Each year, nearly 80 million pounds of procambarid crawfishes are harvested (from aquaculture and from the commercial wild fishery) for food in Louisiana, the nations largest producer. This represents more than 95 percent of the domestic crawfish crop. In the past 5 years, an average of 81 percent of the annual crop has come from aquaculture. Two species are commercially harvested the red swamp crawfish (Procambarus clarkii) and the white river crawfish (Procambarus zonangulus), with the red swamp crawfish dominating the catch. Whether from aquaculture or the natural fishery, the supply of live crawfish is highly seasonal, with the peak harvest occurring from March through June (Fig. 1). Historically, most of the domestic supply has been consumed in Louisiana and surrounding areas, particularly Texas, the Mississippi Gulf coast, and the Florida panhandle (Fig 2). Crawfish can be produced only in certain areas. This, along with the seasonality of supply, unstable prices and cultural mores, has limited crawfish sales nationally. In recent years crawfish have become more widely available because frozen product is being imported.
Product forms
Live crawfish
All farmers market their crawfish
live, and a large portion of the
final consumer product is live
crawfish. Live crawfish command
the highest prices, with the largest
animals bringing premium prices.
Producers of large crawfish have
a competitive advantage, especially
when the supply of live crawfish
exceeds demand. When there
is an oversupply, the larger crawfish
usually remain in the live
market while the smaller crawfish
are processed for meat.
Most producers sell live crawfish
to a primary wholesaler or a
processor, although a few sell
directly to retail stores, restaurants
and consumers (Fig. 3). In
Louisiana, red swamp crawfish
have greater consumer appeal in
the live market than white river
crawfish, although this preference
is usually not seen outside of traditional
southern Louisiana markets.
Highest demand for crawfish by
both retail consumers and restaurants
occurs on weekends, even in
Louisiana. The short shelf life of
crawfish (no more than several
days) largely dictates harvesting
schedules and market plans. It
also limits regional and national
distribution.
Whether served in households or
restaurants, live crawfish are usually
boiled or steamed and eaten
while hot and fresh (Fig. 4).
Crawfish are not considered a staple
food; rather, they are generally
associated with social occasions,
and no food exemplifies the Cajun
cultural atmosphere more than
fresh, boiled crawfish coupled
with spicy vegetables and cold
beverages.
Processed and prepared products
When crawfish are abundant or
when live markets become saturated,
a portion of the annual crop is
processed and sold as fresh or
frozen abdominal or tail meat.
The most popular processed product
is cooked, hand-peeled and deveined
meat, which is usually sold
in 12-ounce or 1-pound packages
(Fig. 5). This may be packed with
or without hepatopancreatic tissue
(in Louisiana, frequently referred
to as fat), which is an important
flavoring in Louisiana cuisine and
is savored for its distinctive, rich
flavor. Smaller crawfish are usually
processed for the tail meat market,
leaving the larger individuals for
the more profitable live market.
The abdominal meat yield for
cooked crawfish is, on average,
about 15 percent of live weight,
but meat yield varies with factors
such as sexual maturity and size.
Immature crawfish generally yield
4 to 5 percent more meat than
mature individuals because they
have smaller claws and thinner
shells. The cooking time and peeling
technique used also can influence
meat yield because all processing
is by hand. Early in the
production season (November to
March), when a high percentage
of the crawfish are immature,
meat yield can be as high as 22 to
23 percent. Late in the season
(April to July), when most crawfish
are mature and have heavier
exoskeletons and large chelae
(claws), meat yield can be as low
as 10 to 12 percent of body
weight. Abdominal meat is used
in many ways and can be substituted
for shrimp in many recipes.
The amount of crawfish
processed for tail meat in
Louisiana varies annually, but
since the introduction of inexpensive
procambarid crawfish meat
from China, it is estimated that
less than 10 percent of the annual
crop is now processed for meat.
Another product form is cooked,
whole crawfish, usually served
fresh and hot, with a small volume
also sold as frozen product to
be heated before serving. Traditionally,
crawfish in the southern
U.S. are cooked with red pepperbased
spices/seasonings, and often
with onions, potatoes and corn to
complement the meal. One
extracts the edible portions of the
whole crawfish by hand.
