As part of the imported seafood industry – the first affected by COVID-19, salmon’s recovery is under question.
In East China, salmon importers and traders inform that salmon sales in the catering industry have recovered well, reaching about 70% – 80% of the previous level; while at the retail end, salmon sales are still weak, recovering only to 20% of the same period last year.
An industry leader said that the current recovery situation at the retail terminal is not ideal. After nearly two months of recovery, the salmon retail has now exceeded just 20%. The expert abstained from making short-term predictions, as the imported seafood in China depends on the international control of the pandemic. However, she is optimistic about the medium and long-term development. She said that imported salmon has entered the Chinese market for more than 20 years and is growing every year. She emphasized that “the salmon farming environment can be guaranteed and the processing mechanization is high, which reduces the possibility of carrying the virus on the outer packaging.”
The degree of salmon sales recovery varies from city to city. In Beijing, salmon business situation is still very difficult, while in Shanghai, the recovery speed is much faster because of the popularity of Japanese food and the high acceptance of salmon.
