Fishmeal production between January and June 2024 in the countries analysed by IFFO, The Marine Ingredients Organisation, was up by 40%, while that of fish oil was up by 10%, compared with the same period of last year.
This, IFFO said, was thanks to the increased catches in the North-Centre of Peru, where operations are currently under a fishing ban. Only Peru’s southern fishing grounds are currently open to operations, with 15% of the quota landed so far.
In Chile, landings in the first six months of 2024 have decreased year-on-year in the south, while they are up in the north of the country.
In Northern Europe, the volume of available raw materials is down year-on-year, as expected due to the lower quotas granted in 2024 versus 2023.
As for the United States, menhaden catches continue to progress, although they remain below the levels reported in 2023.
These data are based on statistics shared by IFFO’s membership, which accounts for 55% of global marine ingredients production.
China using less marine ingredients
While China’s fishing ban was lifted in mid-August, local producers of fishmeal and fish oil remain cautious about domestic potential production levels for 2024.
Official statistics from China suggest an annual decrease in the cumulative fishmeal and fish oil imports through June due to weak demand of aquafeed and high production costs. Overall, the bearish market conditions are likely to persist through the year 2024.
In contrast, the pig sector, which used to consume significant amounts of fishmeal, continues its recovery, with pig prices rising steadily over the past months.
