Overview of Moscow's freshfrozen fish market as per second week of September 2008

As per the second week of September 2008 certain changes were observed on Moscow's freshfrozen fish market as compared to a week ago. More specifically, during the past week or so wholesale prices changed for pelagic species, blue whiting and pangasius catfish, analysts of www.fishnet-russia.com (www.fishnet.ru) concluded after analyzing the current situation on the market.

By the beginning of the second week of September 2008, in Sakhalin and Kuriles the fishermen harvested more than 80,200 tonnes of pink salmon. Small volumes were still landed also in the south of Sakhalin in the Aniva District. The total quota of pink salmon was covered at 66%. By 1 September 2008 Kamchatka fishermen covered the quota at 84.1%.

Pink salmon

In the second week of September 2008 prices of frozen pink salmon on the Moscow market remained on a par with prices a week ago. More specifically, prices stayed at RUB60.00 per kilo of head-on gutted pink salmon 1-1.5 kg harvested in Sakhalin. Kamchatka pink salmon was offered in Moscow at RUB65.00 per kilo.

Chum salmon

In the second week of September 2008 prices of head-on gutted chum salmon from the current year harvest stayed stable and fluctuated from RUB70.00 to RUB75.00 per kilo. The supply of chum salmon in Moscow remained short.

Salmon roe

Foreign media sources reported about increased demand for salmon roe. In particular, in Japan prices considerably grew due to a short supply from the USA. American salted sockeye roe for the East European market was reportedly offered at 43-49 USD per kilo, and there were no indications of prices to decrease lower than 42 USD.

On the Moscow market there was a strong demand for pink salmon roe. Most of the offers remained at RUB1100 per kilo. The maximum price per kilo of salted pink salmon roe in cubotainers amounted to RUB1300 per kilo.

Sockeye roe was marketed from RUB1050 to RUB1200 per kilo. The price of chum salmon roe amounted to ca.RUB1250-1300 per kilo. There were offers of chinook salmon roe at RUB1350 per kilo.

Atlantic salmon

As per the second week of September 2008, Moscow traders offered Atlantic salmon of various sizes and quality. Atlantic salmon 1-2 superior originating from Denmark was offered at RUB150.00 per kilo, while the size 3-4 kilos was available at ca.RUB190.00 per kilo.

Chilean salmon 1-2 superior was marketed at RUB130.00 per kilo, while the size 2-3 superior was offered at RUB140.00 per kilo.

Trout

According to foreign media resources, since the start of the year Chilean export of trout to Russia was brisker evidently thanks to cancellation of restrictions earlier introduced by the Russian veterinary authority Rosselkhoznadzor which allowed importation of Chilean salmon from approved plants only. Lifting of the restrictions pushed all large producers of trout to hurry up and increase their export volumes to Russia as seafood importation from non-approved Chilean plants will be prohibited beginning from 1 October 2008.

As per the second week of September 2008, for Chilean producers trout appeared to be a more attractive object of production against the background of disease problems with Atlantic salmon and coho salmon.

The current supply of frozen Chilean trout on the Moscow market was fairly strong. Prices of trout 1.8-2.7 kilo amounted to ca.RUB165.00-170.00 per kilo, while the size 2.7-4.0 kilos was offered at ca.RUB175.00 per kilo.

Norwegian trout 1.8-2.7 superior was marketed at RUB175.00-180.00 per kilo, while the size 2.7-3.6 superior was sold at RUB175.00-185.00 per kilo.

There were also offers of frozen trout from Denmark with prices being fairly on a par with the Chilean products.

Chilled product from Norway was offered on order from RUB170.00 per kilo.

Herring

According to the information coming from the grounds, Icelandic vessels resumed the herring fishery after a halt on the previous week. Norwegian and Faroese vessels found concentrations after spotting during the weekend.

According to Norges Sildesalgslag, as per 6 September 2008 the total harvest of herring for food consumption since the start of 2008 amounted to 403,484 tonnes at the average price of 2.01 NOK per kilo versus 320,068 tonnes at 2.33 NOK per kilo on the average in the same period of 2007.

As per the second week of September 2008, the Moscow market showed increasing interest in herring. The market situation was described as fairly stable. Norwegian herring from the new season to be delivered by 15 September 2008 was offered from RUB29.00 per kilo of the size 300+, RUB39.00 per kilo of the size 350+, and to RUB55.00 per kilo of the size 400+.

