Net pounds of processed fish sold during April 2009 totaled 20.2 million pounds, down five per cent from the comparable month in 2008. The total end of the month inventory decreased five per cent from last month and was down nine per cent from a year ago. Sales of fresh fish, at 7.32 million pounds, were down seven per cent from April 2008 and represented 36 per cent of total sales. Frozen fish sales, at 12.9 million pounds, were down four per cent from a year ago and accounted for the remaining 64 percent of total fish sales. Sales of whole fish represented 17 per cent of the total fish sold, fillets accounted for 61 per cent, and the remaining 22 per cent were mostly steaks, nuggets, and value added products.
The April 2009 average price received by processors for total fresh fish was $2.51 per pound, up 16 cents from last year. Prices for fresh whole fish were $1.68 per pound, up nine cents from April 2008. Prices for fresh fillets were up 20 cents from a year ago at $3.23 per pound. Total frozen fish averaged $2.65 per pound, up 23 cents from April 2008. Prices for frozen whole dressed fish were up nine cents at $2.19 and frozen fillets at $3.00 per pound were up 12 cents from a year ago.
Freshwater imports for consumption of Ictalurus spp., Pangasius spp., and other catfish of the order Siluriformes for March 2009 totalled 8.94 million pounds, up 13 percent from the amount imported in March 2008. Imports were from Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Spain, Thailand, and Viet Nam. The Ictalurus spp. imports totalled 972,000 pounds, which were from China and Spain.
Fresh boneless catfish fillet exports totalled 65.1 thousand pounds, with 46,400 pounds going to Canada and the rest going to Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom. Exports of frozen, boneless catfish fillets reported for March 2009 totalled 50,600 pounds going to the Bahamas, China-Hong Kong, Guatemala, Mexico, and the Netherlands.
Import and export data are compiled by the U.S. Census Bureau.
U. S. Catfish Processed
U. S. Average Grower Price
Further Reading
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