Vladivostok-based Russian Fishery Company (RFC) has reported positive figures for catch and production in the first half of 2020, despite the challenges posed by COVID-19.
RFC’s catch in the first half of 2020 was 191,600 metric tons (MT), 2 percent more than the company’s planned figures. Production of seafood amounted to 127,000 MT, up 4 percent compared to the corresponding period of 2019. The output of the company’s pollock fillets, RFC’s highest-margin product, increased by 10 percent.
“Despite the difficult economic situation in the world caused by the epidemic of the new coronavirus infection, RFC ensures a high level of harvesting, production and shipment of products,” RFC CEO Viktor Litvinenko told the fishery’s press service.
The factors contributing to the success were the expansion of pollock sales in new markets – Singapore and Poland – as well as keeping strong positions in the fishery’s traditional export markets of China and South Korea.
In an interview with the Fishnews media agency in May 2020, Litvinenko noted that the pollock season A from January to April was highly productive for the company thanks to favorable weather and ice conditions in areas of catch. RFC caught 170,000 MT of pollock during the season, a record for the company, which is 10,000 MT more than in season A during 2019. Litvinenko also referred to the optimal supply chain, right forecast for catch and the investments in fleet as reasons for the record.
RCF’s quota for pollock for 2020 is 282,400 MT.
Despite the positive results, COVID-19 did affect company’s sales, Litvinenko said in the interview.
“Since early this year, we have seen a decrease in seafood consumption by HoReCa [hotel, restaurant, catering], the purchases by municipal authorities. We were flexible to adapt to the new conditions to secure sales in our traditional markets – China, South Korea, and Russia,” Litvinenko said. “Sales for the domestic market increased by 21 percent to 2019.”
RFC’s performance is in line with that of the industry as a whole. Through 20 July 2020, 1.373 million MT of pollock was caught in Russia, 97,000 MT more than in the same period of 2019, according to the most recent data from the Russian Federal Agency for Fisheries.
