The first wholesale price for salmon gives the best indicator of how well it should sell in world markets. And prices in 2011 show nice increases so far, nearly across the board.
In its annual salmon price report (ASPR) the state Revenue Department/Tax Division provides average wholesale prices for salmon as it sells throughout the year. The report is broken down by Alaska region and covers six product forms: canned, fresh/frozen whole, fresh/frozen fillets and roe. The reports are compiled from prices submitted by processors that sold at least 1 million pounds at wholesale. The ASPR covering sales from January through April show that prices were up substantially in almost every salmon category.
By far, most of Alaska's salmon pack goes out as H&G frozen, and chinook averaged $4.12 a pound, compared to $3.31 last year. Frozen sockeye averaged $3, an increase of 17 cents per pound. For chums, an average of $1.78 is an increase of 41 cents. No frozen pink sales were listed through April; in 2010 the pink average was 91 cents a pound. The only decrease in frozen H&G salmon was coho salmon, which averaged $2.37, down from $2.49 during the same time in 2010.
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