EUMOFA released its latest price structure analysis Fresh gilthead seabream in the EU that analyzes fresh gilthead seabream production and market trends at EU level, focusing on the price structure along the supply chain in Spain, Germany and France.

Over the last decade, EU production of gilthead seabream slightly increased by 5%, principally due to the expansion of aquaculture, which supplies 97% of the total volume. Greece is by far the leading producer in the EU, accounting for 58% of EU production in 2019. 

The EU-27, along with Turkey, are the main producers of farmed gilthead seabream in the world. In 2019, they accounted for 40% and 34%, respectively, of global production. The total supply (production + imports) of gilthead seabream in the EU-27 (193,792 tons live weight equivalent (lwe)) was derived partly from EU production, accounting for almost half of supply, and half from imports. At the same time, exports represented 82,012 tons lwe, leading to apparent consumption of 111,780 tons lwe at the EU-27 level (production + imports – exports) in 2019. Apparent consumption was the highest in Italy, Spain, Portugal and France. 

The gilthead seabream supply chain varies between Spain, France and Germany. In Spain, the national market relies on both domestic farmed production and imports, whereas in France, domestic production is limited, so the market, especially the retail market, relies mostly on imports. In Germany, there is almost no domestic production, so the market depends exclusively on imported products.

 The main outcomes of the price structure analysis of the three member states surveyed are:

• The farm-gate price for whole fresh gilthead seabream (either ex-farm or import prices) ranges from €4.30/kg (import from Greece or Turkey) to €8.20/kg (ex-farm in France).
• The retail price (excl. VAT) ranges from €6.27/kg in Spain (for imported seabream) up to €14.70/kg in France for domestically farmed seabream.
• The raw material cost amounts to between 39% in Germany to 70% in Spain for imported seabream of the final price at the retail stage.