The top four States (Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, and Louisiana) accounted for 94 per cent of the US total sales. The U.S. sales total of all foodsize fish decreased by 10 per cent from 2006 to $409 million in 2007. Fingerling and fry sales totaled $20 million, a decrease of six per cent from 2006. Sales of stockers totaled $15 million in 2007, compared to $6.9 million in 2006.
By point of first sale, direct sales to processors accounted for 94.4 per cent of total foodsize fish sales compared with 95.7 per cent from the previous year. Direct sales to other producers accounted for 95.5 per cent of stocker sales compared with 85.0 per cent in 2006.
Water Acres Down Six Percent from January 1, 2007
The water surface acres being used for catfish production as of January 1, 2008 totaled 155 thousand acres, down six per cent from the 164 thousand acres used a year earlier. Of the total acres, 3.6 thousand are to be renovated during the period of January 1 to June 30, 2008. An additional 500 acres are under construction or expected to be constructed and in use by July 1, 2008. During the period of July 1 through December 31, 2007, the area taken out of production totaled 8.2 thousand acres. As of January 1, 2008, foodfish were produced on 125 thousand acres, fingerling producing acres totaled 21 thousand, and 3.5 thousand acres were being used for broodfish production.
Inventory Numbers
Catfish producers had 760 thousand broodfish on hand January 1, 2008, down 16 per cent from January 1, 2007. Large foodsize fish on hand totalled 7.8 million on January 1, 2008, a decrease of eight per cent from a year ago. The number of medium foodsize fish decreased eight per cent to 90.4 million, while small foodsize fish numbers decreased 5 percent to 196 million. Large stockers on hand January 1, 2008, at 271 million fish, were down 3 percent from the previous year. Small stocker numbers increased two per cent to 299 million. There were 894 million fingerlings on hand January 1, 2008, down seven per cent from January 1, 2007.
Further Reading
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