Aq 1 (8-07) Catfish Processing National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released August 21, 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 14 Percent from Last Year Farm-raised catfish processed during July 2007 totaled 39.2 million pounds round weight, down 14 percent from July 2006. This total is the lowest reported July round weight processed since July 1996 when 39.0 million pounds were processed. The average price paid to producers was 76.2 cents per pound for July 2007, down 5.5 cents from last month and 5.0 cents below a year ago. Net pounds of processed fish sold during July 2007 totaled 20.4 million pounds, down 8 percent from the comparable month in 2006. The total end of the month inventory decreased 10 percent from last month but was up 49 percent from a year ago. Sales of fresh fish, at 7.25 million pounds, were down 8 percent from July 2006 and represented 36 percent of total sales. Frozen fish sales, at 13.1 million pounds, were down 8 percent from a year ago and accounted for the remaining 64 percent of total fish sales. Sales of whole fish represented 16 percent of the total fish sold, fillets accounted for 63 percent, and the remaining 21 percent were mostly steaks, nuggets, and value added products. The July 2007 average price received by processors for total fresh fish was $2.53 per pound, unchanged from last year. Prices for fresh whole fish were $1.73 per pound, up 1 cent from July 2006. Prices for fresh fillets were unchanged from a year ago at $3.18 per pound. Total frozen fish averaged $2.48 per pound, down 12 cents from July 2006. Prices for frozen whole dressed fish were down 5 cents at $2.19 and frozen fillets at $2.93 per pound were down 8 cents from a year ago. Freshwater imports of Ictalurus spp., Pangasius spp., and other catfish of the order Siluriformes for June 2007 totaled 5.47 million pounds, up 24 percent from the amount imported in June 2006. Imports were from Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, China-Taipei, Indonesia, Philippines, Spain, Thailand, and Vietnam. The Ictalurus spp. imports totaled 388 thousand pounds, which were from Brazil, Canada, China, China-Taipei, and Philippines. Fresh boneless catfish fillet exports totaled 69.3 thousand pounds, with 54.3 thousand pounds going to Canada and the rest going to the Bahamas and the Netherlands. Exports of frozen, boneless catfish fillets reported for June 2007 totaled 24.3 thousand pounds, which all went to China. 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 37,954 88 199,289 173,747 87 0.785 0.841 0.056 May :42,865 38,867 91 242,154 212,614 88 0.796 0.840 0.044 Jun :41,214 37,275 90 283,368 249,889 88 0.807 0.817 0.010 Jul :45,528 39,168 86 328,896 289,057 88 0.812 0.762 -0.050 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, July 2006-2007 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Sales : Average : Volume : Price 2/ Item 1/ :----------------------------------------------------------- : Jul : Jun : Jul : Jul : Jun : Jul : 2006 : 2007 : 2007 : 2006 : 2007 : 2007 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : ------ 1,000 Pounds ------ --- Dollars per Pound -- : Fresh Fish : Whole : Round & Gutted : 1,391 1,380 1,188 1.28 1.24 1.23 Whole Dressed : 1,324 1,300 1,300 2.09 2.12 2.11 Total : 2,715 2,680 2,488 1.72 1.71 1.73 : Other : Steaks : 76 77 84 2.41 2.44 2.40 Nuggets : 612 536 570 1.38 1.36 1.33 Other : 174 108 99 3.31 3.44 3.40 Total : 862 721 753 1.86 1.79 1.72 : Fillets : 4,276 3,710 4,005 3.18 3.26 3.18 : Total Fresh : 7,853 7,111 7,246 2.53 2.53 2.53 : Frozen Fish : Whole Dressed : 953 832 824 2.24 2.20 2.19 : Other : Steaks : 77 85 84 2.29 2.16 2.20 Nuggets : 2,360 2,089 2,419 1.02 0.94 0.91 Other : 1,357 1,038 916 2.78 2.51 2.56 Total : 3,794 3,212 3,419 1.68 1.48 1.38 : Fillets : 9,456 8,301 8,888 3.01 2.98 2.93 : Total Frozen : 14,203 12,345 13,131 2.60 2.54 2.48 : Fresh & Frozen Fish : Whole : Round & Gutted : 1,391 1,380 1,188 1.28 1.24 1.23 Whole Dressed : 2,277 2,132 2,124 2.15 2.15 2.14 Total : 3,668 3,512 3,312 1.85 1.82 1.84 : Other : Steaks : 153 162 168 2.35 2.29 2.30 Nuggets : 2,972 2,625 2,989 1.09 1.03 0.99 Other : 1,531 1,146 1,015 2.84 2.60 2.64 Total : 4,656 3,933 4,172 1.71 1.54 1.44 : Fillets : 13,732 12,011 12,893 3.06 3.07 3.01 : Total Fresh & Frozen: 22,056 19,456 20,377 2.58 2.53 2.50 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/ For further detail, please refer to the terms and definitions sections of this report. 