Increasing in popularity in
Louisiana, and within the range
of delivery for live crawfish outside
of Louisiana, are retail outlets
and restaurants that serve
hot, boiled crawfish. Small, seasonal
take-out outlets (Fig. 6)
have developed wherever live
crawfish can be readily obtained.
Many businesses also cater boiled
crawfish to large groups, parties
and festivals, using custom boiling
rigs (Fig. 7).
Prepared, frozen crawfish dishes,
although still accounting for only
a small portion of total sales, have
helped to increase the distribution
of processed abdominal
crawfish meat through valueadded
products.
Soft-shelled or soft crawfish
were once an important product
in Louisiana. Production technology
and markets for this product
were developed in the mid-1980s,
but the industry has since
declined to a small number of
producers, primarily because a
large market never developed and
the cost of production is relatively
high. In processing soft crawfish,
the gastroliths (two hard, calcium carbonate structures found
in the head immediately before
and after molting) must be
removed. Soft-shelled crawfish are
excellent table fare, much like the
soft-shelled blue crab, and the edible
portion varies from 92 percent
if only the gastroliths and gills are
removed in processing to about 72
percent if both the mouth/eye section
of the head and the
hepatopancreas are removed.
Market influences
Crawfish markets have changed
considerably since the mid-1980s
when crawfish were sold without
consideration of size. The development
of an export market in
Scandinavia in the late 1980s for
crawfish 15 count (number per
pound) or larger provided the first
impetus for size grading.
Louisianas export markets for
crawfish were eventually lost to
competition from China, but size
grading remained and is widely
used in the domestic market. Size
grading is usually not done early
in the production season when
supply is low and demand is high
for crawfish of all sizes, but as the
volume of crawfish increases in
early spring and the demand for
large crawfish increases, size grading
becomes standard practice.
Nearly all grading occurs at
wholesale outlets or processing
plants and is done with modified
vegetable graders or custom-made
graders (Fig. 8).
There are no uniform size and
grade standards for the crawfish
industry as there are for other
seafoods, and this hinders market
development and expansion.
Crawfish are usually graded into
two or three size classes. The
largest crawfish are sold to specialty restaurants and the smaller
ones processed for abdominal
meat or mixed with larger individuals
for large volume sales.
Table 1 illustrates a grading system
commonly used in Louisiana.
Other grading systems also are
used by crawfish wholesalers,
depending on their markets.
The marketing of domestic crawfish
has been complicated in
recent years by the importation of
crawfish products. Millions of
pounds of frozen, processed meat
and whole, boiled procambarid
crawfish, are imported into the
U.S. each year, mainly from
China (Fig. 9). Although a tariff
has been imposed by the U.S.
Department of Commerce on
much of the imported Chinese
crawfish meat, the U.S. industry
has suffered, with an almost 90
percent reduction in processing
(peeling) capacity in Louisiana. As
a consequence, each year thousands
of tons of smaller crawfish
are not harvested for lack of adequate
live markets and processing
infrastructure.
Although the demand for crawfish
in Louisiana is high and markets
are expanding in adjacent
states, crawfish must compete with products such as shrimp,
prawns, lobster and crabs in the
national market. Outside
Louisiana, crawfish is not a traditional
food. But because crawfish
imports have made the product
available year-round and stabillized
prices, the national market
may be expanding. The growing
popularity of southern Louisiana
Cajun and Creole cuisine
throughout the U.S. may also
encourage market expansion.
Purging and cleaning
To provide a more appealing
product for live markets, a small
number of producers have adopted
the practice of purging crawfish
before selling them. This
process cleans the exoskeleton of
mud and debris and eliminates or
reduces digesta in the intestine
(Fig. 10), which consumers may
find unappealing. Purging
requires that crawfish be confined
in water or in very humid
environments where food is withheld
for 24 to 48 hours. Purging
should not be confused with the
practice of immersing crawfish in
salt water just before boiling,
which does not evacuate the gut
and is little more than an external
wash.
