Catfish Processing ISSN: 1948-2701 Released February 20, 2013, by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Catfish Processing Up 14 Percent from Last Year Farm-raised catfish processed during January 2013 totaled 29.5 million pounds round weight, up 14 percent from January 2012. The average price paid to producers was 81.9 cents per pound for January 2013, down 1.1 cents from last month and 42.9 cents below a year ago. Net pounds of processed fish sold during January 2013 totaled 16.0 million pounds, up 19 percent from the comparable month in 2012. Sales of fresh fish, at 5.76 million pounds, were up 17 percent from January 2012 and represented 36 percent of total sales. Frozen fish sales, at 10.2 million pounds, were up 20 percent from a year ago and accounted for the remaining 64 percent of total fish sales. Sales of whole fish represented 21 percent of the total fish sold, fillets accounted for 57 percent, and the remaining 22 percent were mostly steaks, nuggets, and value added products. The total end of the month inventory decreased 13 percent from last month and was down 38 percent from a year ago. The total fresh and frozen average price for January 2013 was $2.76, down 67 cents from a year ago. The January 2013 average price received by processors for total fresh fish was $2.59 per pound, down 86 cents from last year. Prices for fresh whole fish were $1.81 per pound, down 63 cents from January 2012. Prices for fresh fillets were down $1.03 from a year ago at $3.70 per pound. Total frozen fish averaged $2.85 per pound, down 57 cents from January 2012. Prices for frozen whole dressed fish were down 27 cents at $2.77 and frozen fillets at $3.20 per pound were down $1.06 from a year ago. Imports for consumption of Ictalurus spp., Pangasius spp., and other catfish of the order Siluriformes for December 2012 totaled 14.1 million pounds, down 38 percent from the amount imported in December 2011. Imports were from Brazil, China, French Polynesia, Norway, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam. The Ictalurus spp. imports totaled 432 thousand pounds, which were from China. Fresh catfish fillet exports totaled 79.0 thousand pounds, with 44.6 thousand pounds going to Canada and the rest going to the Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Germany, Jordan, Nigeria, St. Maarten, the Islands of Turks and Caicos, and United Arab Emirates. Exports of frozen catfish fillets reported for December 2012 totaled 22.6 thousand pounds, going to the Bahamas. Import and export data are compiled by the United States Census Bureau. 2012 Annual Catfish Processing Down 10 Percent Farm-raised catfish processed during 2012 totaled 300 million pounds, 10 percent below the 334 million pounds processed in 2011. The average price paid to producers in 2011 was $.98 per pound, 19 cents below the 1.17 cents paid last year. Net pounds of processed catfish sold in 2012 totaled 161 million pounds, down 3 percent from the 167 million pounds sold last year. The 2012 average price received for processed fish was $3.08 per pound, down 31 cents from a year ago. Inventory on hand at the end of 2012 totaled 9.0 million pounds, a decrease of 30 percent from the 12.9 million pounds on hand at the close of 2011. This page intentionally left blank. Contents Farm-Raised Catfish Processed and Prices Paid to Producers by Month - United States: 2012-2013........ 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: 2012 and 2013.. 5 Processed Farm-Raised Catfish Ending Inventory by Month - United States: 2012 and 2013................ 6 Catfish Imports by Month - United States: 2011-2012................................................... 7 Catfish Exports by Month - United States: 2011-2012................................................... 7 Farm-Raised Catfish Round Weight Processed by Month - United States: 1998-2012........................ 