Norway’s exports of salmon for the first nine months of 2012 totaled NOK 21.2 billion (EUR 2.9 billion, USD 3.7 billion), down NOK 481 million (EUR 65 million, USD 84.6 million) from to the same time period last year.
According to data from the Norwegian Seafood Council, the volume of exports in the same period totaled 714,000 metric tons (MT), up 25 percent compared to the first nine months of 2011.
The value of Norwegian salmon exports in September increased to NOK 2.4 billion, up NOK 38 million from September 2011. Volume for the month was also up 7 percent to 86,000 MT.
“The slight fall in the value of Norwegian Salmon exports this year to date is due to lower prices at the beginning of the year compared to the beginning of 2011,” said Paul Aandahl, Norwegian Seafood Council senior analyst. “The price fall was the result of increased supply from Norway and other salmon producing nations.”
The average export price for fresh whole Norwegian salmon in the third quarter of 2012 was NOK 27.64 per kilogram, down by NOK 7.48 per kilogram from the same period last year. In September, the average price was NOK 26.35 per kilogram, down slightly by NOK 0.08 compared to September 2011 and NOK 1.62 lower than in August this year.
The majority of Norwegian salmon export markets have seen strong growth in export volume in 2012. The biggest growth has been in exports to Russia, with volume up by 29,000 MT. Poland also saw strong growth, with volume up by 20,000 MT. The volume of exports to France, the biggest market, was up by 12,000 MT.
