New figures indicate that growth opportunities remain in the United Kingdom’s fresh salmon market, with more than 1 million new salmon consumers tallied in the last two years.
According to market tracker Kantar Worldpanel, the number of fresh salmon consumers in the United Kingdom increased 22 percent, to 6.1 million, from 2008 to 2010.
“We estimate that the demand for salmon is such that we could supply twice as much as is currently produced,” said Scott Landsburgh, CEO of the Scottish Salmon Producers’ Organization (SSPO).
According to the SSPO, while Scottish salmon production has actually remained static since 2003, the industry is keen to see “sensible, sustainable growth” of 3 percent to 5 percent over the next five years.
Health is clearly a key driver for the bullish growth in the UK fresh salmon market. Messages that underline the health benefits of regular fish consumption, especially the omega-3 fatty acids found in salmon, appear to be paying off, with consumers increasingly turning to fish.
Kantar Worldpanel reported that fresh salmon now accounts for over GBP 1 in every GBP 5 spent on fish in the UK.
But health is not the only driver. “The growth in sales is spread across both new adult and children consumers, with which links into recent recessionary trends as more people eat together, rather than at separate eating occasions,” said Mark Thomson, Kantar Worldpanel’s strategic insight director.
According to the SSPO, more than 13 million fresh Scottish salmon were exported in 2009, up 24 percent from 2008. Europe is still the biggest buyer of Scottish salmon, particularly France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Spain and Ireland.
