Aq 1 (4-07) Catfish Processing National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released April 23, 2007, by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, U.S. Department of Agriculture. For information on "Catfish Processing" call Fleming Gibson at 202-690-3237, office hours 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET. Catfish Processing Down 21 Percent from Last Year Farm-raised catfish processed during March 2007 totaled 44.4 million pounds round weight, down 21 percent from March 2006. The average price paid to producers was 83.8 cents per pound for March 2007, unchanged from last month but 9.3 cents above a year ago. Net pounds of processed fish sold during March 2007 totaled 22.8 million pounds, down 22 percent from the comparable month in 2006. The total end of the month inventory decreased 2 percent from last month but was up 58 percent from a year ago. Sales of fresh fish, at 8.56 million pounds, were down 24 percent from March 2006 and represented 37 percent of total sales. Frozen fish sales, at 14.3 million pounds, were down 21 percent from a year ago and accounted for the remaining 63 percent of total fish sales. Sales of whole fish represented 18 percent of the total fish sold, fillets accounted for 58 percent, and the remaining 24 percent were mostly steaks, nuggets, and value added products. The March 2007 average price received by processors for total fresh fish was $2.54 per pound, up 26 cents from last year. Prices for fresh whole fish were $1.70 per pound, up 16 cents from March 2006. Prices for fresh fillets were up 38 cents at $3.27 per pound. Total frozen fish averaged $2.55 per pound, up 17 cents from March 2006. Prices for frozen whole dressed fish were up 17 cents at $2.20 and frozen fillets at $3.11 per pound were up 36 cents from a year ago. Freshwater imports of Ictalurus spp., Pangasius spp., and other catfish of the order Siluriformes for February 2007 totaled 7.58 million pounds, up significantly from the amount imported in February 2006. Imports were from China, China-Hong Kong, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam. The Ictalurus spp. imports totaled 3.03 million pounds, which were all from China. Fresh boneless catfish fillet exports totaled 69.1 thousand pounds, with 57.5 thousand pounds going to Canada and the rest to the Cayman Islands and Mexico. Exports of frozen, boneless catfish fillets reported for February 2007 totaled 29.9 thousand pounds, which all went to Germany and Mexico. Import and export data are compiled by the U.S. Census Bureau. Farm-Raised Catfish: Quantity Processed and Prices Received by Producers, United States, 2006-2007 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Round Weight Processed :-------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Monthly : Cumulative : Price per Pound 1/ :-------------------------------------------------------------------------- : : : : : : : : : Change : : : Pct of : : : Pct of : : : from Month: 2006 : 2007 : 2006 : 2006 : 2007 : 2006 : 2006 : 2007 : 2006 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : 1,000 Pounds Percent 1,000 Pounds Percent ------ Dollars ----- : Jan : 50,703 46,957 93 50,703 46,957 93 0.727 0.838 0.111 Feb : 49,145 44,439 90 99,848 91,396 92 0.729 0.838 0.109 Mar : 56,315 44,397 79 156,163 135,793 87 0.745 0.838 0.093 Apr : 43,126 199,289 0.785 May : 42,865 242,154 0.796 Jun : 41,214 283,368 0.807 Jul : 45,528 328,896 0.812 Aug : 51,736 380,632 0.811 Sep : 47,296 427,928 0.832 Oct : 50,788 478,716 0.836 Nov : 45,680 524,396 0.837 Dec : 41,735 566,131 0.838 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/ Quantity processed by major processors and the prices received for fish delivered to the processing plant's door. Price includes charges for any services provided by the processing plant, such as seining and hauling, but does not include adjustments based on year-end settlements. Catfish Processors: Sales Volume and Average Price United States, March 2006-2007 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Sales : Average : Volume : Price1/ Item :----------------------------------------------------------- :Mar 2006: Feb 2007 :Mar 2007:Mar 2006 :Feb 20072/:Mar 2007 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : ------ 1,000 Pounds ------ --- Dollars per Pound --- : Fresh Fish : Whole : Round & Gutted : 2,205 1,399 1,780 1.20 1.31 1.28 Whole Dressed 3/: 1,819 1,449 1,375 1.87 2.14 2.13 Total : 4,024 2,848 3,155 1.54 1.78 1.70 : Other : Steaks : 89 85 83 2.17 2.47 2.46 Nuggets 4/ : 908 628 639 1.26 1.38 1.36 Other 5/ : 217 137 155 3.09 3.41 3.37 Total : 1,214 850 877 1.65 1.82 1.82 : Fillets 6/ : 6,090 4,380 4,531 2.89 3.24 3.27 : Total Fresh : 11,328 8,078 8,563 2.28 2.57 2.54 : Frozen Fish : Whole Dressed 3/ : 1,331 863 935 2.03 2.27 2.20 : Other : Steaks : 110 68 89 2.02 2.30 2.32 Nuggets 4/ : 3,033 3,647 2,960 1.00 0.97 0.98 Other 5/ : 1,946 1,427 1,566 2.58 2.56 2.66 Total : 5,089 5,142 4,615 1.63 1.43 1.58 : Fillets 6/ : 11,619 9,117 8,736 2.75 3.08 3.11 : Total Frozen : 18,039 15,122 14,286 2.38 2.47 2.55 : Fresh & Frozen Fish : Whole : Round & Gutted : 2,205 1,399 1,780 1.20 1.31 1.28 Whole Dressed 3/: 3,150 2,312 2,310 1.94 2.19 2.16 Total : 5,355 3,711 4,090 1.66 1.89 1.81 : Other : Steaks : 199 153 172 2.09 2.39 2.39 Nuggets 4/ : 3,941 4,275 3,599 1.06 1.03 1.05 Other 5/ : 2,163 1,564 1,721 2.63 2.63 2.72 Total : 6,303 5,992 5,492 1.63 1.48 1.61 : Fillets 6/ : 17,709 13,497 13,267 2.80 3.13 3.16 : Total Fresh & Frozen: 29,367 23,200 22,849 2.34 2.51 2.55 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/ Gross value f.o.b. plant. 