Farm-raised catfish processed during March 2010 totaled 46.7 million pounds round weight, up four per cent from March 2009. The average price paid to producers was 78.5 cents per pound for March 2010, up 2.0 cents from last month and 1.2 cents above a year ago.
Net pounds of processed fish sold during March 2010 totaled 22.4 million pounds, down one per cent from the comparable month in 2009. Sales of fresh fish, at 8.46 million pounds, were up four per cent from March 2009 and represented 38 percent of total sales. Frozen fish sales, at 14.0 million pounds, were down four per cent from a year ago and accounted for the remaining 62 per cent of total fish sales. Sales of whole fish represented 21 per cent of the total fish sold, fillets accounted for 59 per cent, and the remaining 20 per cent were mostly steaks, nuggets, and value added products. The total end of the month inventory increased two per cent from last month and was up nine per cent from a year ago.
The total fresh & frozen average price for March 2010 was $2.42, down 13 cents from a year ago. The average price received by processors for total fresh fish was $2.29 per pound, down 18 cents from last year. Prices for fresh whole fish were $1.50 per pound, down 15 cents from March 2009. Prices for fresh fillets were down 6 cents from a year ago at $3.18 per pound. Total frozen fish averaged $2.50 per pound, down 10 cents from March 2009. Prices for frozen whole dressed fish were up 4 cents at $2.22 and frozen fillets at $2.87 per pound were down 12 cents from a year ago.
Freshwater imports for consumption of Ictalurus spp., Pangasius spp., and other catfish of the order Siluriformes for February 2010 totaled 10.4 million pounds, up 60 per cent from the amount imported in February 2009. Imports were from Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Mexico, Spain, Thailand, and Vietnam. The Ictalurus spp. imports totaled 2.15 million pounds, which were from China, Indonesia, and Mexico.
Fresh, boneless catfish fillet exports totaled 58.2 thousand pounds, with 45.0 thousand pounds going to Canada and the rest going to China and Equatorial Guinea. Exports of frozen, boneless catfish fillets reported for February 2010 totaled 33.8 thousand pounds, going to the British Virgin Islands, China-Taipei, the Netherlands, the Netherlands Antilles, and Uruguay.
Import and export data are compiled by the US Census Bureau.
Further Reading
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