The Chilean mussel industry is poised to take over Galicia's market share in Europe. (Photo: AMICHILE)

Chilean mussels gain ground in European market

CHILE
Wednesday, November 04, 2009, 01:20 (GMT + 9)

The Chilean mussel industry trusts that it can strengthen its position in the European market, given the weakness of the Galician mussel sector.

According to data furnished by ProChile – a development programme for Chilean exports dependent on the Ministry of Foreign Relations – the crisis that grips the Galician mussel sector today has generated a growth opportunity for the Chilean exporting sector.

The situation of Galician mussel producers has led Spanish exports to minimal profitability, and what is allocated to the processing industry has the same prices as those registered in 2001.

“To this we added that mussel production in other countries has grown significantly and space has been opened up in traditional Galician mussel markets,” indicate ProChile authorities.

“The Chilean mussel has supplanted the Galician mussel in the European frozen product markets, presenting an occasion for the consolidation of our product in Spain,” it added.

Meanwhile, there are very few canned products of this bivalve in the French market, where households are not yet very acquianted with the product, ProChile indicates.

The French consumer consumes mussels and ready-to-eat mussels, already conserved in glass bottles, whereas the canned ones are shipped to Spain, under the name 'tapas.'

Meanwhile data furnished by the National Fisheries Service (SERNAPESCA) indicates that 137,000 tonnes of mussels had been harvested, 14.4 per cent less than the accumulated volume of 160,000 tonnes in the same period of 2008.

The mussel harvest is almost entirely produced by Region X, that is, 99.9 per cent.

Some 2,613.8 tonnes of mussels were exported in August at a FOB value of more than USD 6.5 million, whereas 4,478.2 tonnes worth USD 13.5 million was sold overseas in the same month last year, Chile Customs disclosed.

The councillor of Marine Affairs of the Xunta de Galicia, Rosa Quintana, said that she is in talks with the Galician Institute of Economic Promotion (IGAPE) to prioritise the concession of credits subsidised to those canners that package Galician mussel, La Voz de Galicia reports.

Related article and information:

- Seafood landings decline
- CRAB/SHELLFISH MARKET REPORT, 13 October

By Analia Murias
editorial@fis.com
www.fis.com