January 23, 2009

 

Catfish processing down 16 percent in US

Farm-raised catfish processed in the US during December 2008 totalled 32.6 million pounds round weight, down 16 percent from December 2007.

 

Freshwater imports for consumption of ictalurus, pangasius, and other catfish for November 2008 totalled 6.20 million pounds, down 14 percent from the amount imported in November 2007.

 

Imports were from Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Mexico, Spain, Thailand, and Vietnam.

 

Ictalurus imports totalled 1.37 million pounds, which were from China and Mexico.

 

Fresh boneless catfish fillet exports totalled 123 thousand pounds, with 43.8 thousand pounds going to Canada and the rest going to Germany, the Netherlands, and the UK.

 

Exports of frozen, boneless catfish fillets reported for November 2008 totalled 1.20 thousand pounds all going to Singapore.

 

The average price paid to producers was 82.1 cents per pound for December 2008, down 0.1 cent from last month but 17.1 cents above a year ago.

 

Net pounds of processed fish sold during December 2008 totalled 15.9 million pounds, down 14 percent from the comparable month in 2007.

 

The total end of the month inventory increased two percent from last month and was up three percent from a year ago.

 

Sales of fresh fish, at 6.16 million pounds, were down five percent from December 2007 and represented 39 percent of total sales. Frozen fish sales were at 9.76 million pounds, down 19 percent from a year ago and accounted for the remaining 61 percent of total fish sales. Sales of whole fish represented 19 percent of the total fish sold, fillets accounted for 60 percent.

 

The December 2008 average price received by processors for total fresh fish was US$2.47 per pound, up 20 cents from last year. Prices for fresh whole fish were US$1.64 per pound, up 8 cents from December 2007.

 

Prices for fresh fillets were up 40 cents from a year ago at US$3.31 per pound. Total frozen fish averaged US$2.63 per pound, up 37 cents from December 2007. Prices for frozen whole dressed fish were up 19 cents at US$2.21 and frozen fillets at US$3.07 per pound were up 32 cents from a year ago.