US catfish processing down seven percent in March

US farm-raised catfish processed during March 2009 totalled 44.8 million pounds round weight, down 7 percent from March 2008, according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, US Department of Agriculture (USDA).

 

The average price paid to producers was US$0.774 per pound for March 2009, up US$0.04 from last month and US$0.31 cents above a year ago.

 

Net pounds of processed fish sold during March 2009 totalled 22.5 million pounds, down 6 percent from the comparable month in 2008.

 

The total end of the month inventory increased 3 percent from last month and was up 19 percent from a year ago, while sales of fresh fish, at 8.10 million pounds, were down 8 percent from March 2008 and represented 36 percent of total sales.

 

Frozen fish sales, at 14.4 million pounds, were down 5 percent from a year ago and accounted for the remaining 64 percent of total fish sales.

 

Sales of whole fish represented 18 percent of the total fish sold, fillets accounted for 60 percent, and the remaining 22 percent were mostly steaks, nuggets, and value-added products.

 

The March 2009 average price received by processors for total fresh fish was US$2.47 per pound, up US$0.14 from last year.

 

Prices for fresh whole fish were US$1.66 per pound, up US$0.10 from March 2008, while prices for fresh fillets were up US$0.28 from a year ago at US$3.24 per pound.

 

Total frozen fish averaged US$2.62 per pound, up US$0.24 from March 2008, while prices for frozen whole dressed fish were up US$0.06 at US$2.18 and frozen fillets at US$3.02 per pound were up US$0.25 from a year ago.

 

Freshwater imports for consumption of ictalurus, pangasius, and other catfish for February 2009 totalled 6.53 million pounds, down 32 percent from the amount imported in February 2008. Imports were from Cambodia, China, Mexico, Spain, Thailand, and Vietnam.

 

Ictalurus imports totalled 1.23 million pounds, which were from China and Mexico.

 

Fresh boneless catfish fillet exports totalled 65.1 thousand pounds, with 50.9 thousand pounds going to Canada and the rest going to the Bahams, the Cayman Islands, and Mexico. No exports of frozen, boneless catfish fillets were reported for February 2009.