Monthly Catfish Processing Report

Catfish Processing Up 4 from Last Year

Farm-raised catfish processed during October 2006 totaled 50.9 million pounds round weight, up 4 precent from October 2005. The average price paid to producers was 83.6 cents per pound for October 2006, up 0.4 cent from last month and 11.2 cents above a year ago.

Net pounds of processed fish sold during October 2006 totaled 22.6 million pounds, down 13 percent from the comparable month in 2005. The total end of the month inventory increased 19 percent from last month and was up 32 percent from a year ago. Sales of fresh fish, at 7.85 million pounds, were down 10 percent from October 2005 and represented 35 percent of total sales.

Frozen fish sales, at 14.8 million pounds, were down 14 percent from a year ago and accounted for the remaining 65 percent of total fish sales. Sales of whole fish represented 15 percent of the total fish sold, fillets accounted for 61 percent, and the remaining 24 percent were mostly steaks, nuggets, and value added products.

The October 2006 average price received by processors for total fresh fish was $2.62 per pound, up 28 cents from last year. Prices for fresh whole fish were $1.82 per pound, up 19 cents from October 2005. Prices for fresh fillets were up 41 cents at $3.25 per pound. Total frozen fish averaged $2.58 per pound, up 35 cents from October 2005. Prices for frozen whole fish were up 26 cents at $2.26 and frozen fillets at $3.09 per pound were up 43 cents from a year ago.

Freshwater imports of Ictalurus spp., Pangasius spp., and other catfish of the order Siluriformes for September 2006 totaled 9.09 million pounds, up significantly from the amount imported in September 2005. Imports were from Brazil, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam. The Ictalurus spp. imports totaled 391 thousand pounds, which were from Brazil and China.

Fresh fillet exports totaled 73.6 thousand pounds, with 42.4 thousand pounds going to Canada and the rest to the Netherlands, Nigeria, and the United Kingdom. Exports of frozen, boneless catfish fillets reported for September 2006 totaled 10.5 thousand pounds, of which 5.71 thousand pounds went to Canada and the rest to Japan. Import and export data are compiled by the U.S. Census Bureau.

Catfish Processed
United States 2004 - 2006