Buyers: No relief on the horizon from surging tilapia prices

As the Lent season nears its end, retailers, foodservice providers and restaurants may be left with a higher tab when ordering frozen tilapia, US importers told IntraFish.

Lower supply stock from China, which accounts for approximately 92 percent of all frozen tilapia imports into the United States, the rising cost of raw materials, and buyers avoidance of price adjustments during that time, have all led to increased prices.

Since 2012, the price of tilapia from the farm to the processors has increased 38 percent from $1,481 (€1,079) per metric ton to $2,044 (€1,489) per metric ton today, according to Charles Trager, director of purchasing at Beaver Street Fisheries.

Frozen