, representing a small decline of 8 per cent compared with the same period in 2014. The biggest buyers of Norwegian trout in November were Belarus and Japan.
Herring exports fell by 4 per cent, or NOK 20 million in November to a total value of NOK 473 million. Year-to-date exports of herring have totalled NOK 2.1 billion, which is a decline of NOK 250 million compared to the same period last year. Germany and Ukraine were the biggest export markets for herring in November.
Mackerel exports increased in November by 16 million, to reach a total of NOK 612 million. So far this year, exports of mackerel have declined by NOK 375 million to a year-to-date total of NOK 3.6 billion. Nigeria and China were the biggest markets for mackerel in November.
Clipfish exports were down by NOK 25 million in the eleventh month, to total NOK 382 million. Year-to-date clipfish exports have totalled NOK 3.7 billion, representing an increase of 10 per cent compared with the same period in 2014.
Exports of salted fish, including fillets increased by NOK 11 million in November, totalling NOK 56 million. Year-to-date exports of salted fish (including fillets) were worth NOK 1.1 billion, which is a growth of 24 per cent. Exports of fresh cod from fisheries, including fillets, increased by NOK 2 million in November to a total export value of NOK 94 million.
Exports of frozen cod including fillets, were up by NOK 9 million to reach a total of NOK 265 million. Most fresh cod sales were to the EU countries. Frozen cod exports were divided between 61 per cent to EU countries, and 33 per cent to the Chinese market.