Average first wholesale prices for canned salmon in the September – December 2005 period showed improvement over the same period in 2004.
Average case price for 48-half canned sockeye rose to $62.17, a significant improvement from $56.24 in the same period of 2004. Sales volume for the period was down somewhat, but still within 10 percent of the previous two years’ average. Total sales volume of canned sockeye in 2005 was 1.2 million 48-tall case equivalent, slightly below the five-year high of 1.3 million cases in 2002.
Average price for 48-tall canned pink in Sep-Dec 2005 was $41.45, up from $38.74 in Sep-Dec 2004. The average 48-tall price remained in the $40-$41 range throughout 2005, the first time since 2001 that 48-tall case price has been above $39.
Sales volume of canned pink in 2005 was 2.93 million 48-tall case equivalent, down for the third consecutive year from the high point of 3.5 million cases in 2002. Despite the downward sales volume trend, general health of the canned pink market seems to have improved.
- Average case price has increased steadily from the low point of $34 in Sep-Dec 2003 to $41 in Sep-Dec 2005.
- The chronic canned pink surplus that has kept prices low for several years is improving. September carryover is down from the high point of 1.28 million 48-tall case equivalent in 2002, to 556,000 cases in 2005.
- While 2005 sales volume is indeed down from the peak of 2002, it remains within 8 percent of the five-year average (3.2 million cases).
