October 25, 2010

 

Peruvian fish exports rake in US$236.9 million in August

 

 

Peruvian fish exports in August generated US$236.9 million in revenue, up 17% over the same month in 2009, when its value was US$202.4 million.

 

However, export volumes decreased by 24.9% to 161,000 tonnes, claims the Ministry of Production (Produce). This decrease was mainly due to lower sales of canned fish, frozen fish, fishmeal and fish oil, which dropped 42.8%, 99.5%, 8.7% and 56.4% respectively.

 

According to the latest Statistical Bulletin prepared by Produce, between January and August 2010, exports totalled 1,259,400 tonnes and generated US$1877.6 million, while in the same period last year, 1,801,900 tonnes were exported for a total of US$1687.2 million.

 

Meanwhile, in August 2010, 119,500 tonnes of fishmeal was exported, while in the same month last year, a total of 130,900 tonnes was shipped abroad (8.8% more).

 

With regards to the value of these exports, in the eighth month of this year, fishmeal totalled US$173.6 million, i.e. 36.6% more than in August 2009 when the figure totalled US$127 million.

 

Between January and August 2010, a total of 844,100 tonnes of fishmeal was exported, 34.8% less than the same period in 2009 (1.295 million tonnes).

 

The main markets for Peruvian fishmeal were China, Germany, Japan, Vietnam, United Kingdom, Chile, Taiwan, Turkey and Australia, which bought around 94.3% of the total sales up until August 2010.

 

Exports during August increased the combined total of foreign sales of fishmeal for the first eight months to US$1261.3 million, up 10.8% over the same period in 2009 (US$1137.9 million).

 

Meanwhile, fish oil exports totaled 22,300 tonnes last August which was worth US$20.3 million, ie 40.2% more than in August 2009 (US$33.9 million).

 

Whereas, during the first eight months of 2010, a total of 166,600 tonnes of fish oil was sent abroad, 22% less than the same period last year (213,500 tonnes).

 

Belgium, Chile, Canada, China, Norway, Denmark, Australia, Japan and the US accounted for 93.2% of fish oil imports from Peru, registered until August.

 

These sales generated US$164.8 million, an amount that represents a rise of 9.1% over the same period in 2009 (US$151.1 million).

 

Also in August 2010, frozen fish products accounted for 13,500 tonnes of exports, a figure that accounts for a decline of 50% when compared to the 27,000 tonnes exported a year earlier.

 

In the first eight months of this year, 195,500 tonnes of frozen fish was sold abroad, 19% less than in a similar period in 2009 (241,200 tonnes).