Will typhoon Butterfly affect the price of tilapia?

The first typhoon "Butterfly" in 2025 landed in Hainan and Guangdong, with the maximum wind speed in the center reaching level 11 (30 meters per second). Although the typhoon brought strong weather and strong winds, the price of major tilapia producing areas in southern China remained basically stable in the 25th week (June 16-22), without significant fluctuations.

In the recent main production areas of Zhanjiang and Maoming, the purchase price of 500-800 g of tilapia by processing plants was 8.3 yuan/kg (about 1.16 US dollars/kg), a slight increase of 0.1 yuan/kg from the previous week. The fish prices in Hainan and Guangdong remained stable, with the prices of the same size of fish being 8.2 yuan/kg and 8.6 yuan/kg respectively.

Although Typhoon “Butterfly” brought strong winds and heavy rains to Hainan and Zhanjiang, industry insiders generally said that they have not received any reports of large-scale damage to farms. The head of a processing plant in Guangdong said: "The heavy rain caused a slight delay in fishing and processing, but it had little impact on the overall supply." The head of a Hainan processor also pointed out: "The shade nets of some farms in Hainan were blown away, but the overall impact was small, and fish prices have not been adjusted for the time being." Another Hainan business owner added: "The typhoon was relatively weak this time and did not cause widespread damage to the aquaculture industry, and market prices remained stable."

Meanwhile, wholesale prices for frozen tilapia fillets in the US market remained stable in 25^th week . Due to factors such as tax rates, US buyers are cautious and market transactions are relatively flat.

Industry analyst Lorraine Castiglione pointed out: "Although there are some low-price quotations in the market, the overall price trend has not fluctuated significantly." She added that the current stable supply of fresh tilapia fillets from Latin America (especially Brazil and Colombia) has supported demand in the US market, but if summer consumption fails to pick up significantly, there may be greater price pressure in the future.

From the end of June to the beginning of July, China's tilapia will be harvested in large numbers, ushering in the concentrated harvest season.

Industry insiders analyzed that the price of raw materials may fluctuate to a certain extent, but the overall supply and demand pattern still depends on the subsequent weather conditions and international market trends. In the short term, the export competitiveness of Chinese tilapia products in the US market is still limited, and processing companies need to pay close attention to changes in the situation and the supply of alternative production areas.

Reference : YUYIPAI