Aq 1 (3-09) Catfish Processing National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released March 18, 2009, by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, U.S. Department of Agriculture. For information on "Catfish Processing" call Bruce Boess at (202) 720-4447, 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 February 2009 totaled 37.7 million pounds round weight, down 21 percent from February 2008. The average price paid to producers was 77.0 cents per pound for February 2009, down 4.0 cents from last month but 8.2 cents above a year ago. Net pounds of processed fish sold during February 2009 totaled 20.7 million pounds, down 17 percent from the comparable month in 2008. The total end of the month inventory decreased 16 percent from last month but was up 7 percent from a year ago. Sales of fresh fish, at 7.29 million pounds, were down 22 percent from February 2008 and represented 35 percent of total sales. Frozen fish sales, at 13.4 million pounds, were down 15 percent from a year ago and accounted for the remaining 65 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 February 2009 average price received by processors for total fresh fish was $2.46 per pound, up 23 cents from last year. Prices for fresh whole fish were $1.67 per pound, up 17 cents from February 2008. Prices for fresh fillets were up 36 cents from a year ago at $3.24 per pound. Total frozen fish averaged $2.59 per pound, up 28 cents from February 2008. Prices for frozen whole dressed fish were up 13 cents at $2.20 and frozen fillets at $3.02 per pound were up 29 cents from a year ago. Freshwater imports for consumption of Ictalurus spp., Pangasius spp., and other catfish of the order Siluriformes for January 2009 totaled 9.82 million pounds, up 2 percent from the amount imported in January 2008. Imports were from Cambodia, Canada, China, Malaysia, Mexico, Spain, Thailand, and Vietnam. The Ictalurus spp. imports totaled 2.34 million pounds, which were from China, Mexico, and Spain. Fresh boneless catfish fillet exports totaled 87.0 thousand pounds, with 50.8 thousand pounds going to Canada and the rest going to Bahamas and the Netherlands. No exports of frozen, boneless catfish fillets were reported for January 2009. Import and export data are compiled by the U.S. Census Bureau. Farm-Raised Catfish: Quantity Processed and Prices Received by Producers, by Month, United States, 2008-2009 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Round Weight Processed :------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Monthly : Cumulative : Price per Pound 1/ :------------------------------------------------------------------------- : : : : : : : : :Change : : :Pct of : : :Pct of : : : from Month: 2008 : 2009 : 2008 : 2008 : 2009 : 2008 :2008 2/: 2009 : 2008 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : 1,000 Pounds Percent 1,000 Pounds Percent ------ Dollars ------ : Jan 2/:45,992 36,406 79 45,992 36,406 79 0.658 0.810 0.152 Feb :47,634 37,699 79 93,626 74,105 79 0.688 0.770 0.082 Mar :47,908 141,534 0.743 Apr :45,018 186,552 0.757 May :44,326 230,878 0.776 Jun :43,265 274,143 0.794 Jul :42,583 316,726 0.818 Aug :40,985 357,711 0.827 Sep :39,057 396,768 0.827 Oct :43,344 440,112 0.825 Nov :36,869 476,981 0.823 Dec :32,616 509,597 0.821 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. 2/ Revised 2009 data only. Catfish Processors: Sales Volume and Average Price by Month, United States, 2008-2009 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Sales : Average : Volume : Price 2/ Item 1/ :----------------------------------------------------------- : Feb : Jan 3/ : Feb : Feb : Jan 3/ : Feb : 2008 : 2009 : 2009 : 2008 : 2009 : 2009 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : ------ 1,000 Pounds ------ --- Dollars per Pound -- : Fresh Fish : Whole : Round & Gutted : 1,974 987 1,263 1.13 1.16 1.16 Whole Dressed : 1,611 1,550 1,489 1.86 2.04 2.04 Total : 3,585 2,537 2,752 1.50 1.72 1.67 : Other : Steaks : 85 92 83 2.26 2.43 2.45 Nuggets : 653 578 679 1.20 1.38 1.26 Other : 81 39 48 3.18 3.70 3.55 Total : 819 709 810 1.51 1.64 1.52 : Fillets : 4,922 3,795 3,732 2.88 3.30 3.24 : Total Fresh : 9,326 7,041 7,294 2.23 2.57 2.46 : Frozen Fish : Whole Dressed : 963 704 879 2.07 2.26 2.20 : Other : Steaks : 96 55 62 1.90 2.48 2.35 Nuggets : 3,238 2,635 2,800 0.95 1.14 1.16 Other : 1,191 1,159 1,289 2.59 3.37 3.18 Total : 4,525 3,849 4,151 1.40 1.83 1.81 : Fillets : 10,183 7,668 8,332 2.73 3.01 3.02 : Total Frozen : 15,671 12,221 13,362 2.31 2.60 2.59 : Fresh & Frozen Fish : Whole : Round & Gutted : 1,974 987 1,263 1.13 1.16 1.16 Whole Dressed : 2,574 2,254 2,368 1.94 2.11 2.10 Total : 4,548 3,241 3,631 1.62 1.84 1.80 : Other : Steaks : 181 147 145 2.07 2.45 2.41 Nuggets : 3,891 3,213 3,479 0.99 1.18 1.18 Other : 1,272 1,198 1,337 2.63 3.38 3.19 Total : 5,344 4,558 4,961 1.42 1.80 1.76 : Fillets : 15,105 11,463 12,064 2.78 3.11 3.09 : Total Fresh & Frozen: 24,997 19,262 20,656 2.28 2.58 2.54 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/ For further detail, please refer to the terms and definitions section of this report. 