A fantastic season for Norwegian Skrei cod

Cod food.Photo pixabay.com

Norway has so far exported 5,160 tonnes of fresh, whole quality marked Skrei codfish in 2016. This year’s season has been characterized by good quality, high prices and high demand.

It is 20 years since the Norwegian Seafood Council began a modest program to encourage Skrei Cod exports. Today Skrei cod has become a known and loved product across Europe and Norway exported in 2016 quality-marked Skrei worth NOK 186 million. An increase of NOK 52 million compared with 2015.
Sales of fresh cod, including Skrei cod and filet, have so far this year totalled NOK 1.39 billion, up NOK 203 million or 17 per cent compared with the same period last year.
”This year’s season has exceeded all expectations and export figures are strong. With average prices of NOK 36.10 per kilo, export values are NOK 5.93 higher than during the same period in 2015. This year saw NOK 5.39 more for a kg of quality mark Skrei cod, compared with whole fresh cod. This year export receipts are NOK 8.30 higher for Skrei cod, which is good news for anyone who works with quality marked Skrei cod”, says Jack Robert Møller, Industry Manager for cod fish with the Norwegian Seafood Council.
After an unusually early start to the fishing season in 2014, 2016 was more of a “normal” year. Quotas were large and the availability has been good, with record landings of cod in March. 10-15% of cod caught between 1 January and 30 April were sorted and packaged according to the quality standard for Skrei cod, and thereby attained the exclusive quality mark.
”Extensive checks have been carried out on the quality of cod products. The Skrei cod patrol collected 139 samples from production facilities and transhipment centres. More than half of the licensed packers are inspected. The general impression is that quality standards have been maintained”, says Marit Sogn Grundvåg, Head of Quality Branding with the Norwegian Seafood Council.

Cod party in Madrid
Quality-marked Skrei cod is sold in approximately 20 countries. Key markets (excluding Norway, which takes about a third of the total volume), are Spain, France and Germany. Sweden is also an important market for quality marked Skrei cod.
”Denmark reigns supreme has the leading export market, but much of the cod that are sold to Denmark are passed on to other EU countries”, says Jack Robert Møller.

 

Source: seafood.no / Norway Today