Has Covid permanently lifted salmon demand?

The strong rise in home consumption of salmon was a response to the restrictions or close-down of restaurant and outdoor dining. Now as society opens up the retail sales remains high. Consumers seem to have embraced salmon as a convenient and healthy food for home preparation.

“The global demand now is extremely strong, with continued strong demand from retail while the food service is coming back to normal.” says Arild Aakre, Head of Global Sales.

The US market one example despite a 14 % growth. has shown strong prices throughout the year, Chilean salmon import prices are up 28 % compared to 2020.

It is not new that consumers know the health benefits of eating salmon. Now it seems like they have experienced also how easy it is to prepare for everyday meals as well as for special occasions.

“Many, like me, have a limited number of dishes we normally make ourselves. And while this long period of home living has been a challenge, it has also been an opportunity to discover and test new dishes. Salmon seems to be a winner” continues Arild Aakre.

Increasing consumption of seafood including fatty fish as salmon, is in line with dietary guidelines. An additional reason for consumers may be the fact that salmon has a small carbon footprint, compared to meat from land animals. This is also the basis for the Blue Food Assessment concluding that growth in global food production must come from the ocean.