French salmon and trout producer AMP Saumon de France has postponed international project plans in the wake of the coronavirus health crisis.
Projects in Singapore and Shanghai have been mothballed, in addition to a trial stage aquaponic farm in Switzerland.
This has left the company to focus on its salmon and trout business in Normandy and its other existing French businesses with the company's administrative staff working remotely.
"We lost practically 30 percent of our turnover related to the catering sector, with the shutdown of restaurants, wholesalers and companies like Metro," Pascal Goumain said in an interview posted on his Linkedin page.
The company succeeded in shifting lost volumes to smokers and processors, as well as national retailers, which have been promoting French produced aquaculture and seafood in the absence of imports.
But it couldn't prevent the closure of its two stores in Cherbourg and Asnieres-sur-Seine, leading direct-to-consumer sales to dry up.
On the upside the company has seen an "explosion" in online sales bolstered by business to consumer (B to C) sales and helped by a promotional campaign to buy French products.
"We've had practically the same volumes of turnover in e-commerce as what we usually had in stores," Goumain said.
This has been helped by consumers looking for healthy, locally produced products.
"Manufacturers and distributors should adapt to this demand, sourcing and producers are essential," he later told IntraFish.
French aquaculture producers are being helped by the European Union's Maritime and Fisheries Fund.
Ambitious strategy
AMP Saumon de France, led by businessman Pascal Goumain, operates France's largest sea-based farm with an annual 3,000 metric tons salmon and trout producing capacity off the coast of Cherbourg in the north of the country.
It operates six salmon farms in Normandy capable of producing 1,200 metric tons annually.
The company run by Aquaponic Management Project Group (AMP) is rolling out a slew of aquaponic projects across France with around around 50 similar projects in the pipeline.
Its first much smaller aquaculture project in Paris lies in the heart of the 18th arrondissement, renowned for the Sacre Coeur basilica and Moulin Rouge cabaret. The company is building an on-site shop, in addition to educational and events spaces.
AMP Saumon de France is backed by the financial muscle of international body, face and fragrance products company L'Occitane, which has some 1,500 stores in 90 countries.
In January the company said it expects to open Europe's largest aquaponic farm in 2022 with around €12 million ($13.4 million) being plowed into the project.
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