8 Farm-Raised Catfish Prices Received by Producers by Month - United States: 1998-2012.................. 9 Processed Farm-Raised Catfish Sales Volume by Month - United States: 2012............................. 10 Processed Farm-Raised Catfish Average Sales Price by Month - United States: 2012...................... 11 Processed Farm-Raised Catfish Ending Inventory, by Month - United States: 2012........................ 12 Catfish Imports by Month - United States: 1998-2012................................................... 13 Catfish "Ictalurus" spp. Imports by Month - United States: 2008-2012.................................. 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: 2012-2013 [Blank cells indicate estimation period has not yet begun] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Round weight processed :------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Monthly : Cumulative : Price per pound 1/ :------------------------------------------------------------------------- : : :2013 as: : :2013 as: : :Change : : :percent: : :percent: : : from Month : 2012 : 2013 :of 2012: 2012 : 2013 :of 2012: 2012 : 2013 : 2012 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : 1,000 pounds percent 1,000 pounds percent ------ dollars ------ : January ...:25,843 29,458 114 25,843 29,458 114 1.248 0.819 -0.429 February ..:26,950 52,793 1.229 March .....:28,098 80,891 1.201 April .....:22,463 103,354 1.167 May .......:25,009 128,363 1.038 June ......:23,938 152,301 0.934 July ......:25,056 177,357 0.843 August ....:24,886 202,243 0.798 September .:24,535 226,778 0.793 October ...:28,596 255,374 0.803 November ..:22,124 277,498 0.822 December ..:22,653 300,151 0.830 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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: 2012 and 2013 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ : Sales volume : Average price 2/ Item 1/ :----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : January : December : January : January : December : January : 2012 : 2012 : 2013 : 2012 : 2012 : 2013 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ : ------------ 1,000 pounds ------------ ------------- dollars per pound ------------ : Fresh fish : Whole : Round and gutted ...........: 1,189 1,309 1,709 1.87 1.37 1.47 Whole dressed ..............: 1,030 986 1,150 2.98 2.21 2.19 Total ......................: 2,219 2,295 2,859 2.44 1.78 1.81 : Other : Steaks .....................: 45 48 79 3.60 2.84 2.82 Nuggets ....................: 404 361 433 1.83 1.54 1.54 Other ......................: 24 16 18 4.85 4.47 4.29 Total ......................: 473 425 530 2.15 1.80 1.82 : Fillets ......................: 2,231 1,934 2,372 4.73 3.73 3.70 : Total fresh ..................: 4,923 4,654 5,761 3.45 2.59 2.59 : Frozen fish : Whole dressed ................: 526 453 574 3.04 2.78 2.77 : Other : Steaks .....................: 44 40 45 3.24 2.61 2.64 Nuggets ....................: 2,160 1,243 2,035 1.33 1.41 1.43 Other ......................: 626 819 882 4.00 3.55 3.58 Total ......................: 2,830 2,102 2,962 1.95 2.27 2.09 : Fillets ......................: 5,148 5,507 6,707 4.26 3.17 3.20 : Total frozen .................: 8,504 8,062 10,243 3.42 2.91 2.85 : Fresh and frozen fish : Whole : Round and gutted ...........: 1,189 1,309 1,709 1.87 1.37 1.47 Whole dressed ..............: 1,556 1,439 1,724 3.00 2.39 2.38 Total ......................: 2,745 2,748 3,433 2.56 1.94 1.97 : Other : Steaks .....................: 89 88 124 3.42 2.74 2.75 Nuggets ....................: 2,564 1,604 2,468 1.41 1.44 1.45 Other ......................: 650 835 900 4.03 3.57 3.59 Total ......................: 3,303 2,527 3,492 1.98 2.19 2.05 : Fillets ......................: 7,379 7,441 9,079 4.40 3.32 3.33 : Total fresh and frozen fish ..: 13,427 12,716 16,004 3.43 2.79 2.76 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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: 