IFFO, the marine ingredients organisation, has tracked total fishmeal and fish oil production in target countries in its latest market report. The organisation estimates that 2.443 million metric tonnes of fishmeal were produced in 2021, compared to the 2.359 million metric tonnes reported in 2020. Peru, Chile and India have increased their cumulative fishmeal output in 2021, while the Northern European countries, the USA and the African countries reported a collective decrease of more than 160,000 metric tonnes, year on year.
In terms of fish oil, on the contrary, the overall output of the countries analysed in these reports has dropped by almost 6 percent. The total output in 2021 is currently estimated at 546,000 metric tonnes vs 581,000 metric tonnes in 2020. Chile, Iceland and India have been the countries that have increased their production in 2021, while all the other areas, including Peru, the key producer, reported a contraction.
China posts record levels of fishmeal imports for 2021 and will likely continue in 2022
From January to April 2022, little production of marine ingredients is expected, and most of it is expected to be based on by-products. The record level of fishmeal imports reported in 2021 might be reached again in 2022.
Demand for marine ingredients is expected to be still dominated by aquaculture, in a context where the Chinese authorities have committed to managing the sector according to strict and environmentally protective criteria.
China’s aquaculture industry is in its off-season. The average trading price of aquatic products rose in December 2021 and January 2022 year on year, supported by healthy trading volumes. The farm-gate prices of farmed species rose before the Spring Festival holidays as expected.
The pig sector continues to suffer from over-capacity, leaving the price of live pigs still under pressure. The Spring Festival holidays, which traditionally implies a higher consumption of pig meat, may only provide a short-lived respite.