The acquisition of Chilean coho farmer Ice Val by Blumar Thursday fits perfectly in line with BluGlacier’s plans to make the product more available for its clients in the US market.

BlueGlacier -- the 50/50 joint venture (JV) set up between Blumar and Ventisqueros through which they sell all their salmon going into the United States – is already seeing a “very high” acceptance of farmed coho in the US market.

The company sells Ventisqueros’ premium coho line Silverside in the United States, but the short harvest season of the species has proven a limiting factor on the potential to grow the market.

“The availability is only three to four months a year, this is the main limitation, but the acceptance of the product has been great,” Sebastian Goycoolea, CEO of BluGlacier, told IntraFish in a recent visit to the company’s office in Miami.

“We are looking for ways to expand the supply of coho.”

The company also has contracts for frozen coho with foodservice channels, and plans to grow this side of the business since it allows for a stable supply all year round.

BluGlacier’s sales are based on the volumes produced by Blumar and Ventisqueros.

In 2018, the company sold around 27,000 metric tons of finished product in the United States of which 70 percent was fresh, mainly Atlantic salmon, and 30 percent was frozen.

BluGlacier has distribution in Miami and Los Angeles, and has sellers in Portland, Maine and Seattle.

Blumar announced Jan. 24 it is acquiring coho producer Ice Val for $51 million (€45.1 million).

Ice Val produced 7,000 metric tons of coho in the past two years and has five concessions and three farms in Aysen.