US catfish processing up 4% in March

US's farm-raised catfish processed during March 2010 totalled 46.7 million pounds round weight, up 4% compared to the same time last year, according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), USDA.

The average price paid to producers was 78.5% per pound for March 2010, up 2.0 cents from last month and 1.2 cents above a year ago.

Net pounds of processed fish sold during March 2010 totalled 22.4 million pounds, down 1% from the comparable month in 2009. Sales of fresh fish, at 8.46 million pounds, were up 4% from March 2009 and represented 38% of total sales. Frozen fish sales, at 14.0 million pounds, were down 4% from a year ago and accounted for the remaining 62% of total fish sales.

The total fresh & frozen average price for March 2010 was US$2.42, down 13 cents from a year ago. The average price received by processors for total fresh fish was US$2.29 per pound, down 18 cents from last year. Total frozen fish averaged US$2.50 per pound, down 10 cents from March 2009.

Freshwater imports for consumption of Ictalurus, Pangasius, and other catfish of the order Siluriformes for February 2010 totalled 10.4 million pounds, up 60% from the amount imported in February 2009. Imports were from Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Mexico, Spain, Thailand, and Vietnam. The Ictalurus imports totalled 2.15 million pounds, which were from China, Indonesia, and Mexico.

Fresh, boneless catfish fillet exports totalled 58,200 pounds, with 45,000 pounds going to Canada and the rest going to China and Equatorial Guinea. Exports of frozen, boneless catfish fillets reported for February 2010 totalled 33,800 pounds, going to the British Virgin Islands, China-Taipei, the Netherlands, the Netherlands Antilles, and Uruguay.