Argentina looks to China to cover low European demand

A giant Argentinean presence at the ongoing Asia Seafood Exposition in Hong Kong is a signal of the country’s intent to expand sales in China, according to Nadia Venticinque, an official at Proargex, an export promotions body attached to the country’s agricultural ministry.

A record eight Argentine firms — among them key players like Conarpesa Continental Armadores de Pesca SA and Puelchana Patagonia SA — are keen to sign up mainland Chinese importers at the ongoing trade show in Hong Kong in order to account for weaker EU sales, explained Venticinque.

“It’s not that the Europeans aren’t buying, it’s that they’re buying in smaller quantities and we don’t want to get stuck with lots of product which we can’t sell,” said Venticinque.

Argentina is expecting a bumper wild catch in 2013, she added.

Prawn, king crab, squid and trout are all on the Argentine sales list in Hong Kong. Argentine firms are also keen to find Chinese buyers for oysters. As a follow-up on its presence at ASE this week, the Argentinean trade promotion agency will have a 72 square meter pavilion at this November’s seafood fair in Dalian.

“That’s compared to 18 square meters last year,” said Venticinque, who will accompany a dozen Argentine firms to Dalian.

While only a minor supplier of seafood in China, Buenos Aires has scored notable successes in lifting its agricultural exports to China, overcoming Chinese concerns over genetically modified crops to become a key supplier of surging Chinese demand for corn and soybeans. The experience of negotiating with Beijing will likely help in opening doors for seafood shipments, given China’s bureaucratic quarantine and sanitary regimes. Argentina is hoping to also build sales in Korean and Singapore, said Venticinque.

“We have to find alternatives as the buying power isn’t there in Europe right now,” she said.

Argentina’s fish and shellfish exports dropped in 2012 by 13 percent to 368,915 metric tons — USD 1.18 billion (EUR 895.6 million) in value (down 13.3 percent year-on-year) — according to statistics from the National Service of Health and Agrifood Quality (SENASA). The drop has been blamed on weaker demand in top markets Spain and Brazil.

Squid landings doubled

Between 1 January and 30 August, Argentinean maritime ports received a total of 558,387.5 tonnes of fishing resources, a figure that shows a rise of 5.4 per cent over the amount accumulated in the same period of 2012, when 445,042.7 tonnes had been landed.

Out of the total landings this year, 319,683.8 tonnes were fish, 188,942.1 tonnes were molluscs and 49,761.6 tonnes were crustaceans, according to statistics from the Undersecretariat of Fisheries and Aquaculture under the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries (Minagri).

The bulkiest catches were those of squid (Illex argentinus), which totalled 184,740.5 tonnes through 30 August, 2013, representing 96.9 per cent more than those tonnes unloaded in the same period last year (93,806.6 tonnes).

In second place was the hake (Merluccius hubbsi), with 172,791.3 tonnes, representing an increase of 19.1 per cent when compared with 144,987.9 tonnes unloaded until 30 August, 2012.

Also 12,446.4 tonnes of trout (Cynoscion striatus), 3,620.1 tonnes of Patagonian flounder (Paralichthys patagonicus), 3,557.5 tonnes of red snapper (Pagrus pagrus), 3,154.2 tonnes of shark (Mustelus schmitti) and 2,200.6 tonnes of Patagonian toothfish (Salilota australis) were landed.

On the side of the shellfish, 4,096.1 tonnes of scallops (Zygochlamys patagonica) were landed.

And as to crustaceans, 47,143 tonnes of shrimp (Pleoticus muelleri) were unloaded until 30 August, 2013, that is to say, 1.3 per cent more than in the same period of 2012 (46,536.9 tonnes).

Mar del Plata (Buenos Aires) continued maintaining its leadership in the domestic fisheries, as it received 288,233.1 tonnes of fishing resources in its docks.

Puerto Deseado (Santa Cruz) was second with 87,241.6 tonnes. It was followed by Puerto Madryn (Chubut), with 80,143.7 tonnes; Ushuaia (Tierra del Fuego), with 31,755.2 tonnes; and Caleta Olivia/Paula (Santa Cruz), with 26,797.5 tonnes, among other port terminals.

According to the Department, between 1 January and 30 August, 2013 the fleet recording the highest level of catches was that of the national jiggers, with 156,583.8 tonnes.

Behind it fresh fish vessels were located, with 135,137.8 tonnes; trawlers, with 113,229.9 tonnes and coastal vessels, with 64,839.2 tonnes, among other vessels.