For purging, crawfish are commonly
held within specially constructed
boxes or baskets (Fig. 10)
that are usually suspended in
water in raceways or tanks. The
recommended loading rate is
about 1.5 pounds of crawfish per
square foot of submerged surface
area with adequate aeration and
water exchange. Equally effective,
but seldom used, is a water spray
system in which crawfish are
held in shallow pools of water
(0.5 inch deep) under a constant
spray or mist. Holding crawfish
in aerated vats or purging systems
under crowded conditions
for more than 24 to 48 hours is
not recommended because mortality
may be high. Recent
research has shown that purging
for only 12 hours can be nearly
as effective and results in lower
mortality. Though purging
increases the cost of the product
by 15 to 25 percent (largely
because of mortality), consumers
prefer purged crawfish, particularly
outside of traditional markets.
Even those who are accustomed
to nonpurged crawfish
and do not find them objectionable
might prefer purged product
if the cost were reasonable.
Although the current market for
purged crawfish is small, purging
has contributed to repeat sales
and consumer loyalty to certain
producers or distributors.
The external surfaces of crawfish,
which can be fouled and/or
stained, are cleaned reasonably
well during purging as the
crowded crawfish rub against
one another. Nonpurged animals
that are excessively stained are
sometimes cleaned with food-service
chemicals (ascorbic or citric
acid and baking soda) to enhance
their appearance and increase
their marketability.
Transporting and storing live crawfish
Live crawfish are not stored and
transported in water, but in plastic
mesh sacks (Fig. 11). Sacks
hold about 35 to 45 pounds of
crawfish. Sacks are preferred
over more rigid containers such
as totes (Fig. 12) because crawfish
can be packed in the sacks
in a way that prevents damage
from pinching, which can happen
when animals are not sufficient
restricted.
Sacks should not be packed so
tightly that animals are crushed,
but tightly enough to restrict
crawfish movement. Sacks of live
crawfish can be transported in
open-bed trucks for short distances,
but sacks should be covered
with a tarp to keep gills
from drying out. Wholesalers or
jobbers who haul sacks of live
crawfish over long distances use
insulated trucks, with or without
refrigeration (Fig. 13). Crushed
ice is placed over the sacks in
nonrefrigerated trucks, and sometimes
in refrigerated trucks, to
reduce crawfish metabolism and
keep the humidity high, which
increases the shelf life of live
crawfish.
To ensure a high survival rate
during live transport, crawfish
should be harvested from ponds
with good water quality. Live
crawfish should be transported to
on-the-farm coolers or to the terminal
market as soon after harvest
as possible. Transport vehicles
should be clean and free of
petroleum products and other
contaminates. If crawfish are to
be transported in an open vehicle
or hauled a long distance in the
harvest boat, crawfish in sacks
should be covered with wet
burlap or a tarp to protect them
from excessive wind and bright
sunlight. Sacks should not be
stacked so high that crawfish in
the bottom sacks are crushed.
Sacks of live crawfish in good
physiological condition can be
held in high humidity coolers at
38 to 46 F for up to several days
before they are peeled or transported
to the final destination.
The gills must be kept moist
while crawfish are in coolers.
This is usually accomplished by
wetting them periodically and/or
by covering them with wet
burlap or ice. If crawfish are
placed in plastic tote boxes, the
top tote should be filled with ice.
Melting ice will trickle down
through the totes to provide the
necessary moisture. Unchilled
crawfish should not be placed in
totes because they will remain
active and may damage each
other by pinching.
A relatively small volume of live
crawfish is shipped in sacks by
air freight throughout the U.S.
For air transport, crawfish are
packed in insulated seafood shipping
boxes containing frozen gel
packs. During warm weather,
crawfish to be shipped by air
freight should first be cooled
overnight.
