(IntraFish) Tilapia farmers are trying to push prices higher, but demand is soft, said China and Thailand-based executives from Siam Canadian Group.
Supply from China, the world’s largest producer of tilapia, is normal, said Landy Chow, managing director of the Bangkok, Thailand-based frozen seafood supplier’s China division.
“The price level is around CNY 8 (€0.98/$1.3) per kilogram, which was up from CNY 7.60 (€0.93/$1.2) per kilogram from early January 2012,” he told IntraFish.
“The farmers are trying to push the price up but demand is soft,” said Chow.
“I think the price will range from CNY 7.60 (€0.93/$1.2) per kilogram to CNY 8.20 (€1/$1.3) per kilogram in the coming months.”
Supply from Thailand is also good, said Siam Canadian’s international trade division manager, Chaipat Kunapiwatkul.
“The landing of tilapia in Thailand over the first five months in 2012 is expected to be good since warm weather is favorable to culturing the fish.”
Prices are unlikely to go too high, because of the slow demand, he told IntraFish.
“However, the price may go up during June to September, which is the raining season,” said Kunapiwatkul.
"The rain obstructs fish farmers from getting to ponds, so supply is expected to come down and the price should move up as a result.”