In recent years, Brazil has become the third most relevant market for fishery and aquaculture shipments of Chile, among which salmon is highlighted.
“At present Brazil considers Chile is its main salmon supplier,” explained the head of the Undersecretariat of Fisheries and Aquaculture (SUBPESCA), Raul Sunico.
Given the bilateral commercial importance, last week Súnico and head of the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture (MPA) from Brazil, Eduardo Lopes, signed a cooperation agreement to promote reciprocity of scientific knowledge, practices and experience in the sector at productive and regulatory level, Diario Financiero reported.
According to the available data, in 2013 Chile sent fisheries and aquaculture resources to the Brazilian market for USD 519 million, that is to say, 52 per cent more than in 2012.
Out of this total, 96 per cent corresponded to aquaculture shipments and the remaining 4 per cent to fishing activities.
Moreover, in the last five years, exports to Brazil grew 254 per cent, and just in 2013, salmon and trout shipments rose 55 per cent over the previous year, totalling USD 486 million.
The Chilean official added: “In Brazil fish consumption is increasing, and just last year it increased its average annual per capita consumption to a kilo, and now it reaches 11 kg per person per year.”
Meanwhile, the Association of Salmon Industry AG (SalmonChile) highlighted the potential that South American market has.
In this regard, the union president, Felipe Sandoval, commented: “It’s a very strong destination for Chilean salmon and it is the third biggest market, after the United States and Japan.”
“Without doubt Brazil is the destination that has grown stronger in the last year,” the head of SalmonChile added.
And he continued that by 2014 the same commercial dynamism is expected as that in 2013.
In addition, along with Russia — where salmon is sent for USD 200 million annually — will be the markets showing greatest increases in the demand for Chilean salmon.
Finally, PROCHILE is involved in a project with the salmon farming sector and the companies exporting fishery-aquaculture products to Brazil.
“This is not a project unifying commercial negotiations, as what some Chilean firms did with China last year,” Sandoval admitted.
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