Russia: Buyers prefer affordable fish and seafood to high-end products

Growth and decline According to Rosstat, in the first five months of 2023, 1.8 million tons of fish products were produced in Russia, which is 5.5% more than in the same period last year. As noted in the Rybny Soyuz, during this time, the production of frozen fish increased by 11.4%, but all other positions from the main ones decreased in volume, especially frozen fillet (-23.4%), canned food (-12.7 %) and salted fish (-5.8%). Last year, on the contrary, the production of frozen fish decreased, while the production of chilled and frozen fillets, as well as canned food, increased. “The fall in fillet production is primarily due to a reduction in the output of pollock fillets and, in part, herring fillets,” the Rybny Soyuz explain. categories of salted fish, preserves and preserves". The decrease in purchasing power is reflected in the retail sale of fish and seafood by a change in the structure of demand. “Buyers are switching from more expensive types of fish, such as hake or pink ...