KEY POINTS:
A leap in December salmon sales in this country by the New Zealand King Salmon Co could point to a change in New Zealanders' Christmas eating habits.
The company yesterday said its New Zealand sales last month were 30 per cent ahead of December 2007, with prices up only slightly.
Last month it sold 425 tonnes of fish in this country, while about 200 tonnes were exported.
Chief executive Paul Steere said the result was outstanding and built on momentum that had developed in the past two to three years.
Along with the effort by its sales team, the company was gaining from salmon's health benefits.
The price of red meat was also rising and New Zealanders could be changing their Christmas eating habits, Steere said.
With New Zealand having Christmas in summer, salmon did not leave people feeling as bloated as some traditional Christmas foods did.
Salmon was also easy to cook on the barbecue, which was not the case with turkey.
The company operates five farms in the Marlborough Sounds. It said that for all of 2008 sales rose 13 per cent to just under $80 million although volume was up just 1 per cent.
A long-term contract for value added items in North America, specified salmon for Europe, and continued growth of speciality products in this country saw revenues per harvest better than ever, the company said.
Sales to Canada more than doubled, and United States sales were up 30 per cent. Japanese sales were down slightly, while growth was weaker in Australia as Tasmanian production surged.
- NZPA