2/ Gross value f.o.b. plant. 3/ Revised. Catfish Processors: Ending Inventory by Month, United States, 2008-2009 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Ending Inventory Item 1/ :----------------------------------------------------- : Feb 2008 : Jan 2009 2/ : Feb 2009 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : 1,000 Pounds : Fresh Fish : Whole : Round & Gutted : * * * Whole Dressed : * * * Total : 170 191 127 : Other : Steaks : * * * Nuggets : 46 99 72 Other : * * * Total : 51 103 81 : Fillets : 320 545 414 : Total Fresh : 541 839 622 : Frozen Fish : Whole Dressed : 1,155 724 499 : Other : Steaks : * * * Nuggets : 961 1,173 911 Other : * * * Total : 1,877 2,296 1,819 : Fillets : 7,421 10,084 8,838 : Total Frozen : 10,453 13,104 11,156 : Fresh & Frozen Fish : Whole : Round & Gutted : * * * Whole Dressed : * * * Total : 1,325 915 626 : Other : Steaks : * * * Nuggets : 1,007 1,272 983 Other : * * * Total : 1,928 2,399 1,900 : Fillets : 7,741 10,629 9,252 : Total Fresh & Frozen : 10,994 13,943 11,778 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Not published to avoid disclosure of individual operations. 1/ For further detail, please refer to the terms and definitions section of this report. 2/ Revised. Catfish: Imports, by Month, United States, 2008-2009 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Imports 1/ :----------------------------------------------------------------------- : Ictalurus spp. : Total 2/ :----------------------------------------------------------------------- : : : Percent : : : Percent : : : of : : : of Month : 2008 : 2009 : 2008 : 2008 : 2009 : 2008 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : 1,000 Pounds Percent -- 1,000 Pounds -- Percent : Jan : 2,944 2,344 80 9,666 9,819 102 Feb : 2,575 9,603 Mar : 2,040 7,884 Apr : 3,040 10,492 May : 2,864 10,151 Jun : 1,758 11,299 Jul : 1,202 8,674 Aug : 1,315 6,994 Sep : 987 6,462 Oct : 579 7,188 Nov : 1,374 6,198 Dec : 2,425 7,817 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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, by Month, United States, 2008-2009 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Exports 1/ :----------------------------------------------------------------------- : Fresh : Frozen :----------------------------------------------------------------------- : : : Percent : : : Percent : : : of : : : of Month : 2008 : 2009 : 2008 : 2008 : 2009 : 2008 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : 1,000 Pounds Percent 1,000 Pounds Percent : Jan : 134.6 87.0 65 23.1 0.0 Feb : 71.6 0.0 Mar : 106.3 11.9 Apr : 72.3 1.2 May : 57.0 0.0 Jun : 71.0 10.9 Jul : 52.1 14.6 Aug : 62.9 12.0 Sep : 62.6 3.5 Oct : 74.6 8.0 Nov : 122.6 1.2 Dec : 74.4 7.3 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 18 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 Headquarters staff in Washington, D.C. However, NASS field offices are responsible for informing Headquarters 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, LLC Heartland Catfish Consolidated Catfish Producers, LLC * Lake's Farm Raised Catfish Inc. Delta Supreme Fish Processors Pride of the Pond Fish Breeders of Idaho, Inc. Prime Line Inc. Farm Catch Catfish Processors, Inc. Seabrook Seafood, Inc. Freshwater Farms Products, LLC Simmons Farm Raised Catfish, Inc. Guidry Catfish, Inc. SouthFresh Farms Haring's Pride Catfish Superior Fish Products * Estimated 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 Bruce Boess, Head, Poultry and Specialty Commodities Section.....(202) 720-4447 David Colwell - Cold Storage................................(202) 720-8784 Fleming Gibson - Poultry Slaughter, Turkey Hatchery, Turkeys Raised............................................(202) 690-3237 Sharyn Lavender - Broiler Hatchery, Chicken Hatchery, Honey.....................................................(202) 720-3244 Kim Linonis - Layers, Eggs..................................(202) 690-8632 Bruce Boess - Catfish Processing, Catfish Production, Trout Production, Census of Aquaculture, Egg Products, Mink......................................................(202) 720-4447 ACCESS TO REPORTS!! 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