February 23, 2010

US catfish processing up slightly in January

The number of US catfish processed in January totalled 38.5 million pounds round weight, up 6% from January 2009.

According to data released by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), the average price paid to producers was 76.2 cents per pound for January 2010, down 0.1 cent from last month and 4.8 cents below a year ago.

Net pounds of processed fish sold during January 2010 totalled 18.7 million pounds, down 3% from the comparable month in 2009. The total end of the month inventory decreased 3% from last month but was up slightly from a year ago.

Sales of fresh fish, at 6.73 million pounds, were down 4% from January 2009 and represented 36% of total sales. Frozen fish sales, at 11.9 million pounds, were down 2% from a year ago and accounted for the remaining 64% of total fish sales. Sales of whole fish represented 18% of the total fish sold, fillets accounted for 57%, and the remaining 25% were mostly steaks, nuggets, and value added products.

The January 2010 average price received by processors for total fresh fish was US$2.36 per pound, down 21 cents from last year. Prices for fresh whole fish were US$1.52 per pound, down 20 cents from January 2009. Prices for fresh fillets were down 15 cents from a year ago at US$3.15 per pound. Total frozen fish averaged US$2.49 per pound, down 11 cents from January 2009. Prices for frozen whole dressed fish were down 4 cents at US$2.22 and frozen fillets at US$2.90 per pound were down 11 cents from a year ago.

Freshwater imports for consumption of Ictalurus spp., Pangasius spp., and other catfish of the order Siluriformes for December 2009 totalled 11.7 million pounds, up 50% from the amount imported in December 2008.

Imports were from Cambodia, Canada, China, Indonesia, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Thailand and Vietnam. The Ictalurus spp. imports totalled 2.53 million pounds, which were from Canada, China, Indonesia, Mexico, Panama and Peru.