Monthly Catfish Processing Report

Catfish Processing Down 9 from Last Year

Farm-raised catfish processed during December 2006 totaled 41.5 million pounds round weight, down 9 percent from December 2005. The average price paid to producers was 83.8 cents per pound for December 2006, up 0.1 cent from last month and 11.2 cents above a year ago.

Net pounds of processed fish sold during December 2006 totaled 20.9 million pounds, down 4 percent from the comparable month in 2005. The total end of the month inventory decreased 3 percent from last month but was up 33 percent from a year ago. Sales of fresh fish, at 6.92 million pounds, were down 12 percent from December 2005 and represented 33 percent of total sales. Frozen fish sales, at 14.0 million pounds, were up slightly from a year ago and accounted for the remaining 67 percent of total fish sales. Sales of whole fish represented 16 percent of the total fish sold, fillets accounted for 59 percent, and the remaining 25 percent were mostly steaks, nuggets, and value added products.

The December 2006 average price received by processors for total fresh fish was $2.55 per pound, up 30 cents from last year. Prices for fresh whole fish were $1.80 per pound, up 30 cents from December 2005. Prices for fresh fillets were up 41 cents at $3.25 per pound. Total frozen fish averaged $2.55 per pound, up 29 cents from December 2005. Prices for frozen whole fish were up 23 cents at $2.24 and frozen fillets at $3.04 per pound were up 38 cents from a year ago.

Freshwater imports for consumption of Ictalurus spp., Pangasius spp., and other catfish of the order Siluriformes for November 2006 totaled 12.8 million pounds, up significantly from the amount imported in November 2005. Imports were from Cambodia, China, China - Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Spain, Thailand, and Vietnam. The Ictalurus spp. imports for consumption totaled 2.40 million pounds, which were all from China.

Fresh fillet exports totaled 40.1 thousand pounds, with 34.8 thousand pounds going to Canada and the rest to the Netherlands. Exports of frozen, boneless catfish fillets reported for November 2006 totaled 23.5 thousand pounds, of which 8.38 thousand pounds went to Canada and the rest to Germany.

Import and export data are compiled by the U.S. Census Bureau.

Catfish Processed
United States 2004 - 2006

Average Grower Price
United States 2004 - 2006