Russian pollock fillets are gradually displacing Chinese products in the domestic Russian market, according to Russia’s Pollock Catchers Association (PCA), which says imports of pollock fillets from China have fallen almost threefold over the last few years.

In 2019, Russia imported 5,000 metric tons of pollock fillets from China, 2.5 times less than in 2013, the PCA said.

This trend continued in the first half of 2020, with Chinese product accounting for around 2,000 metric tons, while Russian fillets increased by 1.3 times to 17,000 metric tons.This is no easy task, considering prices for Chinese pollock fillets run between RUB 130 (€1.40/$1.70) and RUB 140 (€1.50/$1.80) per kilogram, while prices for Russian frozen-at-sea pollock fillets sell at around RUB 205 (€2.30/$2.70) per kilogram, according to PCA President Alexey Buglak.

But it could be that improving quality is elevating Russian product, Ilya Bereznuk, managing partner of the consulting agency Agro & Food Communications, told IntraFish.

The Russian seafood industry has been actively investing in updating its fishing fleet and onshore processing facilities, which has allowed renovated vessels and new plants to be equipped with more modern freezing equipment and processing lines.

Russia launched two large pollock processing plants in 2019, with one more planned for commission this autumn and two more in the near future. Eleven new pollock vessels are also under construction.

“In addition, Russian frozen-at-sea pollock is considered to be of higher quality, since Chinese producers can use various tricks to reduce the cost of production - for example, to increase the layer of glaze on the fish," said Bereznuk.

As such, Buglak expects Russia’s annual overall production of value-added pollock -- mainly fillets and mince -- to increased up to 200,000 to 230,000 metric tons over the next five years from the current 70,000 metric tons.

According to the PCA, in the first half of 2020, Russia's overall pollock landings in the domestic market jumped 32 percent from this time last year to the record-high level of 120,000 metric tons over the last five years.

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Why domestic product is forcing China out of the Russian pollock fillet market