Norway's Largest Farmed Cod Producer Ode Debuts at Qingdao Fisheries Expo, Targets 20% of Cod Sales to China by 2030(Nov 2)

Norway's Largest Farmed Cod Producer Ode Debuts at Qingdao Fisheries Expo, Targets 20% of Cod Sales to China by 2030

The 29th China International Fisheries and Seafood Expo was held in Qingdao from October 28 to 30, with Norwegian farmed Atlantic cod producer Ode exhibiting for the first time. The company, which claims to be the world's largest farmed Atlantic cod producer, has designated China as one of its most important growth markets.

Sales Director Kristoffer Remo stated that this is Ode's first truly aggressive push into the Chinese market, with a target of selling 20% of its cod to China by 2030. As a first step in market development, Ode is seeking local distribution partners in China and does not rule out establishing a sales office in the country in the future.

Ode divides its channels into high-end foodservice and retail. Remo indicated that the high-end market offers higher profit margins and is the strategic priority, while retail and supermarket channels are needed to support sales volume. The company is currently focusing on chilled fresh cod, while also seeing long-term potential in frozen cod. During the expo, Ode showcased different preparation methods through cooking demonstrations, offering steamed and raw products tailored to Chinese consumer preferences. Remo noted that initial market feedback was encouraging, with attendees showing greater interest in steamed cod compared to raw products.

Ode's production capacity is ramping up rapidly. In 2025, the company's farmed Atlantic cod output reached 10,018 tons (headed and gutted equivalent), up 110% year-on-year, more than doubling from 4,770 tons in 2024. This scale accounts for 65% of Norway's total farmed cod production of 15,493 tons, and nearly 30% of Norway's total fresh cod exports (including both wild-caught and farmed) of 36,704 tons, making Ode Norway's largest single cod supplier.

Founded in 2020 on Norway's western coast, Ode adopts a fully vertically integrated model spanning hatchery, sea farming, harvesting, processing, and export sales, and has invested in submersible cage systems to improve sea condition control and reduce disease risks. Since 2022, the company's operating scale has grown by more than 300% annually, with approximately 250 employees. In 2025, the company achieved revenue of 877 million Norwegian kroner, up 118.7% year-on-year, and achieved full-year profitability for the first time, with net profit of 66 million Norwegian kroner, supplying over 20 retail chains and foodservice distributors across Europe, the United States, and Asia. CEO Ola Kvalheim stated that reaching 10,000 tons in production is not just a numerical breakthrough but represents that farmed cod has achieved a stable biological foundation and market demand. In 2026, the company will continue investing, with the goal of becoming one of the world's most technologically advanced aquaculture enterprises.

China is the global center for cod reprocessing. In the first nine months of 2026, China's combined imports of Atlantic and Pacific cod from Russia grew 23% year-on-year, from the United States by 50%, and from Greenland by 51%. Ode is targeting a different path from reprocessing raw materials, aiming directly at China's foodservice and retail markets with chilled and frozen finished products.

Currently, the majority of Ode's products are still sold to traditional European markets such as France, Italy, and Switzerland, with Chinese market sales quite limited. The company has begun regular shipments to Japan as well as Southeast Asian markets including Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand.

Ode's push into China comes against the backdrop of tightening wild cod supply. The Barents Sea total allowable catch for cod in 2026 is set at 285,000 tons, the lowest level since 1991. Norwegian fisheries data previously showed that in November 2025, Norway exported 1,686 tons of fresh farmed cod worth 125 million Norwegian kroner, surpassing the corresponding wild cod figures of 1,477 tons and 121 million Norwegian kroner in both volume and value for the first time.