May 2006 Catfish Feed Deliveries Up 7 Percent From Last Year
Feed delivered for foodsize fish totaled 86,578 tons, and feed for fingerlings and broodfish totaled 3,753 tons in May 2006. May feed delivered to Mississippi catfish growers for foodsize fish totaled 39,547 tons, up 1 percent from last year and accounted for 46 percent of the total foodsize catfish feed delivered to U.S. farmers.
The other major States with catfish feed deliveries for foodsize fish in May were: Alabama with 22,861 tons, Arkansas with 16,988 tons, and Louisiana with 2,744 tons.
Monthly and Cumalitive Totals, US 2005 - 2006
Catfish Feed Deliveries
Survey Procedures: Survey data for catfish feed are collected from feed mills by the USDA-NASS Mississippi Field
Office, who is responsible for ensuring survey coverage is as complete as possible. Mills are contacted by mail,
telephone, Fax, or Internet. All cooperating feed mills have allowed NASS to publish data at the State, Region, and
National level.
Estimation Procedures: The "Catfish Feed Deliveries" report refers strictly to catfish feed delivered to bonafide
catfish producers and excludes catfish feed delivered to producers of other species. The totals include both bagged and
bulk feed. Prior to summarization, questionnaires are compared to previous reports for comparability. Estimates are
made for feed mills whose reports are not available in time to be included in the release. Those plants are identified by
an asterisk on page 10 of this release. Estimates are based on the mill's previous reports and current conditions.
Published totals are a straight summation of the individual reports and estimated data.
If a mill uses a fiscal accounting system, proration is used to convert reported data to a calendar month basis.
Two unusual features of this report are worthy of note: (1) cooperating feed mills are listed by name, and (2) it is
impossible for the public to infer the amount of catfish feed produced in each state. Since many mills deliver feed to
more than one state and to growers of other species, any inferences about overall production per state or per mill are not
valid.
Reliability: Catfish Feed estimates are based on a census of all known active and cooperating catfish feed mills, and
therefore have no sampling variability. However, estimates may be subject to errors such as omissions, duplication, and
mistakes in reporting, recording, and processing of the data. These errors are minimized through strict quality controls
in the edit and summarization process, and a careful review of all reported data for consistency and reasonableness.
Revision Policy: Revisions may be necessary in the following month's publication pending a review of late reports
received from mills. Revisions to previous estimates are made to improve month to month relationships. Estimates for
the previous month are subject to revision in all States each month when current estimates are made. In February, all
monthly estimates for the previous year are reviewed and subject to revisions. The review is primarily based on data
that may have been received after the original estimates were made.
To view the full report, including tables, please click here (PDF Format)
Source: USDA NASS - Catfish Feed Deliveries - 22nd June 2006