Catfish Processing Down 17 Percent
Farm-raised catfish processed during May 2006 totaled 42.9 million pounds round weight, down 17 percent
from May 2005. The average price paid to producers was 79.6 cents per pound for May 2006, up 1.1 cents
from last month and 7.4 cents above a year ago.
Net pounds of processed fish sold during May 2006 totaled 23.2 million pounds, down 10 percent from the
comparable month in 2005. Total end of the month inventory decreased 15 percent from last month and was
down 44 percent from a year ago. Sales of fresh fish, at 8.36 million pounds, were down 9 percent from May
2005 and represented 36 percent of total sales. Frozen fish sales, at 14.8 million pounds, were down
11 percent from a year ago and accounted for the remaining 64 percent of total fish sales. Sales of whole fish
represented 17 percent of the total fish sold, fillets accounted for 61 percent, and the remaining 22 percent
were mostly steaks, nuggets, and value added products.
The May 2006 average price received by processors for total fresh fish was $2.47 per pound, an increase of
12 cents from last year. Prices for fresh whole fish were $1.70 per pound, up 9 cents from last year. Prices
for fresh fillets were up 22 cents at $3.08 per pound. Total frozen fish averaged $2.51 per pound, up 24 cents
from May 2005. Prices for frozen whole fish were up 13 cents at $2.15 and frozen fillets at $2.92 per pound
were up 28 cents from a year ago.
Freshwater imports of frozen, boneless, Ictalurus, Pangasius and Siluriformes catfish fillets for April 2006
totaled 3.12 million pounds, up 42 percent from the amount imported last year. Thirty-one percent of all
imports were from Vietnam, 21 percent from China, with the remainder coming from Brazil, Cambodia,
Malaysia, and Thailand. The Ictalurus (channel catfish) imports totaled 403 thousand pounds.
Exports of frozen, boneless catfish fillets reported for April 2006 totaled 21.2 thousand pounds, which all
went to Canada. Fresh fillet exports totaled 68.4 thousand pounds, with 40.4 thousand pounds going to
Canada and the rest to the Netherlands and United Kingdom.
Import and export data are compiled by the U.S. Bureau of Census.
United States 2004 - 2006
To view the full report, including tables, please click here (PDF Format)
Source: USDA NASS - Catfish Processing Report - 22nd June 2006