On the occasion of the celebration of Holy Week, fish becomes the favorite food of most Colombians during these traditional Catholic dates. In fact, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, consumption of seafood products increases between 20% and 50% these days, while its price increases by about 40%.
According to the portfolio, during the Major Week the species that are most commercialized in Colombia are: mojarra, catfish, cachama, salmon fillet, snapper, beaked, trout and dried fish. According to figures from the Corporación de Abastos de Bogotá b(Corabastos), during this season, specifically in the center of the country, the sale of fishery products ranges between 200 and 400 tons per day.
Regarding the price, the Deputy Minister of Agricultural Affairs, Juan Gonzalo Botero, in a dialogue with RCN Radio, indicated that, during the Major Week and until about June, there would be an increase in the costs of fish, especially those that are farmed.
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To give concrete evidence of the increase in the price of fish, the newspaper La República compared the costs per kilogram of seafood from Corabastos a year ago and those offered during this season.
According to the analysis of the media, frozen salmon fillet went from being sold to $33,667 during the first week of April 2021 to $47,500 in 2022, thus becoming one of the most expensive fish products, registering a 41% increase in its price.
Likewise, La República reported that tilapia went from being sold to $14,333 the previous year to $19,125 during this Major Week.
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But the increase in fish prices has not been only in the center of the country. According to figures from the Agricultural Price and Supply Information System (Sipsa), compiled by El Espectador, species such as red tilapia went from being sold in Bucaramanga at $10,765 in March to $11,445 so far in April.
The frozen whole striped catfish also reported an increase between March and April according to Sipsa, since in Cali it went from $25,667 to $26,000, while, in Bogotá, it went from being sold to $16,533 to $19,600.
As for tuna, Corabastos' figures delivered to La República indicated that, by 2021, the species was selling for $23,056 and now consumers will find it at $26,541. The same happened with the sardine, which went from $11,807 to $13,719.
According to the Government and analysts consulted by the same newspaper, the increase in seafood will continue as long as congestion in the global logistics chain, inflation in Colombia, and the conflict between Russia and Ukraine continue. “Prices have not accompanied the increase in raw materials for food production, so it is a good time for the sector, to try to recover, but it is momentary,” the executive director of the Colombian Aquaculturists Federation, César Pinzón, assured La República.
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