2/ Gross value f.o.b. plant. Catfish Processors: Ending Inventory United States, July 2006-2007 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Ending Inventory Item 1/ :----------------------------------------------------- : Jul 2006 : Jun 2007 : Jul 2007 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : 1,000 Pounds : Fresh Fish : Whole : Round & Gutted : * * * Whole Dressed : * * * Total : 173 119 197 : Other : Steaks : * * * Nuggets : 165 66 80 Other : * * * Total : 177 70 89 : Fillets : 581 308 384 : Total Fresh : 931 497 670 : Frozen Fish : Whole Dressed : 716 898 916 : Other : Steaks : 40 * 157 Nuggets : 2,296 1,125 1,373 Other : 737 * 1,311 Total : 3,073 2,776 2,841 : Fillets : 3,849 9,957 8,313 : Total Frozen : 7,638 13,631 12,070 : Fresh & Frozen Fish : Whole : Round & Gutted : * * * Whole Dressed : * * * Total : 889 1,017 1,113 : Other : Steaks : * * * Nuggets : 2,461 1,191 1,453 Other : * * * Total : 3,250 2,846 2,930 : Fillets : 4,430 10,265 8,697 : Total Fresh & Frozen : 8,569 14,128 12,740 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Not published to avoid disclosure of individual operations. 1/ For further detail, please refer to the terms and definitions sections of this report. Catfish: Imports, United States, 2006-2007 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Imports 1/ :----------------------------------------------------------------------- : Ictalurus spp. : Total 2/ :----------------------------------------------------------------------- : : : Percent : : : Percent : : : of : : : of Month : 2006 : 2007 : 2006 : 2006 : 2007 : 2006 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : 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 2,101 541 3,267 6,430 197 Apr : 403 1,139 283 3,119 5,097 163 May : 356 1,394 392 3,306 5,434 164 Jun : 909 388 43 4,424 5,469 124 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 compiled by the U.S. Census Bureau. 2/ Includes freshwater imports for consumption of "Ictalurus" spp., "Pangasius" spp., and other catfish of the order Siluriformes. Catfish: Exports, United States, 2006-2007 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Exports 1/ :----------------------------------------------------------------------- : Fresh : Frozen :----------------------------------------------------------------------- : : : Percent : : : Percent : : : of : : : of Month : 2006 : 2007 : 2006 : 2006 : 2007 : 2006 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : 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 : 78.8 252.8 321 8.6 14.3 166 Apr : 68.4 73.5 107 21.2 0.0 May : 58.3 51.8 89 19.0 5.1 27 Jun : 49.7 69.3 139 12.5 24.3 194 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 compiled 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 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 6 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, prorating 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. Processing data were compiled in cooperation with the following processors: America's Catch, Inc. Harvest Select Catfish, Inc. Carolina Classics Catfish, Inc. Heartland Catfish Country Select Catfish, LLC Lake's Farm Raised Catfish, Inc. Delta Pride Catfish, Inc. Pride of the Pond Delta Supreme Fish Processors 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, Inc. SouthFresh Farms Haring's Pride Catfish Superior Fish Products 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. Includes regular, shank, and strip fillets; excludes any breaded products. 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 weight of breading and added ingredients. Other Products - Includes steaks, nuggets, and all other products not separately reported including the weight of breading and 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. 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. 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