Catfish Processing Down 1 Percent
Farm-raised catfish processed during December 2004 totaled 48.2 million pounds round weight, down
1 percent from December 2003. The average price paid to producers was 69.0 cents per pound for
December 2004, up 0.1 cent from last month and 6.1 cents above a year ago.
Net pounds of processed fish sold during December 2004 totaled 22.7 million pounds, up 1 percent from
the comparable month in 2003. Total end of the month inventory increased 7 percent from last month
and was up 12 percent from a year ago. Sales of fresh fish, at 7.96 million pounds, were down 7 percent
from December 2003 and represented 35 percent of total sales. Frozen fish sales, at 14.8 million
pounds, were up 6 percent from a year ago and accounted for the remaining 65 percent of total fish sales.
Sales of whole fish represented 16 percent of the total fish sold, fillets accounted for 60 percent, and the
remaining 24 percent were mostly steaks, nuggets, and value added products.
The December 2004 average price received by processors for total fresh fish was $2.22 per pound, an
increase of 15 cents from last year. Prices for fresh whole fish were $1.57 per pound, up 14 cents from
last year. Prices for fresh fillets were up 23 cents at $2.77 per pound. Total frozen fish averaged $2.24
per pound, up 14 cents from December 2003. Prices for frozen whole fish were up 5 cents at $1.96, and
frozen fillets at $2.62 per pound were up 19 cents from a year ago.
Freshwater imports of frozen, boneless, Ictalurus, Pangasius and Siluriformes catfish fillets for
November 2004 totaled 1.58 million pounds, substantially above last year. Seventy-three percent of all
imports were from Vietnam with the remainder coming from Cambodia and China. The Ictalurus
(channel catfish) imports totaled 85.5 thousand pounds.
Exports of frozen, boneless catfish fillets reported for November 2004 totaled 5.71 thousand pounds. Of
the frozen fillets, 2.71 thousand pounds went to Canada and the remainder to the Bahamas. Fresh fillet
exports totaled 50.2 thousand pounds, with 35.4 thousand pounds going to Canada and the rest to the
United Kingdom.
Import and export data are compiled by the U.S. Bureau of Census.
United States 2002 - 2004
To view the full report, including tables, please click here (PDF Format)
Source: USDA NASS - Catfish Processing Report - 21st January 2005