The Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI) has received a multimillion-dollar grant to create a dedicated Southeast Asia marketing program for the Alaska Seafood brand.
ASMI, a public-private partnership established between the state of Alaska and the Alaska seafood with the goal of fostering economic development opportunities, received a supplemental grant of USD 5.5 million (EUR 4.9 million) from the USDA Foreign Agriculture Service’s Agricultural Trade Promotion program, to be paid over three years. The grant is a special allocation designed to help ease the adverse effects of tariff and non-tariff barriers on U.S. agricultural exporters, according to the organization.
ASMI is now looking into the creation of a year-round marketing program in Southeast Asia, rather than its previous approach of marketing on a project-only basis. The program will target Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, and the Philippines, with an initial emphasis on building trade relationships and providing technical support and education across the foodservice, retail, and reprocessing sectors, ASMI said.
“Southeast Asia has great potential for Alaska seafood because of the fewer import barriers than other emerging markets,” Icicle Seafood International Sales Manager Ron Risher said. “The domestic markets in Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia have potential for growth in foodservice and e-commerce. Perhaps the greatest opportunity is in working with local seafood secondary processors for Alaska salmon and whitefish and providing quality handling education for distribution to restaurants and retailers."
AgriSource International, a food and agribusiness advisory firm, has been hired to serve as the overseas marketing representative for the program, according to ASMI. AgriSource operates an office in Bangkok, Thailand, and has representatives throughout the region, ASMI said.
“When it comes to seafood, Alaska and Southeast Asia are a great match,” AgriSource international representative Tim Welsh said in a press release. “For many years, Alaska has been supplying pollock, salmon, crab, and other products to Southeast Asia’s many sophisticated food processing and canning companies for domestic consumers and export markets. But demand in the region is growing as Southeast Asia’s 650 million consumers travel more and want to try new, high-quality foods like the wild, sustainable seafood that Alaska offers.”
ASMI International Committee Vice-Chair Julie Yeasting called AgriSource’s pitch to ASMI “impressive.”
“They will truly add value and access to additional markets for Alaska Seafood,” Yeasting said. “It’s very exciting to play a role in expanding ASMI’s reach into Southeast Asia."
ASMI’s expansion to Southeast Asia was prompted by “strong interest from the Alaska seafood industry and committee guidance,” according to ASMI.
Also included in the new grant is funding to enhance ASMI’s existing programs in Japan, China, Europe, and South America.
