While many people refrain from eating out due to the spread of the new coronavirus infection, retailers and importers dealing with eels have devised ways to sell eels toward the 28th, "Eel Day". There is a movement to meet "demand".
Aeon, a major distributor, is increasing the lineup of eel kabayaki sold at its supermarkets, which weighs more than 200 grams per pack, which is about 80 grams heavier than ordinary ones.
With the increase in supply, the price of eels is cheaper than last year, so we aim to capture the demand of people who eat eels at home with their families by creating a sense of volume.
In addition, a company in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo that processes and sells Chinese eels to major restaurants is using its own mail-order site to meet take-out demand while the sales of customers are declining due to the spread of infection. ..
This site was launched in April to expand the sales channels of Kabayaki and Shiroyaki that it handles to small and medium-sized restaurants, but this month it will be for the day of the earthen cattle. It means that the number of orders from izakaya, etc. that want to offer menus such as Unadon is increasing.
Ikuo Toda, general manager of the site's operating company, said, "I want to strengthen sales to restaurants that find a way to take out and deliver to home." It is the focus.
This year, the catch has picked up and the price has dropped.
Regarding eels cultivated in Japan, the catch of fry dropped sharply and reached a high price for a while, but this time the catch has picked up and the price has also fallen.
Most domestic eels are cultivated from fry caught between November and April of the following year.
According to the Fisheries Agency, the amount of fry of eels caught in Japan, China, Taiwan, etc. from November last year to the end of April this year was 18.3 tons.
This is a decrease of nearly 2 tons compared to the previous year (2019-20), but it has increased by about 20% compared to 3 years ago and 2 years ago when the price was high due to poor fishing in Japan, and the past 5 It is recovering to the average level of the year.
For this reason, according to the "Japan Aquaculture Cooperative Association" made by aquaculture companies, the shipping price last month was about 3,500 yen per kilo, which is about 15% cheaper than the same month last year.
According to a survey by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, the retail price of eel kabayaki last month was 1152 yen per 100 grams on average in the 23 wards of Tokyo, which is nearly 5% cheaper than the same period last year, making it a little easier for consumers to buy. I am.