2012 and 2013 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Ending inventory Item 1/ :----------------------------------------------------- : January 2012 : December 2012 : January 2013 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : 1,000 pounds : Fresh fish : Whole : Round and gutted .............: (D) (D) (D) Whole dressed ................: (D) (D) (D) Total ........................: 131 78 204 : Other : Steaks .......................: (D) (D) (D) Nuggets ......................: 86 55 72 Other ........................: (D) (D) (D) Total ........................: 92 56 79 : Fillets ........................: 382 282 332 : Total fresh ....................: 605 416 615 : Frozen fish : Whole dressed ..................: 407 666 690 : Other : Steaks .......................: (D) (D) (D) Nuggets ......................: 1,477 927 647 Other ........................: (D) (D) (D) Total ........................: 1,859 1,519 1,087 : Fillets ........................: 9,807 6,380 5,458 : Total frozen ...................: 12,073 8,565 7,235 : Fresh and frozen fish : Whole : Round and gutted .............: (D) (D) (D) Whole dressed ................: (D) (D) (D) Total ........................: 538 744 894 : Other : Steaks .......................: (D) (D) (D) Nuggets ......................: 1,563 982 719 Other ........................: (D) (D) (D) Total ........................: 1,951 1,575 1,166 : Fillets ........................: 10,189 6,662 5,790 : Total fresh and frozen fish ....: 12,678 8,981 7,850 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (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: 2011-2012 [Data compiled by the United States Census Bureau.] --------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Imports :----------------------------------------------------------- : Ictalurus spp. : Total 1/ :----------------------------------------------------------- : : : 2012 as : : : 2012 as : : : percent : : : percent Month : 2011 : 2012 : of 2011 : 2011 : 2012 : of 2011 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- : 1,000 pounds percent 1,000 pounds percent : January .......: 1,301 2,028 156 16,276 25,551 157 February ......: 1,015 1,317 130 13,790 15,238 111 March .........: 211 528 250 9,133 15,280 167 April .........: 216 534 247 13,325 19,756 148 May ...........: 113 345 305 16,314 20,100 123 June ..........: 11 352 3,200 14,643 18,847 129 July ..........: 19 73 384 18,034 22,604 125 August ........: 39 84 215 18,383 23,655 129 September .....: 171 202 118 18,576 22,868 123 October .......: 838 202 24 20,335 20,217 99 November ......: 1,372 331 24 22,262 19,220 86 December ......: 2,113 432 20 22,608 14,062 62 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/ Includes freshwater imports for consumption of "Ictalurus" spp., "Pangasius" spp., and other catfish of the order Siluriformes. Catfish Exports by Month - United States: 2011-2012 [Data compiled by the United States Census Bureau.] --------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Exports :----------------------------------------------------------- : Fresh : Frozen :----------------------------------------------------------- : : : 2012 as : : : 2012 as : : : percent : : : percent Month : 2011 : 2012 : of 2011 : 2011 : 2012 : of 2011 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- : 1,000 pounds percent 1,000 pounds percent : January .......: 53.9 85.2 158 10.2 2.7 26 February ......: 56.7 120.2 212 13.2 11.1 84 March .........: 42.3 129.5 306 2.2 68.0 3,091 April .........: 38.7 234.5 606 - 29.7 (X) May ...........: 41.0 83.6 204 3.0 4.6 153 June ..........: 38.0 82.7 218 1.8 10.9 606 July ..........: 150.0 114.1 76 7.8 5.3 68 August ........: 72.7 95.2 131 - 5.5 (X) September .....: 29.4 113.5 386 1.1 57.7 5,245 October .......: 55.9 141.2 253 3.6 8.5 236 November ......: 42.7 64.9 152 2.7 49.2 1,822 December ......: 51.4 79.0 