Surimi production in Russia increased amid global decline in first half of year

Industry Expertise

October 10th, 2024

Global surimi production in the first half of 2024 decreased by 11% (to 384 thousand tons), according to the international analytical agency Expana, cited by Undercurrentnews.

Expana experts explain the overall reduction in surimi production by a decrease in the production of this product from the main types of raw materials - pollock and tropical fish, noting the opposite trends in production volumes depending on the region and types of fish from which it is produced (the main producers of pollock surimi are Russia and the USA, from tropical fish - the Asia-Pacific countries).

According to the Fishery Shipowners Association (FSA), Russian producers continue to significantly increase the production of pollock surimi - a high-quality type of surimi from wild white fish fillets. In the first half of 2024, its volumes exceeded 36 thousand tons, which is one and a half times higher than the same period last year.

International analysts, assessing the prospects for the development of the surimi market, note Russia's intention to further develop fish processing, creating serious competition for the United States in the pollock surimi market.

Surimi remains a highly sought-after product in the long term. Let us recall that this market is projected to grow by approximately 6% annually in the next decade, which is due to the growing popularity of surimi as a universal fish product related to healthy nutrition due to its high protein content and low calorie content.