October 20, 2010

US catfish processing up marginally in September

US farm-raised catfish processed during September 2010 totalled 39.5 million pounds round weight, up 8% from September 2009.

The average price paid to producers was 81.6 cents per pound for September 2010, up 2.6 cents from last month and 4.4 cents above a year ago.

Net pounds of processed fish sold during September 2010 totalled 20.3 million pounds, up 7% from the comparable month in 2009. Sales of fresh fish, at 6.62 million pounds, were up 3% from September 2009 and represented 33% of total sales.

Frozen fish sales, at 13.7 million pounds, were up 9% from a year ago and accounted for the remaining 67% of total fish sales. Sales of whole fish represented 16% of the total fish sold, fillets accounted for 59%, and the remaining 25% were mostly steaks, nuggets, and value added products. The total end of the month inventory decreased 12% from last month and was down 19% from a year ago.

The total fresh and frozen average price for September 2010 was US$2.50, down 2 cents from a year ago. The average price received by processors for total fresh fish was US$2.48 per pound, down 1 cent from last year. Prices for fresh whole fish were US$1.63 per pound, down 3 cents from September 2009.

Prices for fresh fillets were up 4 cents from a year ago at US$3.24 per pound. Total frozen fish averaged US$2.52 per pound, down 1 cent from September 2009. Prices for frozen whole dressed fish were up 4 cents at US$2.25 and frozen fillets at US$2.97 per pound were up 5 cents from a year ago.

Freshwater imports for consumption of Ictalurus spp., Pangasius spp., and other catfish of the order Siluriformes for August 2010 totalled 9.96 million pounds, down 15% from the amount imported in August 2009. Imports were from Canada, China, Mexico, Singapore, Spain, Thailand and Vietnam. The Ictalurus spp. imports totalled 70 thousand pounds, which were from Canada, China, Mexico and Spain.

Fresh, boneless catfish fillet exports totalled 45.4 thousand pounds, with 40.0 thousand pounds going to Canada and the rest going to Nigeria and the UK. Exports of frozen, boneless catfish fillets reported for August 2010 totalled 3.3 thousand pounds, going to Aruba, China-Taipei and South Korea.