14
Weathering the pandemic Aquafeed.com staff
COVID-19 is affecting us all. As part of the global food supply chain, the aquafeed industry has not escaped the impacts of these unprecedented times. Patrick Charlton, CEO of Alltech Coppens, summed up the situation: “As with all food sectors, the impact varies from region to region and country to country. Markets primarily dependent on export have been the first to see declines in demand and are responding accordingly. Producers are adapting by managing their stocks to prevent an oversupply,” he told Aquafeed.com. “Many of the fish species farmed globally are dependent on demand from the restaurant and catering trade, and the effective closure of these markets during lockdown is going to impact demand at the local level.” “We see that aquaculture is highly affected in all high-value export species, such as salmon, shrimp and marine fish,” Peter Coutteau, Business Unit Director
Aquaculture at Adisseo confirmed. “Dominant markets for these items are in lockdown. Restaurants, tourism, reduced access to supermarkets … it all minimizes the consumption of high-value seafood. Locally, mostly freshwater fish production is less affected, similar to the poultry sector, since it continues to be on the local menu.” “For our clients, business is not as bad as expected: big farmers have found new ways to sell their fish and the small ones are selling in short food supply chain since the French market is buying French now, a measure that has been very helpful,” French feed manufacturer, Le Gouessant Aquaculture said. “But it is really difficult for many small and medium fish farmers.” The company reported that it was doing its best to deliver on time to its customers, but the transportation and logistics could be complicated in Europe.
Aquafeed: Advances in Processing & Formulation Vol 12 Issue 2 2020
