New Zealand seafood giant Sanford is seeing signs of recovery early in 2022 but is readying for operational challenges with the arrival of the omicron COVID-19 variant in the island nation.

First quarter sales volume for the fishing and aquaculture company was up 11 percent from the first quarter of 2021. The company's farmed salmon operations led the way with a 47 percent hike thanks to strong demand in key markets, enabling Sanford to clear its remaining frozen inventory that had built during lockdowns.