Catfish Processing ISSN: 1948-2701 Released February 21, 2012, by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Catfish Processing Down 26 Percent from Last Year Farm-raised catfish processed during January 2012 totaled 25.8 million pounds round weight, down 26 percent from January 2011. The average price paid to producers was $1.25 per pound for January 2012, down 0.3 cent from last month but 31.7 cents above a year ago. Net pounds of processed fish sold during January 2012 totaled 13.4 million pounds, down 26 percent from the comparable month in 2011. Sales of fresh fish, at 4.92 million pounds, were down 22 percent from January 2011 and represented 37 percent of total sales. Frozen fish sales, at 8.50 million pounds, were down 28 percent from a year ago and accounted for the remaining 63 percent of total fish sales. Sales of whole fish represented 20 percent of the total fish sold, fillets accounted for 55 percent, and the remaining 25 percent were mostly steaks, nuggets, and value added products. The total end of the month inventory decreased 2 percent from last month but was up 14 percent from a year ago. The total fresh and frozen average price for January 2012 was $3.43, up 59 cents from a year ago. The January 2012 average price received by processors for total fresh fish was $3.45 per pound, up 76 cents from last year. Prices for fresh whole fish were $2.44 per pound, up 54 cents from January 2011. Prices for fresh fillets were up $1.26 from a year ago at $4.73 per pound. Total frozen fish averaged $3.42 per pound, up 49 cents from January 2011. Prices for frozen whole dressed fish were up 63 cents at $3.04 and frozen fillets at $4.26 per pound were up 96 cents from a year ago. Imports for consumption of Ictalurus spp., Pangasius spp., and other catfish of the order Siluriformes for December 2011 totaled 22.6 million pounds, up 34 percent from the amount imported in December 2010. Imports were from Cambodia, China, Thailand, and Vietnam. The Ictalurus spp. imports totaled 2.11 million pounds, which were from China. Fresh catfish fillet exports totaled 51.4 thousand pounds, with 45.4 thousand pounds going to Canada and the rest going to St. Kitts-Nevis. Exports of frozen catfish fillets reported for December 2011 totaled 3.6 thousand pounds, going to the Bahamas. Import and export data are compiled by the United States Census Bureau. 2011 Annual Catfish Processing Down 29 Percent Farm-raised catfish processed during 2011 totaled 334 million pounds, 29 percent below the 472 million pounds processed in 2010. The average price paid to producers in 2011 was $1.17 per pound, 37 cents above the 80.1 cents paid last year. Net pounds of processed catfish sold in 2011 totaled 167 million pounds, down 28 percent from the 232 million pounds sold last year. The 2011 average price received for processed fish was $3.39 per pound, up 89 cents from a year ago. Inventory on hand at the end of 2011 totaled 12.9 million pounds, an increase of 5 percent from the 12.3 million pounds on hand at the close of 2010. This page intentionally left blank. Contents Farm-Raised Catfish Processed and Prices Paid to Producers by Month - United States: 2011-2012........ 4 Catfish Processed - United States..................................................................... 4 Average Catfish Grower Price - United States.......................................................... 4 Processed Farm-Raised Catfish Sales Volume and Average Price by Month - United States: 2011 and 2012.. 5 Processed Farm-Raised Catfish Ending Inventory by Month - United States: 2011 and 2012................ 6 Catfish Imports by Month - United States: 2010-2011................................................... 7 Catfish Exports by Month - United States: 2010-2011................................................... 7 Farm-Raised Catfish Round Weight Processed by Month - United States: 1997-2011........................ 