Los Ángeles, Bio Bio, Chile-based Salmones Austral saw its revenues jump 39.8 percent to USD 251 million (EUR 227 million) in 2021 on the back of higher volumes sold and a higher average sales price of salmon.
In volume terms, sales reached 49,889 metric tons (MT) last year, a 27.6 percent increase compared to shipments from 2020. At the same time, its average sales price improved from USD 4.27 (EUR 3.86) per kilo whole fish equivalent (WFE) in 2020 to USD 4.97 (EUR 4.50) per kilo WFE in 2021, , the company reported.
Its cost of sales came to USD 230 million (EUR 208 million) in 2021, up 22.7 percent from the previous year, mainly explained by the higher volume sold, bringing the company’s EBITDA to USD 22.7 million (EUR 20.5 million), compared to a loss of USD 7.6 million (EUR 6.9 million) in 2020, the company said. Its net profits for the year reached USD 20.8 million (EUR 18.8 million), versus net losses of USD 27.5 million (EUR 24.9 million) posted in 2021.
Christian Samsing, vice president of Salmones Austral, said the year representated was an important one for his firm thanks to the good results and “because of several milestones: we started production in the Magallanes Region, we had the first batches of production in our Los Arrayanes fish farm, and we launched Secret Island, our online sales channel in the United States, which will allow us to better penetrate the retail market.”
Samsing also emphasized Salmones Austral’s focus on sustainability, which he said is reflected in the company’s 2021 sustainability report.
Salmones Austral was created in 2013 through the merger of Trusal and Pacific Star. Today, it has annual production of some 45,000 MT to 55,000 MT, exported to 30 countries, with more than 1,600 workers operating in two processing plants and 33 fresh-water and sea-water farming centers in the regions of, Biobío, La Araucanía, Los Lagos, and Aysén. Of its annual production, 65 percent is Atlantic salmon, and the remaining 35 percent is coho salmon.
The United States and Asia are the main markets for its Atlantic salmon, while Japan is the primary destination for coho.
Photo courtesy of Salmones Austral