2/ Revised. 3/ Dressed weight (head, viscera, and skin removed). 4/ Includes weight of breading and added ingredients. 5/ Includes all products not already reported including weight of breading and added ingredients. 6/ Includes regular, shank, and strip fillets; excludes any breaded products. Catfish Processors: Ending Inventory United States, March 2006-2007 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Ending Inventory Item :----------------------------------------------------- : Mar 2006 : Feb 2007 : Mar 2007 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : 1,000 Pounds : Fresh Fish : Whole : Round & Gutted : * * * Whole Dressed 1/ : * * * Total : 212 212 167 : Other : Steaks : * * * Nuggets 2/ : 111 89 63 Other 3/ : * * * Total : 121 98 71 : Fillets 4/ : 363 457 347 : Total Fresh : 696 767 585 : Frozen Fish : Whole Dressed 1/ : 1,047 1,094 1,031 : Other : Steaks : 115 210 202 Nuggets 2/ : 1,529 1,413 1,251 Other 3/ : 995 1,549 1,707 Total : 2,639 3,172 3,160 : Fillets 4/ : 5,881 11,599 11,490 : Total Frozen : 9,567 15,865 15,681 : Fresh & Frozen Fish : Whole : Round & Gutted : * * * Whole Dressed 1/ : * * * Total : 1,259 1,306 1,198 : Other : Steaks : * * * Nuggets 2/ : 1,640 1,502 1,314 Other 3/ : * * * Total : 2,760 3,270 3,231 : Fillets 4/ : 6,244 12,056 11,837 : Total Fresh & Frozen : 10,263 16,632 16,266 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Not published to avoid disclosure of individual operations. 1/ Dressed weight (head, viscera, and skin removed). 2/ Includes weight of breading and added ingredients. 3/ Includes all products not already reported including weight of breading and added ingredients. 4/ Includes regular, shank, and strip fillets; excludes any breaded products. Farm-Raised Catfish: Imports, United States, 2006-2007 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Imports 1/ :----------------------------------------------------------------------- : Ictalurus spp. : Total 2/ :----------------------------------------------------------------------- : : : Percent : : : Percent : : : of : : : of : : : 2006 : : : 2006 Month : 2006 : 2007 : : 2006 : 2007 : -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : 1,000 Pounds Percent -- 1,000 Pounds -- Percent : Jan : 415 4,381 1,056 2,644 12,056 456 Feb : 417 3,030 727 2,491 7,582 304 Mar : 388 3,267 Apr : 403 3,119 May : 356 3,306 Jun : 909 4,424 Jul : 547 5,232 Aug : 819 8,991 Sep : 391 9,091 Oct : 1,406 10,672 Nov : 2,399 12,830 Dec : 3,421 8,897 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/ Data furnished by the U.S. Census Bureau. 2/ Includes freshwater imports for consumption of "Ictalurus" spp., "Pangasius" spp., and other catfish of the order Siluriformes. Farm-Raised Catfish: Exports, United States, 2006-2007 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Exports 1/ :----------------------------------------------------------------------- : Fresh : Frozen :----------------------------------------------------------------------- : : : Percent : : : Percent : : : of : : : of : : : 2006 : : : 2006 Month : 2006 : 2007 : : 2006 : 2007 : -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : 1,000 Pounds Percent 1,000 Pounds Percent : Jan : 73.5 69.7 95 34.3 0.0 Feb : 63.7 69.1 108 15.3 29.9 195 Mar : 78.8 8.6 Apr : 68.4 21.2 May : 58.3 19.0 Jun : 49.7 12.5 Jul : 83.0 36.7 Aug : 106.6 15.2 Sep : 73.6 10.5 Oct : 56.4 11.8 Nov : 40.1 23.5 Dec : 79.3 4.9 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/ Data furnished by the U.S. Census Bureau. Reliability of Catfish Processing Estimates Survey Procedures: Survey data for catfish processing are collected from approximately 20 processors. All participating processors must meet the minimum criteria of having a capacity to process at least 2,000 pounds live weight of catfish per 8-hour shift. The survey is conducted entirely by NASS Headquarter's staff in Washington, D.C.. However, NASS field offices are responsible for informing Headquarter's staff of any new processing operations in their state to ensure a complete survey coverage. Processors are contacted either by mail, telephone, fax or internet. Diligent effort is made to ensure that all operations are accounted for in the estimate. Estimation Procedures: The "Catfish Processing" report refers strictly to farm-raised fish and excludes wild capture fish. Prior to summarization, questionnaires are compared with the previous month's reports for comparable placement of data, reasonable price levels, and a reasonable inventory carryover given the sales and processing totals reported. Estimates are made for those processors whose reports are not available in time to be included in the release. These plants