8 Farm-Raised Catfish Prices Received by Producers by Month - United States: 1997-2011.................. 9 Processed Farm-Raised Catfish Sales Volume by Month - United States: 2011............................. 10 Processed Farm-Raised Catfish Average Sales Price by Month - United States: 2011...................... 11 Processed Farm-Raised Catfish Ending Inventory, by Month - United States: 2011........................ 12 Catfish Imports by Month - United States: 1997-2011................................................... 13 Catfish "Ictalurus" spp. Imports by Month - United States: 2007-2011.................................. 13 Statistical Methodology............................................................................... 14 Catfish Processors.................................................................................... 14 Terms and Definitions................................................................................. 15 Information Contacts.................................................................................. 15 Farm-Raised Catfish Processed and Prices Paid to Producers by Month - United States: 2011-2012 [Blank cells indicate estimation period has not yet begun.] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Round weight processed :------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Monthly : Cumulative : Price per pound 1/ :------------------------------------------------------------------------- : : :2012 as: : :2012 as: : :Change : : :percent: : :percent: : : from Month : 2011 : 2012 :of 2011: 2011 : 2012 :of 2011: 2011 : 2012 : 2011 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : 1,000 pounds percent 1,000 pounds percent ------ dollars ------ : January ...:35,076 25,843 74 35,076 25,843 74 0.931 1.248 0.317 February ..:27,782 62,858 1.003 March .....:30,372 93,230 1.075 April .....:23,605 116,835 1.141 May .......:24,749 141,584 1.169 June ......:24,337 165,921 1.231 July ......:26,595 192,516 1.252 August ....:30,680 223,196 1.277 September .:30,271 253,467 1.275 October ...:32,264 285,731 1.262 November ..:25,814 311,545 1.257 December ..:22,598 334,143 1.251 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/ Quantity processed by major processors and the prices paid 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. Price also includes any discounts or premiums for size or quality, but does not include adjustments based on year-end settlements. Processed Farm-Raised Catfish Sales Volume and Average Price by Month - United States: 2011 and 2012 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ : Sales volume : Average price 2/ Item 1/ :----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : January : December : January : January : December : January : 2011 : 2011 : 2012 : 2011 : 2011 : 2012 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ : ------------ 1,000 pounds ------------ ------------- dollars per pound ------------ : Fresh fish : Whole : Round and gutted ...........: 1,119 936 1,189 1.49 1.81 1.87 Whole dressed ..............: 1,369 942 1,030 2.15 2.97 2.98 Total ......................: 2,488 1,878 2,219 1.90 2.45 2.44 : Other : Steaks .....................: 80 40 45 2.56 3.63 3.60 Nuggets ....................: 497 357 404 1.48 1.87 1.83 Other ......................: 38 23 24 3.90 4.80 4.85 Total ......................: 615 420 473 1.77 2.20 2.15 : Fillets ......................: 3,220 1,877 2,231 3.47 4.78 4.73 : Total fresh ..................: 6,323 4,175 4,923 2.69 3.47 3.45 : Frozen fish : Whole dressed ................: 593 434 526 2.41 3.11 3.04 : Other : Steaks .....................: 74 33 44 2.16 3.30 3.24 Nuggets ....................: 2,052 1,654 2,160 1.32 1.40 1.33 Other ......................: 1,477 704 626 3.46 4.38 4.00 Total ......................: 3,603 2,391 2,830 2.21 2.30 1.95 : Fillets ......................: 7,685 4,321 5,148 3.30 4.29 4.26 : Total frozen .................: 11,881 7,146 8,504 2.93 3.55 3.42 : Fresh and frozen fish : Whole : Round and gutted ...........: 1,119 936 1,189 1.49 1.81 1.87 Whole dressed ..............: 1,962 1,376 1,556 2.23 3.01 3.00 Total ......................: 3,081 2,312 2,745 2.00 2.58 2.56 : Other : Steaks .....................: 154 73 89 2.37 3.48 3.42 Nuggets ....................: 2,549 2,011 2,564 1.35 1.48 1.41 Other ......................: 1,515 727 650 3.47 4.39 4.03 Total ......................: 4,218 2,811 3,303 2.15 2.29 1.98 : Fillets ......................: 10,905 6,198 7,379 3.35 4.44 4.40 : Total fresh and frozen fish ..: 18,204 11,321 13,427 2.84 3.52 3.43 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1/ For further detail, please refer to the terms and definitions section of this report. 2/ Gross value FOB plant. Processed Farm-Raised Catfish Ending Inventory by Month - United States: 2011 and 2012 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Ending inventory Item 1/ :----------------------------------------------------- : January 2011 : December 2011 : January 2012 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : 1,000 pounds : Fresh fish : Whole : Round and gutted .............: (D) (D) (D) Whole dressed ................: (D) (D) (D) Total ........................: 213 76 131 : Other : Steaks .......................: (D) (D) (D) Nuggets ......................: 88 46 86 Other ........................: (D) (D) (D) Total ........................: 92 59 92 : Fillets ........................: 377 331 382 : Total fresh ....................: 682 466 605 : Frozen fish : Whole dressed ..................: 1,090 464 407 : Other : Steaks .......................: (D) (D) (D) Nuggets ......................: 2,170 1,761 1,477 Other ........................: (D) (D) (D) Total ........................: 3,011 2,290 1,859 : Fillets ........................: 6,351 9,683 9,807 : Total frozen ...................: 10,452 12,437 12,073 : Fresh and frozen fish : Whole : Round and gutted .............: (D) (D) (D) Whole dressed ................: (D) (D) (D) Total ........................: 1,303 540 538 : Other : Steaks .......................: (D) (D) (D) Nuggets ......................: 2,258 1,807 1,563 Other ........................: (D) (D) (D) Total ........................: 3,103 2,349 1,951 : Fillets ........................: 6,728 10,014 10,189 : Total fresh and frozen fish ....: 11,134 12,903 12,678 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (D) Withheld to avoid disclosing data for individual operations. 1/ For further detail, please refer to the terms and definitions section of this report. Catfish Imports by Month - United States: 2010-2011 [Data compiled by the United States Census Bureau.] --------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Imports :----------------------------------------------------------- : Ictalurus spp. : Total 1/ :----------------------------------------------------------- : : : 2011 as : : : 2011 as : : : percent : : : percent Month : 2010 : 2011 : of 2010 : 2010 : 2011 : of 2010 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- : 1,000 pounds percent 1,000 pounds percent : January .......: 3,091 1,301 42 14,612 16,276 111 February ......: 2,150 1,015 47 10,421 13,790 132 March .........: 1,179 211 18 7,608 9,133 120 April .........: 1,220 216 18 8,804 13,325 151 May ...........: 656 113 17 9,971 16,314 164 June ..........: 651 11 2 10,293 14,643 142 July ..........: 516 19 4 10,268 18,034 176 August ........: 70 39 56 9,957 18,383 185 September .....: 195 171 88 11,626 18,576 160 October .......: 196 838 428 15,046 20,335 135 November ......: 586 1,372 234 12,032 22,262 185 December ......: 1,269 2,113 167 16,897 22,608 134 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/ Includes freshwater imports for consumption of "Ictalurus" spp., "Pangasius" spp., and other catfish of the order Siluriformes. Catfish Exports by Month - United States: 2010-2011 [Data compiled by the United States