March 28, 2011

US catfish processing decreases from the previous year

Farm-raised catfish processed in the US during February 2011 amounted 27.8 million pounds round weight, a decline of 32% from February 2010.

The average price paid to producers was US$1/pound for February 2011, up US$0.072 from last month and US$0.238 more than a year ago.

Net pounds of processed fish sold during February 2011 totalled 15.6 million pounds, down 31% from the comparable month in 2010. Sales of fresh fish, at 5.23 million pounds, were down 36% from February 2010 and represented 34% of total sales. Frozen fish sales, at 10.3 million pounds, were down 29% from a year ago and accounted for the remaining 66% of total fish sales. Sales of whole fish represented 18% of the total fish sold, fillets accounted for 61%, and the remaining 21% were mostly steaks, nuggets, and value added products. The total end of the month inventory decreased 19% from last month and was down 23% from a year ago.

The total fresh and frozen average price for February 2011 was US$3.03, up US$0.55 from a year ago. The February 2011 average price received by processors for total fresh fish was US$2.91/pound, up US$0.57 from last year. Prices for fresh whole fish were US$2.06/pound, up US$0.57 from February 2010. Prices for fresh fillets were up US$0.65 from a year ago at US$3.75/pound. Total frozen fish averaged US$3.09/pound, up US$0.53 from February 2010. Prices for frozen whole dressed fish were up US$0.39 at US$2.59 and frozen fillets at US$3.56/pound were up US$0.64 from a year ago.

Freshwater imports for consumption of Ictalurus spp., Pangasius spp., and other catfish of the order Siluriformes for January 2011 totalled 16.3 million pounds, up 11% from the amount imported in January 2010. Imports were from Cambodia, China, Indonesia, and Vietnam. The Ictalurus spp. imports totalled 1.30 million pounds, which were from China and Indonesia.

Fresh, boneless catfish fillet exports totalled 53.9 thousand pounds, with 37.3 thousand pounds going to Canada and the rest going to Germany. Exports of frozen, boneless catfish fillets reported for January 2011 totalled 10.2 thousand pounds, going to the Bahamas, Brazil, Guatemala, Kuwait, and Vietnam.