Visitas: 6
Aquaculture Magazine reports:
Over the past two years, Proximar Seafood has prepared for the company’s first harvest– and the first harvest ever in Japan of domestically produced- Atlantic salmon from its salmon facility at the foot of Mount Fuji in Japan. The completion of the first commercial harvest is marking an operational and commercial pivotal milestone, they assured.
“Proximar is the only supplier of domestically produced Atlantic salmon in Japan, years ahead of competition. We have since October 2022 proven great production capabilities and fish growth, and I am now immensely proud to see all the hard work from our excellent team being commercially validated through the first harvest,” says Joachim Nielsen, CEO of Proximar Seafood.
100% superior quality
The harvested salmon averaged ~4 kg HOG with 100% superior quality, and Proximar confirms that the price achievement aligns with the company’s expectations of premium prices compared to the import price to Japan of Norwegian Atlantic salmon.
“Our Atlantic salmon shows high quality and based on the feedback from our partners and others, I am confident that we are providing Japanese consumers with a longed-for local product with unparalleled freshness.” he says.
The harvested fish will be shipped to customers in the Greater Tokyo region. This was a trial harvest of approximately 1.2 tons, to confirm that all equipment and processes work smoothly. Proximar plans to initiate daily harvesting in late October.
New brand and logo
In parallel with the first harvest, Proximar is releasing its brand name and logo – Fuji Atlantic Salmon. This trademark will be used to build Proximar’s brand in Japan and Asia, positioning the company as the market leader of Japanese produced Atlantic salmon to the Asian consumers.
“Mount Fuji is an iconic landmark in Japan, and the area is known for high quality water resources. The location of Proximar at the foot of Mount Fuji is believed to have a positive value in terms of marketing and branding, not only in Japan but also in the entire Asian region.”, Nielsen says.
Ramping up sales efforts
Proximar has a 10-year sales and distribution agreement with Marubeni. Already in June, Marubeni reached the first sales agreement with a customer specializing in seafood. The targeted long-term harvest level for Proximar is 5,300 tons (HOG) per year in Phase 1, with a gradual ramp-up from the first harvest. Expected harvest volumes for 2024 and 2025 combined are ~4,700 tons (HOG).
With extensive press coverage across national TV, the web, and newspapers, the interest in Proximar has increased in Japan over the past few weeks. The focus has mainly been on telling the story of Proximar‘s operational model and how they were getting ready to supply the Japanese market with locally farmed Atlantic salmon.
The Vice Minister of MAFF visits the company’s facilities
In another order of things, Proximar welcomed Takemura, Vice Minister from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) to their facility in Japan. There he was guided through their state of heart facility, and was also served fresh Atlantic salmon made at the foot of Mount Fuji.
As he also participated in the visit, Joachim Nielsen, CEO of Proximar Seafood, said: “Proximar is very encouraged and grateful for the support from MAFF during our years of our presence in Japan. It was therefore with great excitement that we could welcome Vice Minister Takemura from MAFF today and show the facility, our fish and serve the freshest Atlantic salmon available in Japan. We continue to see a strong interest for Proximar in Japan, and are looking forward to our first harvest taking place on 30 of September.”