Census Bureau.] --------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Exports :----------------------------------------------------------- : Fresh : Frozen :----------------------------------------------------------- : : : 2011 as : : : 2011 as : : : percent : : : percent Month : 2010 : 2011 : of 2010 : 2010 : 2011 : of 2010 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- : 1,000 pounds percent 1,000 pounds percent : January .......: 90.4 53.9 60 26.4 10.2 39 February ......: 58.2 56.7 97 33.8 13.2 39 March .........: 165.8 42.3 26 16.5 2.2 13 April .........: 39.5 38.7 98 28.8 - (X) May ...........: 47.3 41.0 87 20.5 3.0 15 June ..........: 34.2 38.0 111 14.9 1.8 12 July ..........: 39.5 150.0 380 29.7 7.8 26 August ........: 45.4 72.7 160 3.3 - (X) September .....: 38.6 29.4 76 16.4 1.1 7 October .......: 72.5 55.9 77 20.3 3.6 18 November ......: 40.8 42.7 105 6.6 2.7 41 December ......: 45.7 51.4 112 1.3 3.6 277 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- - Represents zero. (X) Not applicable. Farm-Raised Catfish Round Weight Processed by Month - United States: 1997-2011 ---------------------------------------------------------------------: Year : January :February : March : April : May : June : ---------------------------------------------------------------------: : --------------------- 1,000 pounds --------------------- : 1997 ....: 42,409 45,067 48,431 45,721 43,409 42,282 1998 ....: 46,723 47,606 53,761 49,393 45,218 46,244 1999 ....: 48,723 48,891 56,310 46,830 47,703 48,445 2000 ....: 50,552 50,942 56,856 48,781 48,424 48,011 2001 ....: 46,999 50,257 57,766 52,478 51,736 47,883 2002 ....: 52,551 52,856 58,340 50,694 52,902 49,450 2003 ....: 55,523 55,461 65,007 57,105 58,424 52,441 2004 ....: 53,849 54,173 60,272 53,896 52,324 50,155 2005 ....: 53,856 51,720 57,117 50,306 51,552 49,626 2006 ....: 50,703 49,145 56,315 43,126 42,865 41,214 : 2007 ....: 46,079 44,083 45,477 37,954 38,867 37,275 2008 ....: 45,992 47,634 47,908 45,018 44,326 43,265 2009 ....: 36,406 37,702 44,912 40,768 39,925 39,370 2010 ....: 40,042 40,977 46,650 37,111 38,244 38,656 2011 ....: 35,076 27,782 30,372 23,605 24,749 24,337 :--------------------------------------------------------------------- : July : August :September: October :November :December : Total :--------------------------------------------------------------------- : 1,000 pounds : 1997 ....: 43,376 44,154 43,472 46,275 40,137 40,216 524,949 1998 ....: 46,383 47,739 46,579 47,904 43,224 43,581 564,355 1999 ....: 50,074 50,372 50,414 52,407 48,118 48,341 596,628 2000 ....: 49,023 53,204 49,422 51,412 45,535 41,441 593,603 2001 ....: 47,829 51,690 49,699 52,264 44,670 43,837 597,108 2002 ....: 52,363 54,383 53,366 56,576 50,072 47,048 630,601 2003 ....: 54,089 54,153 51,885 57,652 51,246 48,518 661,504 2004 ....: 51,055 53,295 51,329 52,396 49,536 48,170 630,450 2005 ....: 47,241 50,686 47,151 49,034 46,674 45,707 600,670 2006 ....: 45,528 51,736 47,296 50,788 45,680 41,735 566,131 : 2007 ....: 39,168 42,626 39,519 45,890 40,307 39,001 496,246 2008 ....: 42,583 40,985 39,057 43,344 36,869 32,616 509,597 2009 ....: 40,966 39,490 36,408 40,191 36,211 33,751 466,100 2010 ....: 39,302 39,231 39,494 40,455 36,683 34,838 471,683 2011 ....: 26,595 30,680 30,271 32,264 25,814 22,598 334,143 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Farm-Raised Catfish Prices Received by Producers by Month - United States: 1997-2011 [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] ---------------------------------------------------------------------: Year : January :February : March : April : May : June : ---------------------------------------------------------------------: : ------------------ dollars per pound ------------------ : 1997 ....: 0.730 0.730 0.730 0.730 0.730 0.720 1998 ....: 0.690 0.730 0.780 0.790 0.790 0.780 1999 ....: 0.703 0.714 0.732 0.756 0.777 0.775 2000 ....: 0.744 0.788 0.789 0.789 0.785 0.786 2001 ....: 