Grieg begins new sales era with Scots and Canadian fish
Grieg Seafood has begun selling its Scottish and Canadian salmon through its new, fully integrated sales and market organisation, it has announced.
The fish was previously sold through Ocean Quality, a joint venture with another Norwegian salmon farmer, Bremnes Seashore. The joint venture has now been dissolved.
“This is an exciting new part of Grieg Seafood’s growth journey. Until now, we have been a pure supplier of farmed salmon from Norway, Scotland and Canada,” said Grieg’s chief commercial officer Erik Holvik in a press release.
“Towards 2025, we will re-position Grieg Seafood in the value chain and become a partner for selected customers in our main markets. Our own, fully integrated sales and market organisation is the first step in this direction.”
Light in the tunnel
On January 1, Ocean Quality North America, Ocean Quality UK and Ocean Quality USA became a part of Grieg Seafood’s new sales organisation. All employees in these companies were transferred to Grieg Seafood and will supply customers under the Grieg Seafood name.
Grieg is continuing to build its own sales organisation for Norway, with sales of Norwegian fish estimated at the end of the first quarter. Until then, the sales company Sjór, previously the Norwegian arm of Ocean Quality, will sell Grieg Seafood’s salmon from Finnmark and Rogaland.
“While our markets and customers are still impacted by the pandemic, we are all starting to see the light in the end of the tunnel. We are optimistic about the future,” said Holvik, who emphasised the need to prepare for post pandemic times.
“Focus on health, sustainability, transparency and traceability among customers and consumers is stronger than ever. We look forward to work in closer partnerships with our customers towards a more sustainable food system.”
Scottish operation to be sold
Last year, Grieg announced its intention to sell its Scottish operation so that it could concentrate its resources in Norway and Canada, which it feels have greater potential.
Most of Grieg’s Scottish farms are in Shetland. It also has five on the north west of Skye which are being closed following a strategic review. Three have already ceased operation following a mass mortality event in the summer, and the other two will shut when their current crops of fish are harvested.
The decision to sell the Scottish operation came before a decision by the Canadian government to close 19 salmon farms in the Discovery Islands in British Columbia, a decision which the BC Salmon Farmers’ Association has warned puts the industry at risk throughout Canada.