Pricing
Supply and demand relationships
are reflected in the way prices
vary from year to year and from
week to week during the harvest
season. In Louisiana, the average
annual pond bank price paid to
producers from 1997 through
2004 was $0.60 to $0.80 per
pound when annual supply
ranged from 70 to 85 million
pounds. There were exceptions in
2000 and 2001 when low supply
from both aquaculture and the
wild crop pushed average
statewide wholesale prices to
more than $1.24 per pound
(Table 2). Seasonally, prices are
highest in winter and early spring
when supply is relatively low
(Fig. 1, Table 3). Prices decline
significantly in late spring and
summer when supply peaks and
the supply of and demand for
other fresh seafoods, such as
shrimp and crabs, increase. In
Louisiana, the price for field
run crawfish may decline as
much as 40 to 55 percent for several
weeks during peak production
(April and May) if crawfish
quality (usually size) decreases.
The drop in price for larger
crawfish is usually much less. In
recent years, large crawfish have
commanded a wholesale price
two to three times higher than
that paid for medium to small
crawfish (Table 1).
Wholesale buyers pay relatively
uniform prices from day to day
or week to week, with no single
buyer or group of buyers exerting
excessive control over pond-bank
prices. But when crawfish supplies
are high, wholesalers and
processors can exert price leverage
over producers, usually
because of their ability, or inability,
to move large volumes of
crawfish in the live market.
Some buyers offer premium
prices to their larger, more loyal
or more consistent suppliers.
Although wholesale prices for
peeled crawfish tail meat are not
published, the wholesale price of
a pound of tail meat is usually
about ten to twelve times higher
than the wholesale price of a
pound of live crawfish.
Production strategies for identified markets
A crawfish producer should be
familiar with potential markets,
both wholesale and retail, and
match production to the needs of
the market. Since crawfish are
harvested several times a week, a
farmer must have reliable buyers
to be successful. Few farmers in
areas such as southern Louisiana
sell directly to consumers, so
most large producers must sell
most of their harvest to wholesale
buyers and processors.
Small-scale producers outside of
Louisiana have few established
and knowledgeable wholesalers
who are experienced in marketing
live crawfish. However, many
small-scale producers are successfully
selling directly to consumers
and to retail seafood
establishments.
Occasionally, harvesting schedules
and strategies must be
adjusted to accommodate available
markets. Buyers may prefer
to have product delivered only
on certain days, such as Thursday
through Sunday. When crawfish
supplies are abundant, trapping
strategies may need to be
adjusted to trap only the largest
crawfish, even at the expense of
overall yield. Planning and good
communication with potential
buyers early in the season can
help a producer compete more
successfully in the marketplace.
Regulations and permits
Various permits may be required to market crawfish (e.g., a wholesale or retail fish distributors license) or to transport them across state lines. Permits are specific for each state. The importation of live, non-native crawfish is restricted or forbidden in a number of states, especially where they might become established and compete with native species. Before shipping live crawfish, always verify the regulatory requirements in the receiving state and in the states through which the shipment will pass to avoid serious legal problems. In Louisiana, live haulers are usually required to have permits or licenses to transport crawfish, depending on who their crawfish are being purchased from or sold to. These may include municipal or county permits, a state transport license, and a seafood wholesale/ retail dealers license.
Conclusions
Crawfish is one of the nations largest aquaculture industries, with most of the markets and consumption in Louisiana and the Gulf coast region. More than 90 percent of crawfish are marketed and sold as live product, with most of the remainder processed for tail meat. Although the processing industry in Louisiana has been significantly damaged by imports from China, imports appear to have had some limited benefit in the development of new markets elsewhere in the U.S. Most live crawfish produced in Louisiana are moved through wholesalers, with a relatively small volume sold by producers directly to the public or to retail establishments. Outside of Louisiana, producers rely mostly on direct sales to the public or to retail establishments. The keys to profitability in marketing live crawfish are to understand seasonal market demand, harvest early in the season when prices are high, and produce large crawfish that command the highest prices. The crawfish industry will need to invest time and money to expand the market for live and processed crawfish outside traditional areas.
Further Information
To read the full report, including graphs and tables, click here
Source: Southern Regional Agricultural Center and the Texas Aquaculture Extension Service - October 2005