Besides, the market traders also offered herring from the previous season. More specifically, herring 400+ harvested in November 2007 was offered at RUB45.00 per kilo. Icelandic herring fillets 4-8 were available at RUB52.00-53.00 per kilo.

Prices for the Russian herring poorly graded and classified as large and fat remained comparably stable at RUB20.00-22.00 per kilo.

A small growth of prices was observed for the Russian herring 200-300.

Herring 300+ of the Russian origin was marketed at stable prices at ca.RUB26.00 per kilo. Herring flaps 6-10 made by Murmansk Trawler Fleet were offered at RUB45.00 per kilo.

Mackerel

As per 8 September 2008, the supply of mackerel remained limited in Moscow. According to the market participants, large scale fishery of mackerel in Norway was expected to start some 1.5-2 weeks later. Traders offered mackerel in transit for landing from RUB80.00 per kilo of the size 400-600 and at RUB70.00-72.00 per kilo of the size 300-500. Headed Russian mackerel 200-300 was marketed at RUB68.00-69.00 per kilo, while the size 300+ was available at ca.RUB94.00-96.00 per kilo. Mackerel 300+ w/r was offered ex-coldstore at RUB58.00 per kilo, while the size 400+ was traded at RUB68.00 per kilo.

Prices of w/r Icelandic mackerel 300+ caught in August 2008 amounted to ca.RUB90.00 per kilo ex-coldstore in Moscow.

Headed Scottish mackerel 200-400 was sold from RUB80.00 to RUB82.00 per kilo, while the size 300-500 was marketed from RUB90.00 per kilo.

As compared 1 September, in the second week of the month many suppliers suspended offers of headed Japanese mackerel 600+.

Baltic herring, Baltic sprat

In the second week September 2008 no changes were observed on the Moscow market of Baltic herring and Baltic sprat. There remained a lot of offers of Russian and imported sprat.

More specifically, Kaliningrad sprat was offered at RUB23.50-26.00 per kilo. Estonian and Swedish sprat was sold at RUB21.50-24.50 per kilo. Latvian sprat 9-12 cm was marketed at RUB21.00 per kilo.

Kaliningrad herring 18+ was offered at RUB29.50. Finnish herring was marketed at RUB21.00-26.00 per kilo of the size 12-15 and RUB30.00-32.00 for the size 16-18. Prices of Swedish herring amounted to RUB27.00 per kilo of the size 16+ and RUB30.00 per kilo ex-coldstore of the size 18+. Swedish herring 14-18 to be landed yet was offered at RUB24.00 per kilo, the size 18+ was available at RUB31.00 per kilo.

Capelin

As per the second week of September 2008, capelin was a less demanded product on Moscow market with herring being in the greatest focus. Therefore capelin prices were slightly decreasing. The market players were offering mostly Canadian capelin at fairly stable prices, namely at RUB41.00-45.00 per kilo of the count 30-40.

Besides, Moscow wholesalers offered Norwegian capelin 45/55 from RUB36.00 to RUB39.50 per kilo, while the counts 40/50 and 30/40 were traded at ca.RUB43.50 and RUB45.50 per kilo correspondingly. The offers of Icelandic capelin were very few. Capelin 40/50 to be landed yet was offered at RUB37.00 per kilo, and the counts 45/55 and 5060 were sold at RUB35.00 and RUB33.00 per kilo correspondingly.

Blue whiting

As per the second week of September 2008, blue whiting prices remained rising in Moscow. According to the market participants, the supply of the species was limited as the fleet continued focusing on herring and mackerel. Importers say that the restrictions for seafood shipments from the Faroe Islands which were enforced by Russia's Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance Rosselkhoznadzor did not make a noticeable impact on prices. Larger influence on the price growth was made by the exchange rate of USD. Prices both for imported and Russian products were practically the same. Prices of large imported fish grew to RUB24.00-29.50 per kilo. The average prices of most of the wholesalers fluctuated at RUB27.00 per kilo.