154 3.6 22.6 628 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- - Represents zero. (X) Not applicable. Farm-Raised Catfish Round Weight Processed by Month - United States: 1998-2012 ---------------------------------------------------------------------: Year : January :February : March : April : May : June : ---------------------------------------------------------------------: : --------------------- 1,000 pounds --------------------- : 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 2012 ....: 25,843 26,950 28,098 22,463 25,009 23,938 :--------------------------------------------------------------------- : July : August :September: October :November :December : Total :--------------------------------------------------------------------- : 1,000 pounds : 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 2012 ....: 25,056 24,886 24,535 28,596 22,124 22,653 300,151 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Farm-Raised Catfish Prices Received by Producers by Month - United States: 1998-2012 [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 ------------------ : 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 2012 ....: 1.248 1.229 1.201 1.167 1.038 0.934 :--------------------------------------------------------------------- : July : August :September: October :November :December : Average :--------------------------------------------------------------------- : dollars per pound : 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 2012 ....: 0.843 0.798 0.793 0.803 0.822 0.830 0.980 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Processed Farm-Raised Catfish Sales Volume by Month - United States: 2012 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Whole fish : Other : : :---------------------------------------------------------------------: : Month :Round and: : : : : : : Fillets : Total : gutted : Whole : Total : Steaks : Nuggets : Other : Total : : sales : only : dressed : : : : : : : ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : 1,000 pounds Fresh : January ......: 1,189 1,030 2,219 45 404 24 473 2,231 4,923 February .....: 1,136 1,187 2,323 45 446 24 515 2,349 5,187 March ........: 1,163 1,190 2,353 46 459 24 529 2,399 5,281 April ........: 1,020 984 2,004 44 401 30 475 2,150 4,629 May ..........: 1,061 1,046 2,107 46 426 25 497 2,234 4,838 June .........: 1,154 943 2,097 40 380 25 445 2,148 4,690 July .........: 1,232 974 2,206 45 394 20 459 2,218 4,883 August .......: 1,022 1,054 2,076 45 407 24 476 2,474 5,026 September ....: 1,119 967 2,086 47 377 25 449 2,433 4,968 October ......: 1,460 1,086 2,546 53 403 23 479 2,400 5,425 November .....: 1,212 992 2,204 50 354 18 422 1,913 4,539 December .....: 1,309 986 2,295 48 361 16 425 1,934 4,654 : Total ........: 14,077 12,439 26,516 554 4,812 278 5,644 26,883 59,043 : Frozen : January ......: (X) 526 526 44 2,160 626 2,830 5,148 8,504 February .....: (X) 634 634 56 1,943 645 2,644 5,982 9,260 March ........: (X) 621 621 39 2,164 546 2,749 6,066 9,436 April ........: (X) 506 506 40 1,549 361 1,950 4,913 7,369 May ..........: (X) 516 516 42 1,735 457 2,234 5,791 8,541 June .........: (X) 530 530 44 1,502 384 1,930 5,313 7,773 July .........: (X) 573 573 42 1,807 446 2,295 5,525 8,393 August .......: (X) 633 633 85 1,677 507 2,269 6,514 9,416 September ....: (X) 510 510 76 1,462 847 2,385 5,559 8,454 October ......: (X) 525 525 39 1,681 461 2,181 5,664 8,370 November .....: (X) 519 519 38 1,516 1,143 2,697 5,597 8,813 December .....: (X) 453 453 40 1,243 819 2,102 5,507 8,062 : Total ........: (X) 6,546 6,546 585 20,439 7,242 28,266 67,579 102,391 : Fresh and frozen: January ......: 1,189 1,556 2,745 89 2,564 650 3,303 7,379 13,427 February .....: 1,136 1,821 2,957 101 2,389 669 3,159 8,331 14,447 March ........: 1,163 1,811 2,974 85 2,623 570 3,278 8,465 14,717 April ........: 1,020 1,490 2,510 84 1,950 391 2,425 7,063 11,998 May ..........: 1,061 