Discefa confirms its leadership at the close of 2018. This trend is repeated in the first half of 2019, months in which we have successfully addressed the challenges we had set for ourselves. All of this is thanks to the trust that our customers place in our products.
Discefa octopus reaches the supermarket shelves
Nobody can deny that the octopus has become the star of products from the sea. Consumers love its flavour, as well as its versatility and how easy it is to eat. In recent years it has made the leap from the fishmongers to refrigerators, both raw and prepared in the most traditional way. The major brands committed to it, and now we, specialists in this product, have decided to stand up and join that sector of the market.
Discefa has spent years being the top specialist of this frozen cephalopod by marketed volume (according to the Alimarket Ranking) for professionals. We firmly believed that the logical evolution was that of reaching the end consumer, those people who want to lead a healthy lifestyle but have no time to purchase fresh produce. For that reason, our strategy focused on entering large department stores, supermarkets and hypermarkets.
Under the brand “el Rey del Pulpo”, it is marketed in different formats to meet the needs of all consumers. Trays of 200 grams, 300 or 400 grams of octopus tentacles and half octopus. The big difference in this brand compared to others with which it shares a shelf is the quality. We are convinced that not all octopus is the same, therefore we continue committing ourselves to the highest excellence in the raw materials we use to prepare the products. We will offer extra quality, such as that received by our distributors over the last four years with the Tentak seal.
Investments and results for 2018
The path to get here has been very long. Firstly, investments of 1.4 million euros have been made in the plant we have in A Coruña, in the town of Cambre. We considered it essential to create a unique production line for the retail sector, with robots that are responsible for a large part of processes, such as freezing, which has also improved over the past year. Special white rooms were also installed for the packaging and maintenance of the chilled product. This has allowed us to achieve certifications such as IFS and MSC in 2018. As well as our commitment to making sustainable fishing the only option, we actively support fishery improvement projects (FIP) in some of the main fishing grounds in the world, such as Mauritania and Mexico.
As important as it is to collaborate in the conservation and survival of our seas and the species that inhabit them, for us it is about safeguarding food safety in the production processes. This is why we select our suppliers and distributors meticulously and care for each and every one of our internal procedures.
The company had a turnover of €91.2 million last year, 8.3% more than in 2017, from the marketing of 9,250 tonnes. In 2019, the forecast predicts around €86 million, a decline due to the lowering of prices.
Despite all of this, the price of octopus reached the highest in its history in August last year. That is why we had to adjust our prices whilst ensuring that the end consumer did not notice this in their pocket. This had a negative effect on the margins and results, as well as on the consumption of this product in Spain. Thanks to our presence in other markets, we managed to weather the storm. This is because 86% of our production goes beyond our borders with a high presence in the American market, where we have a subsidiary, Ditusa.
2019: forecasts and price corrections
Until now we had managed to enter over 40 countries through local distributors, but the recipients of our products were mainly hospitality professionals. Our star product in this market is the frozen whole octopus, which is ready to be used in the different dishes and combinations of flavours created by the masters of the kitchen. However, the end consumer can now also enjoy this excellent quality flavour, which is only possible thanks to buying from those who really know about it, those who still fish traditionally and consider the importance of the sustainability of the oceans and the environment.
We are also working on increasing the capacity of our factory this year. On some land next to the plant we currently have in Cambre, we are building a large cold storage warehouse that we hope will be operational at the end of 2019.
Our big challenge for these months and the coming year is, as we have already mentioned, ensuring that Discefa octopus is present in all households. Anyone who wants to enjoy its flavour and offer it to their guests. Anyone who wants to take advantage of its properties, which are highly beneficial for the body, and stay in shape. We will do all of this without losing even an ounce of the quality and excellence that characterises us.
