Salmon farms having to hook into new strategies

Salmon farm businesses in the Mackenzie have adapted to the challenges of Covid-19 with one even completing a new fish farm since the pandemic outbreak last year and looking to grow further.

‘‘We have had to be quite nimble during Covid,’’ Mt Cook Alpine Salmon chief executive David Cole said.

‘‘Obviously restaurants in Auckland have been closed, and we’ve had to redirect our fish into other markets.

‘‘Shipping product overseas has also been difficult and much more expensive with freight costs and shipping disruptions that are affecting international trade but despite the myriad of challenges right now, we are expecting a resumption to our growth plans.’’

Mt Cook Alpine Salmon’s growth included completion of the company’s sixth fish farm.

‘‘We committed to building our lower Benmore farm before Covid and we continued with the project despite the outbreak,’’ Cole said.

‘‘It takes two to three years to grow a salmon, and we can’t afford to stop and start with our planning decisions.

‘‘The farm is now finished and fully loaded with fish, and it will expand our production over the coming one to two years.’’

He said the company was also investing in its Washdyke processing plant in anticipation of higher volumes coming through.

‘‘We are also investing in more automation to relieve some processing congestion as we look to expand our capacity over and streamline some of our processes over the next two years,’’ Cole said.

High Country Salmon general manager Karl French said Covid had been ‘‘transformative’’ for the business which had attracted many international tourists.

‘‘The numbers through the door dropped to 10 per cent. We had to reinvent the cafe´ for domestic customers padding out our menu for 10-minute, 20-minute and half-hour visitors.’’

The company does not export and to cover the loss of trade through the door, it started marketing heavily online.

French said it had been ‘‘hugely challenging’’ getting product into Auckland.