Aquaculture for all

Catfish Processing Down Four Per Cent

Economics +1 more

US - Catfish processing has fallen four per cent, whilst prices have increased over the last year, according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Farm-raised catfish processed during July 2010 totaled 39.3 million pounds round weight, down four per cent from July 2009. The average price paid to producers was 78.8 cents per pound for July 2010, up 0.2 cent from last month and 1.7 cents above a year ago.

Net pounds of processed fish sold during July 2010 totaled 18.0 million pounds, down seven per cent from the comparable month in 2009. Sales of fresh fish, at 6.32 million pounds, were down eight per cent from July 2009 and represented 35 per cent of total sales. Frozen fish sales, at 11.7 million pounds, were down seven per cent from a year ago and accounted for the remaining 65 per cent of total fish sales. Sales of whole fish represented 16 per cent of the total fish sold, fillets accounted for 64 per cent, and the remaining 20 per cent were mostly steaks, nuggets, and value added products. The total end of the month inventory increased 10 per cent from last month and was up three per cent from a year ago.

The total fresh and frozen average price for July 2010 was $2.54, up four cents from a year ago. The average price received by processors for total fresh fish was $2.53 per pound, up five cents from last year. Prices for fresh whole fish were $1.67 per pound, up one cent from July 2009. Prices for fresh fillets were up 4 cents from a year ago at $3.25 per pound. Total frozen fish averaged $2.54 per pound, up three cents from July 2009. Prices for frozen whole dressed fish were up nine cents at $2.26 and frozen fillets at $2.96 per pound were up two cents from a year ago.

Freshwater imports for consumption of Ictalurus spp., Pangasius spp., and other catfish of the order Siluriformes for June 2010 totaled 10.3 million pounds, down three per cent from the amount imported in June 2009. Imports were from Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Mexico, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. The Ictalurus spp. imports totaled 651 thousand pounds, which were from China, Indonesia, and Mexico.

Fresh, boneless catfish fillet exports totaled 34.2 thousand pounds, with 33.2 thousand pounds going to Canada and the rest going to Equatorial Guinea. Exports of frozen, boneless catfish fillets reported for June 2010 totaled 14.9 thousand pounds, going to the Bahamas, the British Virgin Islands, Mexico, and the Netherlands Antilles.

Import and export data are compiled by the U.S. Census Bureau.

US Catfish Processed

Catfish Processed

US Average Grower Price

Average Grower Price

Further Reading

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