1,562 2,623 88 2,161 482 2,731 8,025 13,379 June .........: 1,154 1,473 2,627 84 1,882 409 2,375 7,461 12,463 July .........: 1,232 1,547 2,779 87 2,201 466 2,754 7,743 13,276 August .......: 1,022 1,687 2,709 130 2,084 531 2,745 8,988 14,442 September ....: 1,119 1,477 2,596 123 1,839 872 2,834 7,992 13,422 October ......: 1,460 1,611 3,071 92 2,084 484 2,660 8,064 13,795 November .....: 1,212 1,511 2,723 88 1,870 1,161 3,119 7,510 13,352 December .....: 1,309 1,439 2,748 88 1,604 835 2,527 7,441 12,716 : Total ........: 14,077 18,985 33,062 1,139 25,251 7,520 33,910 94,462 161,434 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (X) Not applicable. Processed Farm-Raised Catfish Average Sales Price by Month - United States: 2012 [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 ......: 1.87 2.98 2.44 3.60 1.83 4.85 2.15 4.73 3.45 February .....: 1.80 2.94 2.44 3.54 1.82 4.77 2.11 4.68 3.42 March ........: 1.78 2.93 2.42 3.52 1.82 4.78 2.10 4.68 3.41 April ........: 1.71 2.90 2.35 3.50 1.79 4.75 2.14 4.57 3.36 May ..........: 1.61 2.79 2.25 3.31 1.73 2.42 1.91 4.35 3.19 June .........: 1.56 2.69 2.12 3.29 1.66 4.64 1.97 4.09 3.01 July .........: 1.54 2.56 2.04 3.19 1.58 4.50 1.87 3.87 2.86 August .......: 1.34 2.46 1.95 3.13 1.55 4.43 1.84 3.76 2.83 September ....: 1.41 2.34 1.89 3.07 1.54 4.27 1.85 3.72 2.78 October ......: 1.42 2.27 1.84 2.99 1.56 4.39 1.85 3.74 2.68 November .....: 1.40 2.19 1.81 2.83 1.53 4.30 1.80 3.73 2.62 December .....: 1.37 2.21 1.78 2.84 1.54 4.47 1.80 3.73 2.59 : Average ......: 1.56 2.61 2.11 3.22 1.67 4.38 1.95 4.14 3.02 : Frozen : January ......: (X) 3.04 3.04 3.24 1.33 4.00 1.95 4.26 3.42 February .....: (X) 2.94 2.94 3.15 1.39 4.09 2.09 4.25 3.54 March ........: (X) 3.06 3.06 3.23 1.48 3.83 1.97 4.22 3.49 April ........: (X) 2.98 2.98 3.18 1.39 3.63 1.84 4.12 3.44 May ..........: (X) 2.91 2.91 3.11 1.36 3.72 1.88 3.79 3.24 June .........: (X) 2.91 2.91 2.96 1.36 3.37 1.80 3.68 3.16 July .........: (X) 2.89 2.89 2.70 1.34 3.15 1.72 3.37 2.89 August .......: (X) 2.85 2.85 1.98 1.33 3.18 1.77 3.11 2.77 September ....: (X) 2.86 2.86 2.07 1.39 3.12 2.03 3.11 2.79 October ......: (X) 2.77 2.77 2.58 1.40 3.21 1.80 3.29 2.87 November .....: (X) 2.73 2.73 2.65 1.40 3.74 2.41 3.21 2.94 December .....: (X) 2.78 2.78 2.61 1.41 3.55 2.27 3.17 2.91 : Average ......: (X) 2.90 2.90 2.70 1.38 3.57 1.97 3.62 3.12 : Fresh and frozen: January ......: 1.87 3.00 2.56 3.42 1.41 4.03 1.98 4.40 3.43 February .....: 1.80 2.94 2.54 3.32 1.47 4.11 2.09 4.37 3.50 March ........: 1.78 2.97 2.55 3.39 1.54 3.87 1.99 4.35 3.46 April ........: 1.71 2.93 2.47 3.35 1.47 3.72 1.90 4.26 3.41 May ..........: 1.61 2.83 2.38 3.21 1.43 3.65 1.88 3.95 3.22 June .........: 1.56 2.77 2.28 3.12 1.42 3.45 1.83 3.80 3.10 July .........: 1.54 2.68 2.22 2.95 1.38 3.21 1.74 3.51 2.87 August .......: 1.34 2.61 2.16 2.38 1.37 3.24 1.78 3.29 2.79 September ....: 1.41 2.52 2.08 2.45 1.42 3.15 2.00 3.30 2.79 October ......: 1.42 2.43 2.00 2.82 1.43 3.27 1.81 3.42 2.80 November .....: 1.40 2.38 1.98 2.75 1.42 3.75 2.33 3.34 2.83 December .....: 1.37 2.39 1.94 2.74 1.44 3.57 2.19 3.32 2.79 : Average ......: 1.56 2.71 2.26 2.95 1.44 3.60 1.97 3.77 3.08 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (X) Not applicable. Processed Farm-Raised Catfish Ending Inventory, by Month - United States: 2012 [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) 131 (D) 86 (D) 92 382 605 February ......: (D) (D) 155 (D) 48 (D) 56 316 527 March .........: (D) (D) 113 (D) 39 (D) 42 270 425 April .........: (D) (D) 100 (D) 49 (D) 54 273 427 May ...........: (D) (D) 136 (D) 71 (D) 79 276 491 June ..........: (D) (D) 82 (D) 57 (D) 62 330 474 July ..........: (D) (D) 89 (D) 47 (D) 50 289 428 August ........: (D) (D) 96 (D) 55 (D) 56 297 449 September .....: (D) (D) 113 (D) 61 (D) 62 316 491 October .......: (D) (D) 105 (D) 64 (D) 68 353 526 November ......: (D) (D) 95 (D) 51 (D) 57 254 