Page 72 - Food Outlook

Figure 9. Top three importers of crab
Figure 10. EU imports of mussels
thousand tonnes
80 60 40 20
0 2015 USA
2016
China
thousand tonnes
192 184 176 168
2017 160
Rep. of Korea
Total imports* (right axis)
Other countries
Source: GTIS, *estimates
thousand tonnes
50 40 30 20 10
0 2015 Chile
Other countries
Source: Eurostat
2016
Spain
thousand tonnes
100 90 80 70 60
2017 50
Netherlands
Total imports (right axis)
BIVALVES
Chilean mussel production seems to have recovered from the difficulties of last year, when red tides hit the main cultivation areas, but global production of mussels, as well as clams, is not growing fast enough to keep pace with the improving market environment. In France, the oyster season for 2018 is forecast to be good, as the mortality of juveniles this year is relatively low. In general, supply competition in the EU can be expected from developing countries, which are seeking to invest in good infrastructure and quality control in order to be able to export to the lucrative EU live bivalves market. At present, this market is only open to a small selection of countries. Overall, demand for bivalve species is likely to stay strong in 2018 and supply will be tight, supporting high prices for the major bivalve species with the exception of scallops and oysters.
LOBSTER
Lobster landings in the United States are forecast to
be down by 20 percent in New England this year, and
by as much as 30 percent in Maine. Some traders are now worried that a shortage may develop by early
2018, although there seems to be enough lobster meat on the market at the moment. Current high prices for lobster this season are to a large extent due to very good demand in China. Paradoxically, strong Chinese demand is the result of low prices and plentiful supply in 2012, which allowed North American exporters access to the Chinese market.
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FOOD OUTLOOK NOVEMBER 2017
Market assessments