Russian blue whiting fetched ca.RUB23.00-26.00 per kilo in Moscow. Blue whiting from Ireland was offered at RUB24.00 per kilo. Scottish blue whiting was sold at RUB27.00 per kilo. Besides, wholesalers marketed blue whiting loins at RUB48.00-49.00 per kilo of the Russian product.

Alaska pollock

The situation with the Alaska pollock supply in Moscow remained fairly good with the prices as per 8 September reported as stable. More specifically, Alaska pollock 250+ was sold from RUB40.00 to RUB45.00 per kilo, while the sizes 300+ and 350+ were offered from RUB42.00 and at RUB48.00-55.00 correspondingly.

As for APO fillets, the market remained well supplied with double frozen pollock fillets coming from China. In particular, IQF fillets 8+ (220+) were marketed from RUB59.00 to RUB80.00 per kilo. Prices for the Chinese fillets settled mostly at RUB70.00 per kilo.

Hake

As per the second week of September 2008, hake prices in Moscow were stable or rising. The market players reported a shortage of US hake. There were single offers of HGT hake from the USA from RUB88.00 to RUB95.00 per kilo.

Canadian HGT hake 300-500 IQF was marketed at RUB88.00 per kilo, while the size 500+ was sold at RUB85.00 per kilo.

Argentinean interleaved hake was sold at RUB102.00-106.00 per kilo (fillets were available at RUB110.00-140.00 per kilo). There were also offers of Argentinean interleaved skinned hake 100-200 at RUB120.00 per kilo and interleaved skinned 200-400 from RUB118.00 to RUB122.00 per kilo.

Skinned hake fillets 120-200 made in Spain were traded at RUB110.00 per kilo, while the size 200-400 was offered at RUB115.00 per kilo.

The supply of Chinese hake increased with skinned hake fillets 170-220 originating from China sold at RUB85.00 per kilo and skinned interleaved fillets 200+ offered from RUB90.00 per kilo.

Uruguayan hake was offered in the form of fillets in cubes at RUB64.00-69.00 per kilo.

Squid

In 2008 the squid fishery in the Russian Far East (from April to November) produced fairly good results. The catch rates exceeded the results of 2007. In the first ten days of September 2008 prices of skin-on squid tubes harvested in the Russian Far East amounted to ca.RUB45.00 per kilo, which was considerably lower than RUB60.00-70.00 per kilo in 2007. The product which dramatically increased in the end of 2007 and larger squid harvest resulted into big problems for wholesales who had purchased considerable volumes of squid. By the year 2008 many traders had carry-over coldstore inventories of squid. In connection with the above, some wholesalers offered squid products at about RUB90.00 per kilo.

In Moscow prices of squid tubes harvested in 2008 and made by NBAMR amounted to ca.RUB55.00-57.00 per kilo, and there were offers at RUB52.00-53.00 per kilo. Besides, Moscow traders also offered skinned tubes made by NBAMR at RUB120.00-125.00 per kilo.

Argentinean cleaned tubes of illex squid were marketed at RUB65.00-77.00 per kilo. Cleaned tubes made in China were sold at RUB72.00-77.00 per kilo.

New Zealand squid tubes 200-300 were offered at RUB50.00-55.00 per kilo, Peruvian squid fillets were traded at RUB40.00 per kilo, and squid fillets were marketed at RUB40.00 per kilo.

Pangasius

As per the second week of September 2008, there were some developments on the Moscow market. According to a spokesman from a large importer, pangasius prices were displaying a downward trend which could be attributed to a surplus supply of raw pangasius in Vietnam a couple of months ago. As many farmers went out of business and the supply of the raw material for processing decreased, in the first half of September 2008 pangasius ex-farm prices were on the rise and in the coming 1-1.5 months the product prices in Russia were also expected to grow.

In Moscow there were very many offers of the most popular product - pangasius fillets 200+. The minimum price of pink fillets 200+ dropped to RUB60.00 per kilo, while the maximum price amounted to ca.RUB65.00 per kilo.

There were also offers of fillets 600+. Pangasius fillets 600+ were marketed at ca.RUB75.00 per kilo. white-color fillets were sold at RUB90.00-95.00 per kilo.

Moscow traders also offered other pangasius products such as HGT at RUB90.00-95.00 per kilo, steaks at ca.RUB50.00, and fillets in cubes at ca.RUB65.00 per kilo.