Seafood prices are forecast to turn upward in Japan in 2011, reflecting expanding demand overseas; other commodities are also foreseen to remain firm

Analysts foresee that seafood prices in Japan will most likely show an upward trend during 2011, reflecting rising international prices.

They say that price rise will be most visible for commodities, such as salmon, for which the proportion of Japan’s importation is high.

A trading house official predicted that shrimp prices will also firm during the year, propped by expanding demand in the United States and Europe.

However, experts see that sales of fresh fish like horse mackerel and tunas will not grow so smoothly because of slumping consumption under the protracted recessionary economy.
In the meanwhile, analysts agree that many of fresh food commodities will see an uptrend due, among others, to unstable weather and enlarging demand overseas. They also point out that consumers in Japan are gradually shifting away from excessively thrifty buying attitude.