January 25, 2008

China's seafood output up 4.5 percent from Jan-Nov 2007

China produced a total of 45.38 million tonnes of aquatic products in the first eleven months of 2007, increasing by 4.5 percent on-year, according to the latest information released by the Ministry of Agriculture.

Fresh water output reached 20.2425 million tonnes in the period, with the output of sea fishing and sea breeding products at 13 million tonnes and 12.1 million  tonnes  respectively, rising by 7.5 percent, 1.3 percent and 3.3 percent on-year.

In the first eleven months, both import and export values of aquatic products rose, with the rate of increase in import value higher than in export value, leading to a drop in the trade surplus. China's aquatic product exports to Japan and the USA declined in 2007 when compared to 2006.

China's aquatic product consumer price index rose by 5 percent on-year in November 2007, much lower than the price index for meat, poultry and eggs, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.

Consumers' controlled spending on seafood and the fact that seafood  supply continued to increase steadily contributed to a stable consumption pattern, the agency said.

The main reasons behind this are that the consumers' self-control on aquatic products was relatively stronger, that China's aquatic product supply continued to increase steadily and that the consumption was basically stable.