February 7, 2012

 

Arkansas catfish yield declines 37% 

 

 

Yield for Arkansas' catfish industry has fallen by 37% as of January 1.

 

In contrast, national production and sales climbed slightly as prices jumped and farmers elsewhere had raised more fish on fewer acres, although acreage in the major catfish-producing states has been shrinking.

 

"Prices just haven't been there for farmers to maintain acreage. But prices are a lot better, and hopefully that will stabilize the market", said Charles Collins, executive director of Catfish Farmers of Arkansas.

 

He said farmers left the industry as feed prices rose while the price paid by catfish processors remained the same in 2010 and early 2011. Foreign competition has also been a burden.

 

The higher price that processors are paying has made it difficult for smaller processors to stay in the industry.

 

As of January 1, Arkansas producers had 13.09 million food-size fish - 37% fewer on-year. Farms lost about 3,500 water surface acres in 2011, a 26.5% drop from 9,700 acres, the lowest in a decade, according to the USDA.

 

Water surface ac fell by 10% from 99,600 to 89,400 acres a year earlier. Of the total, 3,080 are expected to be renovated and another 420 will be constructed and in use by July.

 

At the same time, inventory for food-size catfish was up 3% to 181 million.

 

Sales of catfish in Arkansas to processors in 2011 fell 17% to US$33.42 million from US$40.77 million year-on-year. Sales nationwide rose 5% to US$423 million from US$403 million in 2010 due to higher prices paid by processors.

 

Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas and Texas, the top four catfish farming states, made up 95% of total sales in the country. US total food size sales reached US$391 million, or 4% more than in 2010, the USDA revealed.

 

With fewer fish available, processors paid farmers more generously in 2011, averaging US$.050 per pound versus US$0.77 in 2010.

 

The price increase may help stabilise the industry as farmers consider putting ponds back into production, said Carole Engle, director of the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff's aquaculture programme.

 

"It takes about a year and a half to two years for a farm to get a pond back in production, so the numbers we're seeing right now still reflect 2010. I expect to see a rise in production numbers this year", Engle said.

 

She also said, advances in "split pond" production could bring larger inventory in Arkansas. The method allows for more fish to grow on fewer acres when a levee is built through a pond that splits it in two and allows for more oxygen in the fish pond, raising yields significantly.