High Export Volume Tilapia Industry

“The export volume of tilapia reached the highest point in the same period in the first three quarters of 2012, but processing enterprises are at the lowest point of profit in recent years.” On the morning of November 12, the development of the ninth tilapia industry in Haikou City, Hainan Province At the forum, Cui He, executive vice president and secretary general of China Aquatic Products Circulation and Processing Association, said that at present, China’s tilapia processing enterprises are in a difficult situation and are in the bottleneck of development.
It is understood that in the first three quarters of 2012, the total export volume of Chinese tilapia was 250,000 tons, an increase of 11% year-on-year, and the export volume was 800 million US dollars, an increase of 8% year-on-year. The estimated annual export volume will reach 350,000 tons. The amount is 1.2 billion US dollars.
The above data seems to be pretty good, but the actual situation in the industry is not so “beautiful.” “The export volume has only increased by 8%, which indicates that the export price has declined. In addition, the general increase in the cost of feed and labor has caused the industry to have the lowest profit or even the loss period in recent years.” Cui He said that although the output was lower than last year, With a small increase, the industry has not developed benignly with the increase in exports.
Mr. John Connelly, president of the American Fisheries Association, believes that drug residues, insufficient weight and improper use of carbon monoxide are obstacles to the future growth of the tilapia industry. He said that drug residues in some Chinese aquatic products, especially the continued use of antibiotics, will make the US market worse for Chinese aquatic products, which will cause some big retailers to no longer sell any Chinese aquatic products.
He said that many Chinese aquatic product outer packaging box weight labels are marked as “total” or “gross weight”, which is considered illegal in the United States, correctly marked to mark the net weight of aquatic products outside the box (excluding ice weight) . He also pointed out that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is examining carbon monoxide use policies, including the use of mandatory bans on unauthorized use, while the American Fisheries Association does not believe that the FDA has approved the use of carbon monoxide in tilapia.
Despite various obstacles and challenges, John Connelly believes that Americans like tilapia, and as the US population increases and per capita spending increases, China will have an opportunity to increase exports of tilapia. Future growth depends on the willingness of Chinese and tilapia producers to address issues in the supply chain.
It is understood that half of the US residents’ edible aquatic products come from aquaculture, while current domestic aquaculture can only meet less than 10% of the US aquatic product market, and 84% of US aquatic products are imported. The United States is the world’s second largest consumer market for aquatic products, and tilapia has remained among the top five in the consumption of American aquatic products. In the first eight months of 2012, tilapia consumption increased by 28% year-on-year, showing that tilapia plays an important role in the US aquatic products market.
John Connelly pointed out that tilapia pricing allows it to compete with other protein sources and aquatic products, the US tilapia market will remain strong, and the US will remain a huge and growing market.
The data provided by the China Federation of Canadian Plus also shows that under the influence of the downturn in the European market, China’s tilapia industry is also shifting to the United States, which continues to grow strongly. In 2012, the export of US tilapia accounted for 48% of China’s total exports, an increase of 6% over last year. “Excessive concentration of export markets may also be a dangerous signal.” Cui He reminded that the industry should focus on the development of the domestic market and strive to develop a diversified market for the industry.
Website: www.bestplusgroup.com
Email: info@bestplusgroup.com