0.693 0.696 0.697 0.694 0.687 0.669 2002 ....: 0.549 0.555 0.565 0.561 0.574 0.588 2003 ....: 0.529 0.544 0.585 0.630 0.618 0.586 2004 ....: 0.668 0.703 0.723 0.728 0.720 0.689 2005 ....: 0.725 0.731 0.733 0.725 0.722 0.721 2006 ....: 0.727 0.729 0.745 0.785 0.796 0.807 : 2007 ....: 0.837 0.838 0.838 0.841 0.840 0.817 2008 ....: 0.658 0.688 0.743 0.757 0.776 0.794 2009 ....: 0.810 0.770 0.773 0.763 0.762 0.763 2010 ....: 0.764 0.765 0.785 0.804 0.796 0.786 2011 ....: 0.931 1.003 1.075 1.141 1.169 1.231 :--------------------------------------------------------------------- : July : August :September: October :November :December : Average :--------------------------------------------------------------------- : dollars per pound : 1997 ....: 0.710 0.700 0.690 0.690 0.690 0.690 0.712 1998 ....: 0.760 0.740 0.730 0.710 0.700 0.700 0.743 1999 ....: 0.768 0.743 0.728 0.716 0.713 0.716 0.737 2000 ....: 0.760 0.741 0.727 0.710 0.696 0.682 0.751 2001 ....: 0.656 0.624 0.610 0.596 0.566 0.554 0.647 2002 ....: 0.590 0.582 0.576 0.568 0.560 0.544 0.568 2003 ....: 0.564 0.552 0.560 0.567 0.610 0.629 0.581 2004 ....: 0.682 0.683 0.683 0.695 0.689 0.690 0.697 2005 ....: 0.723 0.724 0.724 0.724 0.724 0.726 0.725 2006 ....: 0.812 0.811 0.832 0.836 0.837 0.838 0.795 : 2007 ....: 0.762 0.731 0.697 0.682 0.666 0.650 0.767 2008 ....: 0.818 0.827 0.827 0.825 0.823 0.821 0.776 2009 ....: 0.771 0.769 0.772 0.768 0.765 0.763 0.771 2010 ....: 0.788 0.790 0.816 0.832 0.841 0.861 0.801 2011 ....: 1.252 1.277 1.275 1.262 1.257 1.251 1.172 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Processed Farm-Raised Catfish Sales Volume by Month - United States: 2011 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Whole fish : Other : : :---------------------------------------------------------------------: : Month :Round and: : : : : : : Fillets : Total : gutted : Whole : Total : Steaks : Nuggets : Other : Total : : sales : only : dressed : : : : : : : ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : 1,000 pounds Fresh : January ......: 1,119 1,369 2,488 80 497 38 615 3,220 6,323 February .....: 943 1,103 2,046 78 421 36 535 2,650 5,231 March ........: 1,353 1,261 2,614 58 460 38 556 2,880 6,050 April ........: 1,224 1,035 2,259 47 470 34 551 2,351 5,161 May ..........: 1,120 941 2,061 49 407 29 485 2,199 4,745 June .........: 1,044 981 2,025 55 379 27 461 2,105 4,591 July .........: 592 892 1,484 36 398 22 456 2,227 4,167 August .......: 771 930 1,701 52 384 26 462 2,199 4,362 September ....: 672 963 1,635 44 371 29 444 2,047 4,126 October ......: 956 1,007 1,963 43 407 24 474 2,165 4,602 November .....: 1,098 923 2,021 43 360 20 423 1,892 4,336 December .....: 936 942 1,878 40 357 23 420 1,877 4,175 : Total ........: 11,828 12,347 24,175 625 4,911 346 5,882 27,812 57,869 : Frozen : January ......: (X) 593 593 74 2,052 1,477 3,603 7,685 11,881 February .....: (X) 762 762 51 1,773 914 2,738 6,833 10,333 March ........: (X) 816 816 71 2,203 1,443 3,717 7,401 11,934 April ........: (X) 595 595 53 1,770 623 2,446 5,777 8,818 May ..........: (X) 609 609 61 1,465 432 1,958 5,279 7,846 June .........: (X) 483 483 48 1,830 443 2,321 5,013 7,817 July .........: (X) 544 544 56 2,017 490 2,563 5,505 8,612 August .......: (X) 585 585 92 2,279 498 2,869 6,417 9,871 September ....: (X) 508 508 43 2,151 852 3,046 5,730 9,284 October ......: (X) 486 486 43 1,954 595 2,592 5,213 8,291 November .....: (X) 466 466 33 1,900 546 2,479 4,562 7,507 December .....: (X) 434 434 33 1,654 704 2,391 4,321 7,146 : Total ........: (X) 6,881 6,881 658 23,048 9,017 32,723 69,736 109,340 : Fresh and frozen: January ......: 1,119 1,962 3,081 154 2,549 1,515 4,218 10,905 18,204 February .....: 943 1,865 2,808 129 2,194 950 3,273 9,483 15,564 March ........: 1,353 2,077 3,430 129 2,663 1,481 4,273 10,281 17,984 April ........: 1,224 1,630 2,854 100 2,240 657 2,997 8,128 13,979 May ..........: 1,120 1,550 2,670 110 1,872 461 2,443 7,478 12,591 June .........: 1,044 1,464 2,508 103 2,209 470 2,782 7,118 12,408 July .........: 592 1,436 2,028 92 2,415 512 3,019 7,732 12,779 August .......: 771 1,515 2,286 144 2,663 524 3,331 8,616 14,233 September ....: 672 1,471 2,143 87 2,522 881 3,490 7,777 13,410 October ......: 956 1,493 2,449 86 2,361 619 3,066 7,378 12,893 November .....: 1,098 1,389 2,487 76 2,260 566 2,902 6,454 11,843 December .....: 936 1,376 2,312 73 2,011 727 2,811 6,198 11,321 : Total ........: 11,828 19,228 31,056 1,283 27,959 9,363 38,605 97,548 167,209 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (X) Not applicable. Processed Farm-Raised Catfish Average Sales Price by Month - United States: 2011 [Prices are gross value FOB plant] ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Whole fish : Other : : :---------------------------------------------------------------------: : Month :Round and: : : : : : : : Total : gutted : Whole : Total : Steaks : Nuggets : Other : Total : Fillets : sales : only : dressed : : : : : : : ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : dollars per pound Fresh : January ......: 1.49 2.15 1.90 2.56 1.48 3.90 1.77 3.47 2.69 February .....: 1.60 2.37 2.06 2.75 1.62 4.07 1.95 3.75 2.91 March ........: 1.64 2.63 2.17 2.92 1.78 4.28 2.07 4.18 3.12 April ........: 1.73 2.79 2.28 3.13 1.88 4.41 2.14 4.43 3.24 May ..........: 1.88 2.88 2.40 3.33 1.95 4.50 2.24 4.55 3.38 June .........: 1.95 2.93 2.49 3.35 1.96 4.78 2.29 4.60 3.44 July .........: 1.92 3.03 2.64 3.43 1.91 4.75 2.17 4.84 3.76 August .......: 1.93 3.07 2.61 3.52 1.91 4.87 2.26 4.77 3.66 September ....: 1.91 3.08 2.65 3.61 1.93 4.89 2.29 4.88 3.72 October ......: 1.90 3.03 2.54 3.62 1.93 4.86 2.23 4.86 3.60 November .....: 1.85 2.97 2.42 3.63 1.92 4.89 2.23 4.84 3.46 December .....: 1.81 2.97 2.45 3.63 1.87 4.80 2.20 4.78 3.47 : Average ......: 1.78 2.79 2.35 3.21 1.83 4.52 2.14 4.43 3.33 : Frozen : January ......: (X) 2.41 2.41 2.16 1.32 3.46 2.21 3.30 2.93 February .....: (X) 2.59 2.59 2.69 1.43 3.26 2.06 3.56 3.09 March ........: (X) 2.68 2.68 2.90 1.48 3.82 2.42 3.75 3.26 April ........: (X) 2.92 2.92 3.04 1.56 3.47 2.08 4.07 3.44 May ..........: (X) 2.93 2.93 3.13 1.55 3.63 2.06 4.22 3.58 June .........: (X) 3.03 3.03 3.13 1.43 3.41 1.84 4.28 3.48 July .........: (X) 3.13 3.13 3.40 1.38 3.63 1.85 4.48 3.61 August .......: (X) 3.15 3.15 3.12 1.40 4.08 1.92 4.47 3.65 September ....: (X) 3.17 3.17 3.33 1.40 4.50 2.29 4.53 3.72 October ......: (X) 3.17 3.17 3.36 1.39 4.40 2.11 4.42 3.63 November .....: (X) 3.17 3.17 3.35 1.37 4.23 2.03 4.40 3.54 December .....: (X) 3.11 3.11 3.30 1.40 4.38 2.30 4.29 3.55 : Average ......: (X) 2.92 2.92 3.02 1.42 3.83 2.12 4.10 3.43 : Fresh and frozen: January ......: 1.49 2.23 2.00 2.37 1.35 3.47 2.15 3.35 2.84 February .....: 1.60 2.46 2.20 2.73 1.47 3.29 2.05 3.61 3.03 March ........: 1.64 2.65 2.29 2.91 1.53 3.83 2.37 3.87 3.21 April ........: 1.73 2.84 2.41 3.08 1.63 3.52 2.09 4.17 3.37 May ..........: 1.88 2.90 2.52 3.22 1.64 3.68 2.09 4.32 3.51 June .........: 1.95 2.96 2.59 3.25 1.52 3.49 1.92 4.37 3.46 July .........: 1.92 3.07 2.77 3.41 1.47 3.68 1.90 4.58 3.66 August .......: 1.93 3.10 2.75 3.26 1.47 4.12 1.97 4.55 3.65 September ....: 1.91 3.11 2.77 3.47 1.48 4.51 2.29 4.62 3.72 October ......: 1.90 3.08 2.66 3.49 1.48 4.42 2.13 4.55 3.62 November .....: 1.85 3.04 2.56 3.51 1.46 4.25 2.06 4.53 3.51 December .....: 1.81 3.01 2.58 3.48 1.48 4.39 2.29 4.44 3.52 : Average ......: 1.78 2.84 2.48 3.11 1.49 3.85 2.12 4.19 3.39 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (X) Not applicable. Processed Farm-Raised Catfish Ending Inventory, by Month - United States: 2011 [For further detail, please refer to the terms and definitions section of this report] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ : Whole fish : Other : : :---------------------------------------------------------------------: : Month :Round and: : : : : : : : Total : gutted : Whole : Total : Steaks : Nuggets : Other : Total : Fillets :inventory : only : dressed : : : : : : : ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ : 1,000 pounds Fresh : January .......: (D) (D) 213 (D) 88 (D) 92 377 682 February ......: (D) (D) 139 (D) 86 (D) 95 362 596 March .........: (D) (D) 123 (D) 73 (D) 75 313 511 April .........: (D) (D) 63 (D) 45 (D) 46 209 318 May ...........: (D) (D) 51 (D) 57 (D) 62 296 409 June ..........: (D) (D) 90 (D) 65 (D) 70 267 427 July ..........: (D) (D) 69 (D) 46 (D) 47 333 449 August ........: (D) (D) 122 (D) 66 (D) 73 389 584 September .....: (D) (D) 119 (D) 65 (D) 71 395 585 October .......: (D) (D) 114 (D) 79 (D) 85 421 620 November ......: (D) (D) 95 (D) 74 (D) 81 357 533 December ......: (D) (D) 76 (D) 46 (D) 59 331 466 : Frozen ..........: January .......: (X) 1,090 1,090 (D) 2,170 (D) 3,011 6,351 10,452 February ......: (X) 830 830 (D) 2,120 (D) 2,842 4,772 8,444 March .........: (X) 529 529 (D) 1,751 (D) 2,142 3,286 5,957 April .........: (X) 376 376 (D) 1,587 (D) 1,779 2,560 4,715 May ...........: (X) 353 353 (D) 1,925 (D) 2,217 1,941 4,511 June ..........: (X) 332 332 (D) 1,830 (D) 2,160 2,460 4,952 July ..........: (X) 345 345 (D) 1,878 (D) 2,276 2,363 4,984 August ........: (X) 372 372 (D) 1,601 (D) 2,212 3,312 5,896 September .....: (X) 458 458 (D) 1,929 (D) 2,389 4,946 7,793 October .......: (X) 486 486 (D) 1,949 (D) 2,496 7,416 10,398 November ......: (X) 456 456 (D) 1,766 (D) 2,402 8,616 11,474 December ......: (X) 464 464 (D) 1,761 (D) 2,290 9,683 12,437 : Fresh and frozen : January .......: (D) (D) 1,303 (D) 2,258 (D) 3,103 6,728 11,134 February ......: (D) (D) 969 (D) 2,206 (D) 2,937 5,134 9,040 March .........: (D) (D) 652 (D) 1,824 (D) 2,217 3,599 6,468 April .........: (D) (D) 439 (D) 1,632 (D) 1,825 2,769 5,033 May ...........: (D) (D) 404 (D) 1,982 (D) 2,279 2,237 4,920 June ..........: (D) (D) 422 (D) 1,895 (D) 2,230 2,727 5,379 July ..........: (D) (D) 414 (D) 1,924 (D) 2,323 2,696 5,433 August ........: (D) (D) 494 (D) 1,667 (D) 2,285 3,701 6,480 September .....: (D) (D) 577 (D) 1,994 (D) 2,460 5,341 8,378 October .......: (D) (D) 600 (D) 2,028 (D) 2,581 7,837 11,018 November ......: (D) (D) 551 (D) 1,840 (D) 2,483 8,973 12,007 December ......: (D) (D) 540 (D) 1,807 (D) 2,349 10,014 12,903 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ (D) Withheld to avoid disclosing data for individual operations. (X) Not applicable. Catfish Imports by Month - United States: 1997-2011 [Import data by species was not available prior to July 2004. Starting with July 2004, data includes freshwater imports for consumption of "Ictalurus" spp., "Pangasius" spp., and other catfish of the order Siluriformes. Data compiled by the United States Census Bureau] ---------------------------------------------------------------------: Year : January :February : March : April : May : June : ---------------------------------------------------------------------: : --------------------- 1,000 pounds --------------------- : 1997 ....: 64 44 44 15 - 71 1998 ....: 91 9 99 82 208 193 1999 ....: 57 53 113 250 541 372 2000 ....: 487 235 309 554 698 791 2001 ....: 862 510 1,201 1,787 1,989 2,114 2002 ....: 1,037 1,048 414 618 1,491 982 2003 ....: 1,322 260 332 272 703 893 2004 ....: 215 204 295 328 248 270 2005 ....: 1,383 1,230 1,161 2,198 2,695 2,538 2006 ....: 2,644 2,491 3,267 3,119 3,306 4,424 : 2007 ....: 12,056 7,582 6,430 5,097 5,434 5,469 2008 ....: 9,666 9,603 7,884 10,492 10,151 11,299 2009 ....: 9,819 6,527 8,942 8,548 11,592 10,577 2010 ....: 14,612 10,421 7,608 8,804 9,971 10,293 2011 ....: 16,276 13,790 9,133 13,325 16,314 14,643 :--------------------------------------------------------------------- : July : August :September: October :November :December : Total :--------------------------------------------------------------------- : 1,000 pounds : 1997 ....: 134 235 32 163 121 19 942 1998 ....: 195 132 21 92 174 90 1,386 1999 ....: 475 479 304 217 285 305 3,451 2000 ....: 945 981 674 650 871 1,041 8,236 2001 ....: 1,968 1,385 1,536 1,608 1,724 1,395 18,079 2002 ....: 957 632 670 572 874 906 10,201 2003 ....: 435 135 150 384 331 213 5,430 2004 ....: 123 1,637 1,801 1,104 1,579 1,420 9,224 2005 ....: 2,048 2,684 2,219 4,062 4,648 3,239 30,105 2006 ....: 5,232 8,991 9,091 10,672 12,830 8,897 74,964 : 2007 ....: 5,718 8,839 6,741 7,111 7,248 6,880 84,605 2008 ....: 8,674 6,994 6,462 7,188 6,198 7,817 102,428 2009 ....: 10,765 11,711 12,541 13,857 12,783 11,718 129,380 2010 ....: 10,268 9,957 11,626 15,046 12,032 16,897 137,535 2011 ....: 18,034 18,383 18,576 20,335 22,262 22,608 203,679 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - Represents zero. Catfish "Ictalurus" spp. Imports by Month - United States: 2007-2011 [Data compiled by the United States Census Bureau] ---------------------------------------------------------------------: Year : January :February : March : April : May : June : ---------------------------------------------------------------------: : --------------------- 1,000 pounds -------------------- : 2007 ....: 4,381 3,030 2,101 1,139 1,394 388 2008 ....: 2,944 2,575 2,040 3,040 2,864 1,758 2009 ....: 2,344 1,225 972 1,364 1,659 1,088 2010 ....: 3,091 2,150 1,179 1,220 656 651 2011 ....: 1,301 1,015 211 216 113 11 :--------------------------------------------------------------------- : July : August :September: October :November :December : Total :--------------------------------------------------------------------- : 1,000 pounds : 2007 ....: 401 80 607 1,061 1,199 1,678 17,459 2008 ....: 1,202 1,315 987 579 1,374 2,425 23,103 2009 ....: 1,849 1,210 1,385 1,584 2,144 2,527 19,351 2010 ....: 516 70 195 196 586 1,269 11,779 2011 ....: 19 39 171 838 1,372 2,113 7,419 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Statistical Methodology 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 National Agricultural Statistics Service (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 14 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 United States 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 Harings 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. E-mail inquiries may be sent to nass@nass.usda.gov Dan Kerestes, Chief, Livestock Branch ......................................................... (202) 720-3570 Bruce Boess, Head, Poultry and Specialty Commodities Section .................................. (202) 720-4447 Cody Brokmeyer - Honey, Poultry Slaughter, Turkey Hatchery, Turkeys Raised ................. (202) 690-3237 David Colwell - Cold Storage ............................................................... (202) 720-8784 Kim Linonis - Layers, Eggs ................................................................. (202) 690-8632 Miste Salmon - Broiler Hatchery, Chicken Hatchery, Catfish Processing, Catfish Production, Trout Production, Census of Aquaculture, Egg Products, Mink .. (202) 720-3244 Access to NASS Reports For your convenience, you may access NASS reports and products the following ways: All reports are available electronically, at no cost, on the NASS web site: http://www.nass.usda.gov Both national and state specific reports are available via a free e- mail subscription. To set-up this free subscription, visit http://www.nass.usda.gov and in the "Follow NASS" box under "Receive reports by Email," click on "National" or "State" to select the reports you would like to receive. Printed reports may be purchased from the National Technical Information Service (NTIS) by calling toll-free (800) 999-6779, or (703) 605-6220 if calling from outside the United States or Canada. Accepted methods of payment are Visa, MasterCard, check, or money order. For more information on NASS surveys and reports, call the NASS Agricultural Statistics Hotline at (800) 727-9540, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET, or e-mail: nass@nass.usda.gov. 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