Fish price rise to continue?

Press, 9 March 1982, Page 4

Fish price rise to continue?

Wellington reporter The present strong upward movement in fish prices could continue for some time yet, according to the economics and marketing manager of the Fishing Industries Board (Mr R. O. Armitage). He said thre seemed to be a cyclical pattern of four to six years for fish. prices, comprising a period of stagnation followed by one of comparatively rapid rises. New Zealand export prices were very much related to trends in world prices and, although more erratic . and more subject to individual variation, closely followed the general indicators of world fish prices. Over the 14-year period 1968-82 the real prick increase, taking inflation into account, had not been great but had still been significant,

Mr Armitage said. It was probably not much-different from prices for>other primary products. New Zealand now seemed to be experiencing a moderate upswing in fish, prices which, on the basis of trends over the 14 years, could last until 1983, being followed by two years of stagnation. But many factors could change this tidy, if simplistic analysis — the state of the world economy and-the , recession among the main trading nations, trends in international .demand, exchange rates, the price for alternative foods, and the cost of fishing industry, functions.

But by 1983-84, the R.A.O. had predicted the gap in supply and demand now developing would start to) put upwards pressure on prices.