This year we can still get Christmas fish at last year’s price

Dr. István Németh, president of the Hungarian Aquaculture and Fisheries Professional Association (Mahal), told Agroinform.hu that the price of live carp will be between 1,800-2,200 forints per kilogram, while sliced ​​carp will cost between 3,500-4,000 forints. Traders will ask for around 4,000 forints for a fillet of African catfish, while the price of a kilo of filleted gray catfish may range between 8,000-9,000 forints this season.

According to the expert, despite the dry summer and slower-than-average body weight gain due to the heat, the supply of carp, catfish and bream, which account for about 80 percent of domestic fish production, will more than cover domestic demand during the Christmas season, and in addition to the domestic market, it will also be exported. The fishing will be continuous in the coming weeks, so it is not worth waiting until the last days, as Christmas fish can be purchased from the first days of December – a few weeks of freezing will not cause a deterioration in the quality of the fish.

Although it is increasing slowly, per capita fish consumption is still very low in international comparison, at 6.5-7 kilograms, compared to the European Union’s annual average of 22 kilograms. The situation for producers is also made more difficult by the fact that more than a third of the subdued domestic consumption is concentrated at the very end of the year. However, the Mahal president is optimistic about long-term trends, as the younger generation is much more open to consuming fish mid-year, even regularly.