IFFO points out positive trend in fish meal and fish oil production

The Marine Ingredients Organisation – IFFO highlights a positive trend in 2024 fish meal and fish oil production thanks to a successful first anchovy season in North Central Peru and China’s challenging conditions for feed ingredients in its latest market report.

IFFO points out positive trend in fish meal and fish oil productionThe Marine Ingredients Organisation – IFFO, an international trade organisation that represents the marine ingredients industry, such as fishmeal, fish oil and other related industries, has stated a positive trend in 2024 fish meal and fish oil production thanks to a successful first anchovy season in North Central Peru in its latest market report. In this report, IFFO’s analyses of cumulative fishmeal and fish oil outputs through May 2024 are provided.

The first 2024 anchovy season in Peru’s north-central fishing zone ended in June with more than 98% of the quota fulfilled. The marine ingredients industry sees this as a very positive sign for the fishing and feed sectors, considering that Peru accounts for around one-fifth of global fishmeal supply in an average year. A second fishing season will take place later in the year, based on independently set quotas taking into account the size of the biomass.

In Peru’s southern fishing zone, the season ended with slightly more than 10% of the first season’s quota landed. A new quota has been announced for the second season, beginning on 1st July 2024.

In the first five months of 2024, cumulative fishmeal production in the countries analysed in IFFO’s report (Peru, Chile, Denmark, Norway, Iceland, North Atlantic, USA, Spain and African countries) increased by 40% compared to the same period in 2023. The significant year-on-year increase of the Peruvian supply was the main factor behind such a positive trend, according to the report.

When it comes to fish oil, cumulative output through May 2024 was approximately 10.8% higher year-over-year, again driven by the increased supply from Peru. All other regions analysed in this report showed a decline in their supplies of fish oil in comparison to the first months of the year 2023.

CHINA’S CHALLENGING CONDITIONS FOR FEED INGREDIENTS
A nationwide fishing ban running from May to mid-September is preventing the usage of wild captures for the production of fishmeal and fish oil, while the use of frozen fish is currently minimal due to the high prices of the raw material.

According to the report, cumulative imports of marine ingredients are decreasing, confirming the challenging conditions prevailing in both the pig and aquaculture markets.

Aquafeed production in the first half of the year 2024 remains below the amount reported during the same period in 2023. Despite some recent improvements in the farm-gate prices for certain farmed species, the reduced aquaculture activity in the first five months of 2024 might further weaken the demand for feed ingredients in the next quarter when most of these species will enter the grow-out phase.

On the contrary, the pig sector appears to be entering an uptrend in a new farming cycle, as prices have been strong over the past months. Pig farmers however are still striving to cut costs as much as possible to maximize profits, given the significant losses experienced last year. As a result, consumption of feed ingredients might not increase for the remainder of 2024.

These data are based on statistics shared by IFFO’s membership, which accounts for 55% of global marine ingredients production.