The volume of salmon harvested in the Faroe Islands by the Bakkafrost Group in the first-quarter of this year decreased by 6,500 tonnes year-on-year to the equivalent of 11,000 tonnes head-on gutted (HOG) fish, according to the producer’s latest trading update.
With regards to its different production regions in the Faroes, the company’s Farming North operations contributed 4,100 tonnnes (down from 10,100 tonnes in Q1 2022), while its Farming West farms supplied 3,800 tonnes (a decrease from 5,300 tonnes) and its Farming South farms provided 3,000 tonnes (up from 2,100 tonnes).
Meanwhile, its Scottish operations harvested of 8,100 tonnes of fish, up from 4,000 tonnes in Q1 2022. Its North farms provided the entire volume.
The group’s feed sales for Q1 2022 totalled 22,300 tonnes, down from 26,200 tonnes a year previously.
Bakkafrost’s full first-quarter 2022 report will be released on 9 May 2023.
Bakkafrost harvested a total 90,600 tonnes of salmon last year, with 66,700 tonnes from the Faroe Islands and Scotland’s contribution amounting to 23,900 tonnes. It has forecast a 2023 harvest of 98,000 tonnes gutted weight, with 68,000 tonnes coming from the Faroe Islands and 30,000 tonnes from Scotland.
It also expects to release around 16 million smolts in the Faroe Islands, compared with 14.5 million smolts in 2022, and 9.6 million in Scotland, compared to last year’s 10.8 million.
For the full-year 2022, the Atlantic salmon producer posted an all-time-high revenue of DKK 7.1 billion and a record operational earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) of DKK 1.7 billion.
Bakkafrost is the largest salmon farming company in the Faroes and the second largest in Scotland.
