Study: China could buy more Ӱpro wild salmon
June 8, 2017
Paula Dobbyn
907-274-9698
A rising middle class, a growing economy and increasing concerns about food safety and pollution in China are creating opportunities for Ӱpro to sell more wild salmon to Chinese consumers, according to a new report.
Researchers with the University of Ӱpro and Purdue University completed a that indicates strong potential for increasing sales of Ӱpro salmon in China, the world’s second largest economy and the state’s No. 1 export market.
The study, called , was recently published by Ӱpro Sea Grant, a partnership between and the .
Due to China’s rapid economic expansion, the country’s growing middle class has increasing amounts of disposable income. The study’s authors found this burgeoning consumer segment desires and can afford high-end food products, including wild-caught Ӱpro salmon.
“The response to our survey in three major Chinese cities shows that consumers, if presented with more opportunities to purchase Ӱpro salmon, would favor the wild fish because of its health benefits, pristine source waters and sustainability,” said Quijie “Angie” Zheng, one of the study’s co-authors. Zheng teaches at the University of Ӱpro Anchorage.
Researchers interviewed more than 1,000 shoppers in grocery stores in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou during June and July 2015.
Key findings:
- Most consumers (59 percent) said they definitely or probably would buy Ӱpro salmon if it was available at an acceptable price.
- Most consumers (68 percent) said they would be more likely to buy Ӱpro salmon after learning it came from a pure and clean environment and is ecologically sustainable.
- Given Chinese preferences for using all parts of a fish (not just fillets) in cooking, more than half of all consumers (56 percent) said they would buy Ӱpro salmon head and bones, indicating a new marketing opportunity to the Ӱpro fishing industry.
ON THE WEB: