Net pounds of processed fish sold during December 2009 totaled 16.4 million pounds, up three per cent from the comparable month in 2008. The total end of the month inventory increased slightly from last month but was down seven per cent from a year ago. Sales of fresh fish, at 6.09 million pounds, were down one per cent from December 2008 and represented 37 per cent of total sales. Frozen fish sales, at 10.3 million pounds, were up six per cent from a year ago and accounted for the remaining 63 per cent of total fish sales. Sales of whole fish represented 18 per cent of the total fish sold, fillets accounted for 61 per cent, and the remaining 21 per cent were mostly steaks, nuggets, and value added products.
The December 2009 average price received by processors for total fresh fish was $2.38 per pound, down 10 cents from last year. Prices for fresh whole fish were $1.57 per pound, down nine cents from December 2008. Prices for fresh fillets were down 13 cents from a year ago at $3.18 per pound. Total frozen fish averaged $2.51 per pound, down nine cents from December 2008. Prices for frozen whole dressed fish were up two cents at $2.22 and frozen fillets at $2.91 per pound were down 13 cents from a year ago.
Freshwater imports for consumption of Ictalurus spp., Pangasius spp., and other catfish of the order Siluriformes for November 2009 totaled 12.8 million pounds, up 106 per cent from the amount imported in November 2008. Imports were from Cambodia, Canada, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Thailand and Vietnam. The Ictalurus spp. imports totaled 2.14 million pounds, which were from Canada, China and Mexico.
Fresh, boneless catfish fillet exports totaled 59.1 thousand pounds, with 58.1 thousand pounds going to Canada and the rest going to Equatorial Guinea. Exports of frozen, boneless catfish fillets reported for November 2009 totaled 30.2 thousand pounds, going to the British Virgin Islands, Kuwait, Mexico, the Netherlands Antilles and Trinidad and Tobago.
Further Reading
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