2024 Development status of the eel industry, supply and demand pattern, import and export market analysis
Eel, in a broad sense, is considered to be the general name of the fish of the genus Eel, and in a narrow sense, it is regarded as the general name of the genus Eel. With the in-depth development of international trade, the competitiveness of Chinese eel products in the international market will be further improved, and the export market is expected to further expand.
With the progress of science and technology, the breeding technology of eel will continue to improve. For example, the application of intelligent breeding system will improve breeding efficiency and yield, and reduce breeding costs. At the same time, the development of biotechnology will also bring more possibilities for eel breeding, such as improving the disease resistance and growth rate of eel through genetic improvement.
Eel, in a broad sense, is generally considered to be a common name for fish of the order eel, and in a narrow sense, it is considered to be a generic name for the fish of the genus Eel. Some fish, such as octopus eel, electric eel, yellow eel, etc., which look similar to eel and are easy to be mistaken, but are classified as evolutionaries that are completely independent of eel. The eel has male but no female, and its shadows are over the eel, and its sons are born attached to the eel fin, hence its name. Eel is distributed in China in the Yangtze River, Minjiang River, Pearl River Basin and Hainan Island. The main production areas are concentrated in Asia, followed by Europe, Africa and the Americas. Fierce, greedy, active, day and night, has the characteristics of strong phototaxis, likes flowing water, good warmth and cave dwelling. It has a strong ability to trace the water and can sneak into the hole. Eel seedlings in nature mainly feed on plankton crustaceans, and when they grow up, they mainly eat shrimps, crabs, aquatic insects, snails, dragonflies, earthworms, etc., and also prey on the debris of small fish and higher plants. Artificial pool feeding is mainly fed with artificial feed. Eel reproduces in seawater and grows in fresh water. Farmed grays can live up to 50 years.
Eel has medicinal value, sweet taste, flat nature, and has the effects of strengthening the spleen and toning the lungs, benefiting the kidney, dispelling wind and moisture. Eel is rich in protein, vitamin A, vitamin D, calcium, magnesium, selenium and other nutrients, with high nutritional value, and is known as "gold in water". The skin and flesh of eel are rich in collagen, which can nourish the skin and delay aging. In China and many parts of the world, it is regarded as a good product for nourishing and beauty, so it is called "edible cosmetics".
Development status of the eel industry and analysis of import and export markets
The total output of eel farming in the world has basically stabilized at about 200,000 tons in recent years. China's eel production scale ranks first in the world, and the total amount of breeding accounts for 80% of the world. After more than 40 years of development, China's eel industry has formed an export-oriented whole industrial chain integrating eel catching, eel breeding, eel breeding, feed production, processing and export of roasted eel and eel by-products, with an annual output value of more than 50 billion yuan. According to relevant data, China's eel production in 2022 is about 275,100 tons, mainly concentrated in Fujian, Jiangxi, Shandong, Zhejiang, Guangdong and other provinces.
With the increasing awareness and demand of domestic consumers for eels, domestic eel consumption has been increasing, accounting for more than 60% of the total production. In Beijing, Shanghai and other cities, grilled eel products are becoming more and more popular. They are no longer limited to Japanese restaurants, and the number of shops specializing in freshly grilled eel rice is also gradually increasing. Japan is a major consumer of eel and a major exporter of Chinese eel. Around the Eel Festival in Japan in July every year, Japan's import demand increases, driving up the export price of Chinese eel. According to the data, all the grilled eels imported from the Japanese market in June 2024 were grilled eels from mainland China, a surge of 45% over the same period last year, the highest level in the past five years.
According to the Research Report on In-depth Research and Development Trend Prediction of China's Eel Industry in 2023-2028 issued by China Research Institute of Puhua Industrial Research Institute:
The overall price of eels fluctuates greatly, which is affected by climate, breeding costs, market demand and other factors. In recent years, eel prices have generally shown an upward trend due to insufficient supply of eel seedlings, rising breeding costs and increased market demand. For example, the average price of eels in the first quarter of 2024 was about 61 yuan/kg, up from the same period in 2023. With the improvement of breeding technology and the continuous growth of market demand, eel prices are expected to remain relatively stable or slightly higher in the future. At the same time, the competition in the eel industry will also be more fierce, and enterprises need to strengthen technological innovation and brand construction to improve market competitiveness.
The development of the eel industry has always been constrained by the seedling problem. The cost of fishing and breeding of eel seedlings is relatively high, and it is greatly affected by natural factors such as climate. In addition, with the strengthening of domestic environmental protection policies, breeding enterprises are facing greater environmental pressure. With the increasing demand for eel by domestic consumers and the trend of consumption upgrading, the eel industry has broad market prospects. At the same time, with the continuous progress of technology and the support of policies, the eel breeding and processing industry will also usher in more development opportunities.
Forecast of the future development trend of the eel industry market
Although Japan is the main export market for Chinese eel, the demand for eel in Southeast Asia, North America, Europe and other countries and regions is also gradually increasing. With the in-depth development of international trade, the competitiveness of Chinese eel products in the international market will be further enhanced, and the export market is expected to be further expanded.
With the improvement of environmental awareness, the eel farming industry will face stricter environmental protection requirements. Enterprises need to adopt more environmentally friendly breeding methods and wastewater treatment measures to reduce the impact on the environment. This will promote the development of the industry in a greener and more sustainable direction. In order to ensure the sustainable use of eel resources, the industry needs to strengthen the protection and management of eel resources. Ensure the stability and recovery of eel breeding through reasonable fishing and breeding, laying the foundation for the long-term development of the industry.
It is expected that by 2030, China's eel industry will exceed 400,000 tons of breeding production and sales of more than 60 billion yuan, making it one of the important eel production and consumption markets in the world. This forecast is based on the current development trend of the industry and the growth of market demand, but the specific value may be affected by many factors. ( Source: 中研网)