are identified by an asterisk on page 7 of this release. Estimates are normally based on the processor's previous report and current conditions. Published totals are a straight summation of the individual reports and estimated data. Price items are weighted by the associated volumes to compute weighted average prices. The published price for total whole fish, however, reflects an adjustment to the round and gutted only price to bring it to an equivalent dressed weight price. If a plant uses a fiscal accounting system, a proration is used to convert reported data to a calendar month basis. Only national level estimates are published due to the limited number of plants involved. One unique feature of the "Catfish Processing" report is the listing of cooperating processors by name on each month's release. This feature originally was used to solicit industry cooperation in maintaining coverage, but it has continued because of the processors' overall acceptance of this policy. Import and export data for catfish, which are compiled by the U.S. Census Bureau, are also included in this report. Revision Policy: Revisions may be necessary in the previous month's publication based on late reports received from plants. These revisions are made to improve month to month relationships. In February, all monthly estimates for the previous year are reviewed and subject to revision. This review is primarily based on data that may have been received after the original estimates were published. Reliability: Estimates are based on a census of all known active processors and, therefore, have no sampling variability. However, estimates may be subject to errors such as omissions, duplication, and mistakes in reporting, recording, and processing of the data. These errors are minimized through strict quality controls in the edit and summarization process, and a careful review of all reported data for consistency and reasonableness. Terms and Definitions Used for Catfish Processing Estimates: Average Price Paid to Producers - Refers to the price of fish delivered to the processing plant door. Price includes charges for any services provided by the processing plant, such as seining and hauling, but does not include any adjustments based on year-end settlements. Fillets - Boned sides of the fish, cut lengthwise away from the backbone. Fresh Fish - Fish intended for immediate consumption. Also referred to as ice-packed. Frozen Fish - Fish which are individually quick frozen and glazed (IQF) or individually bagged and bulk frozen. Ictalurus spp. - All species under this genus, which includes channel catfish, blue catfish, and other catfish species. Nuggets - Small fillets cuts from below the rib section of the fish and usually includes breading or added ingredients. Pangasius spp. - All species under this genus, which includes basa, tra, stuchi catfish, and other catfish species. Round & Gutted Only - Fish with no processing done or viscera only removed. Round Weight - The term for a fish's live weight. Siluriformes - The scientific order which contains all families of catfish. Steaks - Cross-section cuts from larger dressed fish. Strips - Finger size pieces of fish cut from fillets and usually includes breading or added ingredients. Whole Dressed - Weight of whole fish with only head, viscera, and skin removed. Generally, 60 percent of the live weight remains as dressed fish. Processing data were compiled in cooperation with the following processors: America's Catch, Inc. Harvest Select Catfish, Inc. Carolina Classics Catfish, Inc. Heartland Catfish Consolidated Catfish Co., LLC Lake's Farm Raised Catfish, Inc. Delta Pride Catfish, Inc. Pride of the Pond Delta Supreme Fish Processing Prime Line Catfish Co. Fish Breeders of Idaho, Inc. Seabrook Seafood, Inc. Farm Catch Catfish Processors, Inc. Simmons Farm Raised Catfish, Inc. Freshwater Farms Products, LLC Southern Pride Catfish, LLC Guidry Catfish Processors, Inc. *SouthFresh Farms Haring's Pride Catfish Superior Fish Processors *Estimated Information Contacts Listed below are the commodity specialists in the Livestock Branch of the National Agricultural Statistics Service to contact for additional information. Dan Kerestes, Chief, Livestock Branch(202) 720-3570 Darin Jantzi, Head, Poultry and Specialty Commodities Section(202) 720-3570 David Colwell - Cold Storage(202) 720-8784 Fleming Gibson - Egg Products, Poultry Slaughter, Catfish Processing, Mink . .(202) 690-3237 Darin Jantzi - Layers, Eggs(202) 720-3570 Sharyn Lavender - Broiler Hatchery, Chicken Hatchery, Honey(202) 720-3244 Toby Paterson - Catfish Production, Trout Production, Census of Aquaculture, Turkey Hatchery, Turkeys Raised(202) 720-0585 ACCESS TO REPORTS!! For your convenience, there are several ways to obtain NASS reports, data products, and services: INTERNET ACCESS All NASS reports are available free of charge on the worldwide Internet. For access, connect to the Internet and go to the NASS Home Page at: www.nass.usda.gov. E-MAIL SUBSCRIPTION All NASS reports are available by subscription free of charge direct to your e-mail address. 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