Russian market keeps displaying amazing growth in fresh fish sector
Against the background of declining importation of frozen seafood Russia continues boosting imports of chilled and fresh products with the value of the latter category outstripping frozen imports nearly twofold, according to Federal Fisheries Agency.
In fact, in April 2012 as compared to April 2011 the influx of fresh and chilled fish increased by 2.8% to hit USD 95.7 million. By contrast the importation of frozen fish in the month under review dropped by 37.7% to USD52.9 million. Frozen fillets also slumped by 31.7% to USD22.4 million.
The reductions in the frozen category were driven by mackerel and trout. Through January-March 2012 import of frozen trout went down by 39.6% to 2,900 MT on the same period of 2011, frozen mackerel - by 47.5% to 13,600 MT. Meanwhile there were increases for frozen capelin jumping 3.2-fold to 37,500 MT, sprat - by 37.3% to 16,900 MT, blue whiting to 14,100 MT.
Frozen and chilled combined
According to provisional customs statistics, in April 2012 Russia's import of chilled and frozen fish from outside CIS declined by 24.4% to USD 171 million as compared to the previous month.
Against the background of rising herring fillet imports by 11.2% to 11,900 MT shipments of fillets of Chinese tilapia and Vietnamese pangasius decreased by 36.6% to 4,000 MT, surimi by 14.8% to 4,600 MT.
Trends 2009-2011
In 2011 Russia's imports of chilled fish grew at a continuously increasing rate both in terms of volume and value while the imports of other categories decreased.
More specifically, in 2011 the nation's purchases of chilled fish rose by 23% in volume terms and 6% in value on 2010, further from an 11% rise in volume and 43% in value in 2010 on 2009.
Serious Russian companies are closely watching growth in the chilled sector and large investments are being made into production of high value species (from RUR200.00 per kilo) in aquaculture.
Table: Trends for importation of fish and seafood in 2009-2011 into Russian Federation
|
Products by HSC groups |
Net weight, kg |
Customs value, RUR |
||||
|
2009 |
2010 |
2011 |
2009 |
2010 |
2011 |
|
|
0301 Live fish |
236,495 |
454,736 |
365,485 |
207,612,562 |
427,761,415 |
412,704,235 |
|
0302 Fresh or chilled fish, except for fillets |
91,271,860 |
101,348,304 |
124,921,427 |
13,944,677,910 |
19,902,411,794 |
21,081,604,130 |
|
0303 Frozen fish, except for fillets |
528,997,921 |
540,348,086 |
442,515,624 |
21,478,520,733 |
23,149,409,765 |
23,818,637,998 |
|
0304 Fish fillets and other meat (including mince), fresh, chilled or frozen |
178,157,408 |
138,071,293 |
123,934,981 |
10,324,706,375 |
7,999,286,485 |
9,612,289,737 |
|
0305 Fish dried, salted or in brine; smoked fish; fishmeal and granules from fish fit for human consumption |
9,276,608 |
11,663,305 |
10,717,922 |
1,015,305,271 |
1,276,330,868 |
1,276,879,005 |
|
0306 Shellfish, live, chilled, frozen, dried, salted or in brine, smoked, boiled or steam-boiled, fishmeal and granules from shellfish fit for human consumption |
52,915,385 |
61,554,142 |
59,030,857 |
5,203,973,258 |
6,419,250,185 |
8,007,255,228 |
|
0307 Mollusks, live, chilled, frozen, dried, salted or in brine, smoked, fishmeal and granules from mollusks fit for human consumption |
15,618,869 |
21,357,895 |
27,072,792 |
1,311,042,296 |
1,891,187,310 |
2,593,278,408 |
|
TOTAL |
876,474,545 |
874,797,761 |
788,559,088 |
53,485,838,405 |
61,065,637,822 |
66,802,648,741 |
Note: The table has been compiled by FISHNET analysts (www.megafishnet.com, www.fishnet.ru) from primary data of Russia's Federal Customs Service.