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August Supermarket Sales Figures: Seafood Suffers 0.8% Loss
September 30, 2008
The National Association of Supermarkets reported the August sales figures from 3,656 existing stores belonging to 60 member companies. Overall sales increased 0.4 percent, technically remaining unchanged from the prior year; food sales rose 1.6 percent, showing a steady increase. Sales of daily necessities and clothing both registered year-on-year losses. Consequently, food sales pulled overall sales forward.
High temperatures in early August boosted sales; conversely, the unstable weather, lower temperatures, and a deluge of rain at the peak rush hour times of the rest of August resulted in decreased sales of summer merchandise. Watching the Beijing Olympic games on TV was a contributing factor of sales increases in beverages and deli products. The decreased number of nighttime customers ended up in some stores’ struggle.
Seafood sales dropped 0.8 percent; the higher tuna market prices prevented price appeal. Abundant arrival of seasonal bonito, fresh saury, and chum salmon moved favorably.
Temporary recovery of unagi sales after the deceitful labeling scandal was hampered by the soaring market prices.
Original article was published on September 30, 2008; translated by Kiyo Hayasaka
August Seafood Import Volume Declines 10% to 216,400 Tons
Tremendous decreases in tuna and Pollack surimi
September 30, 2008
The preliminary August seafood import volume figures summarized by the Japan Fish Traders Association reported a significant plunge of 10.9 percent, amounting to 216,403 tons.
Despite the average unit price being \575, up 3.6 percent, the total value dropped 7.8 percent to \124.5 billion. Big-eyed tuna, yellowfin tuna, and pollack surimi displayed a remarkable decline and other main commodities, such as bonito, squid, crab, and octopus, slumped across the board. In tuna species, big-eyed tuna showed an outstanding decline of 46.2 percent to 4,300 tons; yellowfin tuna fell sharply by 40.7 percent, totaling 3,500 tons.
Bonito slumped 30.1 percent (2,700 tons) and its unit price went up by 30 percent. Pollack surimi overall plummeted 35.4 percent, resulting in 8,240 tons, of which American pollack amounted to 7,440 tons with a 38.6 percent decline, marking a 70 percent increase in the unit price (\442/kg) compared to the same time last year.
Additionally, frozen shrimp dropped 7.3 percent; Pacific Ocean perch plunged 27.4 percent; squid fell 16.4 percent; crab slumped 17.4 percent; octopus decreased 15.5 percent; and fishmeal declined 14.3 percent. Conversely, sardine indicated a significant increase of 167.2 percent; flounder species rose 71.2 percent; horse mackerel grew 41.2 percent; and mackerel showed a massive increase of 180.7 percent.
Salmon and trout as a whole stayed unchanged from the prior year. Sockeye salmon dropped 24.7 percent to 10,360 tons; Russian salmon was 5,700 tons with a 29 percent decline; and American salmon decreased 18.5 percent to 4,600 tons.
Original article was published on September 30, 2008; translated by Kiyo Hayasaka
January thru August Surimi Import Volume: American Pollack Surimi Drops 33% to 41,300 Tons
September 30, 2008
According to the customs statistics by the Ministry of Finance, the cumulated import volume of American Pollack surimi up to August declined 33.1 percent, amounting to 41,256 tons with the average unit price of \420/kg.
Golden threadfin bream surimi was 40,422 tons with a 3.7 percent increase. Its unit price marked \389 with a 68.7 percent rise. The import volume of golden threadfin bream surimi from Thailand and India, the main producers, declined 10 to 20 percent with an 80 percent increase in the unit price. The growing import volume of surimi from Vietnam and Indonesia indicated a 60 to 70 percent rise in the unit price.
January thru August Surimi Import Amount by Country
The Customs Statistics by the Ministry of Finance| Exporter | Quantity
(by ton) | Year-to-Year
Basis | Unit Price
(yen/kg) | Year-to-Year
Basis |
| United States | 41,256 | 66.9% | 420 | 162.7% |
| United States | 3,858 | 147.4% | 447 | 189.4% |
| Total | 40,422 | 103.7% | 389 | 168.7% |
| Thailand | 16,668 | 87.9% | 421 | 175.4% |
| India | 14,174 | 91.0% | 405 | 176.3% |
| Vietnam | 6,581 | 290.2% | 303 | 166.6% |
| Indonesia | 2,024 | 235.8% | 353 | 158.7% |
| Myanmar | 523 | 56.9% | 251 | 125.9% |
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