MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentine fisheries exports drop in volume and income in ten months of 2022

In the first ten months of the year the volume exported reached 408.233 tons and US$ 1,568bn with a double drop of 9,5% compared to the same period a year ago

Argentine fisheries exports during the first ten months of the year reached 408.233 tons and US$ 1,568bn with a drop both on average in volume and income of 9,5% compared to the same period a year ago, according to the stats made public by CAPECA, the Argentine //fishing vessel owners organization.

 A detailed summary of the different sectors, provided by the official Argentine stats office, Indec, shows a 36,8% drop in fish and shell fish volumes with an overall 11,8% drop in income. The prawn sector has been the most affected given the lesser demand and a sustained slide in prices. Regarding hubbsi hake, the situation is similar depending on the presentation and packaging of produce. Finally toothfish and squid exports, with strong demand, helped the overall overseas sales figure from falling even further.

A detail of the different catches begins with hake. Hubbsi filets remained mostly unchanged in volume, some 50,000 tons while the price was up 16%, with an average sale price of US$ 3,268 the ton. Demand from Brazil the main market fell 6,5% over a year ago but the price was up 23%. Spain the second most important market remained stable while the price increased 10,6%, and with US sales dropped 13% but compensated with 14% dearer prices.

Full hake or H&G saw demand down 19% and 18% less income, with average price at US$ 1,539 the ton. Total sales reached 27.444 tons. Since Russia and Ukraine were the main markets for this presentation, demand dropped 30% and 52% respectively. Of the other five significant markets, only Israel and South Africa increased demand but also with some of the lowest prices per ton, US$ 1,190.

Prawns. Full size prawns suffered a 21% demand fall and the average price was down 9,3%, with an average US$ 6,510 the ton. Sales volume was 70,000 tons and income down 28%. Furthermore the chamber of prawn fishing vessels said alarmingly that “so far there is no floor for the drop in international prices” and average prices contracted 6,6% last July; 10,3% in August; 15,3% in September and 26,3% in October.

Spain remains the main market but with demand down 20% this year and with an 8% drop in income. Italy also saw demand collapse 68% with prices averaging 16% lower. Prawn tail sales also dropped in the ten month period, 26% and 19% in income. In China demand for tail was 27,5% down with income falling 19%. Other markets were prawn tails demand fell include Peru, US, Thailand, Italy, Vietnam, Indonesia, Russia and Guatemala, despite a record catch of prawns in Argentina fisheries.

A total of 43,849 tons prawn tails were exported at an average price of US$ 8.014 the ton, and “fortunately” prices are recovering climbing gradually to the June quotation of US$ 8,711 the ton.

The outstanding performances have been recorded with squid and toothfish. Squid exports reached 142,000 tons at an average price of US$ 2.148 the ton, equivalent to a volume increase of 20,5% and 26% in income given a 5% jump in the price.

South Korea emerged as the main market for Argentine squid with 25% of all imports, followed by Thailand and Singapore, both of which more than doubled their demand. Purchased from China on the other hand dropped 12%.

Spain paid the highest price, US$ 3,121 a ton and with a stable demand of 9,000 tons. South Korea bargained the lowest price, but overall the squid ten month export volume and income remains one of the few positive sides of the season.

Finally Patagonian toothfish managed a milestone sale of 2,110 tons, up 24% from the same period in 2021 and with a 73,6% increase in price and 115% in income. Average price for toothfish stands at US$ 26.863 per ton with the US market absorbing 72% of the volume.