ITALY
Cromaris is a major player on the Italian market for seabass and seabream
Looking to expand to southern Italy A Croatian producer of seabass and seabream has used a high quality product and good service to create a reputation on the Italian market.
I
taly is the biggest market in the EU for seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax) and seabream (Sparus aurata). Domestic production of the two species is relatively modest at about 12,000 tonnes, a number that has remained stable for several years. To meet demand therefore Italy imports large quantities of these two species. Since 2010 Italian imports of seabream have increased by 15 to almost 26,000 tonnes in 2014, while seabass imports increased by 4 to 22.5 thousand tonnes over the same period, according to data from Ismea. Among the countries exporting seabass and seabream to Italy is Croatia, where the biggest producer is Cromaris.
Twenty-four hours from cages to Italy Croatia has a geographical advantage over other major European exporters of seabass and seabream such as Greece and Turkey. Fish from Croatia can be delivered to customers in Italy 24 hours after being harvested, a significant benefit when the product is as delicate as fresh fish. Cromaris has its farms in the central and northern part of the Adriatic and harvests, processes and ships its fish directly to the customer every day. However, the freshness of the product and the speed of delivery are only part of the formula. Another ingredient, says 54
Eurofish Magazine 2 / 2016
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Davide Furlan, who is responsible for Cromaris Italy, is that the company makes no demands for a minimum delivery. A customer does not have to order a truck of fish or even a pallet. We will deliver even a single box if that is what the customer orders, says Mr Furlan. Freshness and quality are key attributes in any food-related business and even more so when it comes to sensitive perishables like fish on ice. The Italian market is also highly demanding; customers are used to buying very fresh fish, which they recognise and appreciate. At Cromaris the whole production and delivery process is geared to meet these stringent market requirements. The company is fully integrated with its own hatchery and broodstock; production both on the farm and in the processing plant is certified to multiple standards including HACCP, ISO, IFS, Global G.A.P., and Kosher; and for its distribution the company uses its own trucks as well as those of partners. The logistics are planned so that the fish leaves the farm in the evening and early the next morning is delivering all along the Italy’s eastern seaboard – Trieste, Venice, Chioggia, Porto Viro, Goro, where all the biggest seafood companies are located. For the moment the company supplies the northern and the central parts of the country up to Ancona in the east and Rome in the west. The south, says
Davide Furlan, General Manager of Cromaris Italy
Davide Furlan, calls for another employee.
Using television to target end consumers In anticipation of greater sales Cromaris is ramping up production currently at 6,500 tonnes to 10,000 tonnes in 2018. While a large fraction of this comes to Italy, the company also has other markets in Europe including in Germany, France, Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Albania. As the most important market Italy has been the focus of marketing campaigns on television, the next one of which will
be going live shortly. While a previous promotion effort focused more on creating awareness, the new one is directly consumer focused and will explain why Cromaris’ fish differs from the alternatives, why it is more expensive, and why customers should look for it despite the higher price. This type of exercise is relatively unknown for this kind of product (fresh fish) and the company went to great lengths with marketing experts, psychologists, and focus groups to tailor the right message. AS far as I know only the Norwegian Seafood Council has done something similar, says Mr Furlan, but that is generic www.eurofishmagazine.com
05/04/16 11:14 AM