Tilapia - August 2011
The emphasis placed on the need for Brazil to step up its tilapia industry at the recent World Aquaculture Society conference in Natal only confirms the popularity of this fish and its growing demand in Brazil’s domestic market.
Asia
Malaysia
Fresh fish prices have increased drastically since June as a result of a recent boycott by local trawler operators in response to the government’s decision to reduce the diesel subsidy. In traditional wet markets around Kuala Lumpur, fish prices increased by around 30% compared with the previous month. This has led to increased demand for freshwater fish in the domestic market, including tilapia. In a related development, the Federal Agriculture Marketing Authority (FAMA) is currently stepping up co-operation with the Fisheries Development Authority of Malaysia (LKIM) in an effort to set up more farmers’ markets for fishers and fish farmers in the country. Currently, there are about 500 farmers’ markets throughout Malaysia and FAMA plans to increase this number to 1 000 under the country’s 10th Malaysian Plan. Much of the freshwater fish supplies in Malaysia, including tilapia, are sold to consumers through these farmers markets. The move would help to increase their income and also enable consumers to obtain their supply of fresh fish at a cheaper price.
Taiwan Province of China
In response to the economic recovery in major Asian markets, prices of tilapia in Taiwan Province of China recovered this year following the significant drop in 2009, sources from the industry said. The earthquake in Japan is also reported to have increased the demand for tilapia, pushing prices up to USD 1.4/kg from USD 0.55/kg in 2009. Major markets for Taiwanese tilapia are the USA, the EU, the Republic of Korea, Japan and the Middle East. Over the past year, Taiwan PC has been increasing supplies to the US market. One prominent feed producer, Grobest, is currently developing an organic tilapia supply line for the European market, through its subsidiary Thailand Tilapia, based in Thailand. At the moment Grobest mainly supplies the US market.
China
China produces nearly 50% of the global tilapia production of 3 million tonnes. In the first three months of 2011, total tilapia exports strengthened by 22% from the same period of 2010 reaching 72 004 tonnes, with almost 50% of the imports absorbed by the US market. The fillet segment is the fastest growing and during the first quarter of this year, prices moved up by 30% from the corresponding period in 2010, while for whole tilapia, prices advanced by 32%.
Meanwhile, the imminent free trade agreement between Costa Rica and China is likely to result in higher imports of tilapia into China from Costa Rica. Between 2000 and 2010, Costa Rican exports to the Chinese market grew by an annual average of 37% and imports from that country increased by 29%.
USA
Tilapia is the fifth most popular seafood in the US, and total imports of tilapia showed a 5.8% growth in the first quarter of 2011 reaching 51 329 tonnes. Frozen fillet took a nearly 70% share of total tilapia imports and posted a 6.82% increase from the same period last year supplying mostly to demand during Lent this year.
Demand for high value fresh/chilled (air-flown) tilapia this year remained stable with almost no growth as reflected by stagnant imports. Shipments from two major fresh tilapia suppliers, Ecuador and Costa Rica, were lower this year, which was somewhat compensated for by more supply from Honduras (+20%). As a result, fresh/chilled tilapia imports during the first quarter of 2011, totaled 6 705 tonnes valued at USD 4.7 million, more or less on par with the same period of 2010.
Imports of whole frozen tilapia during the first quarter grew by 5.5% from the same period in 2010 with higher imports from China and Taiwan PC, while supplies from Thailand fell.
Brazil
At the recently concluded World Aquaculture Society conference in Natal, Brazil, presenters addressed measures to step up production of tilapia in Brazil with rising demand from the domestic market where prices are also higher. Multinational companies such as Pescanova and Nippon Suisan Kaisha (Nissui) are already expanding their production and targeting the domestic market. The Japanese seafood giant, Nissui, whose tilapia is from their Brazil-based operation Netuno, is also planning to sell tilapia to the US market.
Europe
The combined EU imports of fresh and frozen freshwater fillet (pangasius, tilapia and Nile perch) were 286 893 tonnes in 2010, where pangasius had a 73% market share, Nile perch 11% and tilapia 7%. Tilapia supplies come from China, Indonesia, Thailand, and Ecuador, Columbia, and Brazil in Latin America. A niche market for air-flown fresh tilapia fillet has been established; the clients are high-end restaurants in France and the UK.
EU imports of frozen tilapia fillet during the first quarter of 2011 posted a marginal growth of 3.2% from the same period last year with China supplying nearly 90% of the share to the market. In this period, the EU imported a total of 5 333 tonnes of tilapia fillet. Imports fell from Indonesia, the second largest exporter while imports from Viet Nam grew by 80%. Poland took the largest portion of the total EU imports, mostly originating from China at 1 900 tonnes, albeit lower than the same period last year. The Netherlands, Spain and Germany all imported more tilapia in the first quarter of 2011.
UK
The success of locally grown tilapia continues as The Fish Company reports increased demand for its products from the domestic market and abroad. The company believes that this is because its tilapia is grown in an ethical and sustainable way, which has made it popular. Consumers in the UK are now able to place orders for whole fish and fillets from Regal Fish Supplies Ltd. British tilapia is also available in Poland and will soon reach Carrefour in Spain.
Outlook
Market acceptance of tropical fish is a fact in the EU market. At the same time, overall demand for fillet is unlikely to increase fast in the EU. However, farmed freshwater fish is likely to gain a higher share in the fillet market.
