European market tilapia purchase intentions rise, retailers focus on supply chain stability

Since the Ukrainian war, global cod prices have risen sharply, and supply chain uncertainty has increased day by day. The European market has begun to look for alternatives to wild whitefish, and farmed tilapia has entered the field of retailers.

Alois Hofbauer, one of the international tilapia suppliers told UCN: "Customers are knocking on the door to talk to us about the tilapia market, which has never been seen in Europe before."

On the market side, European buyers also have special requirements for product sustainability and animal welfare. For example, Alois Hofbauer team has launched a more user-friendly corona device, opening the door to the UK and German markets.

"All markets in Europe are opening up because of geopolitical factors, and the market's interest in tilapia started even before the Russian-Ukrainian war." Hofbauer said that the rise in European purchase intentions for tilapia is related to the challenges faced by the cod supply chain problem. The raw materials of cod from Norway and Russia are shipped to Chinese processing plants, and then sold to Europe and the United States. They must pass a series of strict inspection and quarantine, resulting in a substantial increase in costs; at the same time, the pressure on freight costs has existed for a long time. To the United States, the cost can be as high as $25,000.

Tilapia is suitable for many recipes, its edible functional diversity and its excellent response in the US market have laid the foundation for its European market appeal.

Hofbauer said Frozen tilapia is also available in UK Costco, WM Morrison and J Sainsbury stores, and some major German retailers have also expressed interest in buying.