Chile: Salmon Overview
Link to report:
Salmon is Chile’s largest food and agricultural export and the second largest total export sector after copper. In 2021, exports totaled 615 thousand metric tons worth $4.8 billion. Production is growing rapidly; Chilean salmon production grew an average of 10.4 percent between 2016 and 2020 and totaled 1.1 million metric tons (MMT) in 2020. Salmon has a feed conversion rate of 1.2 – 1.5 kilograms of feed per kilogram of salmon, which results in a feed demand of approximately 1.32 – 1.65 million metric tons per year. More than 50 percent of salmon production cost is feed; thus, the salmon industry is constantly investing in research and technology to optimize feed and increase productivity. The current trend in salmon feed is to replace animal-based proteins with vegetable-based protein.
