The Challenge of Raw Material Fluctuations: Fish Procurement Strategies for Factory Stability

By. Edi - 02 Dec 2025

Share:
img

lautnusantara.com The fish processing industry relies heavily on the supply of raw materials from wild (fishing) or aquaculture. Fish supply is often unstable due to seasonal factors, climate change, illegal fishing, and quota policies. These fluctuations cause uncertainty in production and factory operational costs. Fish processing plant stability can only be achieved through the implementation of a multifaceted procurement strategy that focuses on risk mitigation, source diversification, and long-term partnerships.

A. Identifying the Main Sources of Raw Material Fluctuations
1. Natural and Seasonal Factors:

  • The impact of bad weather (high waves) that halts fishing activities.
  • Fish migration cycles and peak fishing seasons.

2. Economic and Market Factors:

  • Price competition among processing plants, especially during the low season.
  • Sudden increases in export demand that deplete local supply.

3. Regulatory and Environmental Factors:

  • Changes in fishing zoning policies and fish quotas.
  • The impact of climate change on the availability of certain species.

B. Risk Mitigation Strategy: Ensuring Availability
1. Long-Term Partnerships with Fishermen/Suppliers:

  • Concept: Establish exclusive procurement contracts (volume-based or fixed-price) to reduce the risk of competition for supply.
  • Benefits: Build loyalty and secure priority supply when fish availability is low.

2. Diversification of Raw Material Sources (Multi-Sourcing):

  • Strategy: Avoid relying on a single fish species or fishing/farming area.
  • Example: A tuna processing factory may also begin processing skipjack tuna or yellowfin tuna as alternatives when primary tuna is scarce.

3. Strategic Inventory Management (Buffer Stock):

  • Action: Build adequate cold storage capacity to store large quantities of raw materials during peak season (lower prices) for use during the off-season.

C. Cost and Quality Optimization Strategy
1. Vertical Integration (Upstream-Downstream):

  • Innovation: Owning your own fleet of fishing vessels or farming facilities to control the quality and quantity of raw materials.

2. Use of Predictive Models:

  • Technology: Applying data analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) to predict catches based on historical data, weather, and ocean parameters.
  • Benefits: Enables factories to plan production and procurement schedules more accurately.

3. Flexible Price Negotiations:

  • Approach: Establishing a mutually agreed-upon pricing formula based on market prices or fishermen's production costs (not just factory selling prices) to ensure supply continuity.

Fluctuations in raw materials are a natural challenge for the fishing industry. However, by adopting a planned, diversified, and partnership-oriented procurement strategy, processing factories can achieve operational stability. This stability not only reduces the risk of loss but also serves as a foundation for maintaining product quality and competitiveness in export markets.

 

If you are interested in our  Coral Trout Fillet Skin OnCORAL TROUT WGG WHOLE GILLED GUTTED please do not hesitate to contact us through email and/or whatsapp.







Whatsapp Logo
Start a Conversation Hi! Click one of our member below to chat on Whatsapp