406 December ......: (D) (D) 78 (D) 55 (D) 56 282 416 : Frozen ..........: January .......: (X) 407 407 (D) 1,477 (D) 1,859 9,807 12,073 February ......: (X) 372 372 (D) 1,274 (D) 1,684 9,298 11,354 March .........: (X) 388 388 (D) 865 (D) 1,324 9,333 11,045 April .........: (X) 296 296 (D) 906 (D) 1,315 9,795 11,406 May ...........: (X) 237 237 (D) 799 (D) 1,236 9,235 10,708 June ..........: (X) 229 229 (D) 775 (D) 1,248 8,721 10,198 July ..........: (X) 284 284 (D) 615 (D) 1,159 8,802 10,245 August ........: (X) 375 375 (D) 634 (D) 1,237 7,744 9,356 September .....: (X) 546 546 (D) 718 (D) 1,137 7,822 9,505 October .......: (X) 602 602 (D) 833 (D) 1,756 7,970 10,328 November ......: (X) 761 761 (D) 820 (D) 1,413 7,516 9,690 December ......: (X) 666 666 (D) 927 (D) 1,519 6,380 8,565 : Fresh and frozen : January .......: (D) (D) 538 (D) 1,563 (D) 1,951 10,189 12,678 February ......: (D) (D) 527 (D) 1,322 (D) 1,740 9,614 11,881 March .........: (D) (D) 501 (D) 904 (D) 1,366 9,603 11,470 April .........: (D) (D) 396 (D) 955 (D) 1,369 10,068 11,833 May ...........: (D) (D) 373 (D) 870 (D) 1,315 9,511 11,199 June ..........: (D) (D) 311 (D) 832 (D) 1,310 9,051 10,672 July ..........: (D) (D) 373 (D) 662 (D) 1,209 9,091 10,673 August ........: (D) (D) 471 (D) 689 (D) 1,293 8,041 9,805 September .....: (D) (D) 659 (D) 779 (D) 1,199 8,138 9,996 October .......: (D) (D) 707 (D) 897 (D) 1,824 8,323 10,854 November ......: (D) (D) 856 (D) 871 (D) 1,470 7,770 10,096 December ......: (D) (D) 744 (D) 982 (D) 1,575 6,662 8,981 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ (D) Withheld to avoid disclosing data for individual operations. (X) Not applicable. Catfish Imports by Month - United States: 1998-2012 [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 --------------------- : 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 2012 ....: 25,551 15,238 15,280 19,756 20,100 18,847 :--------------------------------------------------------------------- : July : August :September: October :November :December : Total :--------------------------------------------------------------------- : 1,000 pounds : 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 2012 ....: 22,604 23,655 22,868 20,217 19,220 14,062 237,398 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Catfish "Ictalurus" spp. Imports by Month - United States: 2008-2012 [Data compiled by the United States Census Bureau] ---------------------------------------------------------------------: Year : January :February : March : April : May : June : ---------------------------------------------------------------------: : --------------------- 1,000 pounds -------------------- : 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 2012 ....: 2,028 1,317 528 534 345 352 :--------------------------------------------------------------------- : July : August :September: October :November :December : Total :--------------------------------------------------------------------- : 1,000 pounds : 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 2012 ....: 73 84 202 202 331 432 6,428 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. Carolina Classics Catfish, LLC Harvest Select Catfish, Inc. Heartland Catfish Consolidated Catfish Producers, LLC Lake's Farm Raised Catfish, Inc. Delta Supreme Fish Processors Pride of the Pond Farm Catch Catfish Processors, Inc. Prime Line, Inc. Fish Breeders of Idaho, 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 Beginning June 2012, Farm Catch Catfish Processors, Inc. no longer participates in the survey. 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 - Poultry Slaughter, Turkey Hatchery, Turkeys Raised .. (202) 690-3237 David Colwell - Cold Storage ......................................... (202) 720-8784 LaKeya Jones - Catfish Processing, Catfish Production, Trout Production, Census of Aquaculture, Honey, Mink .......................... (202) 720-0585 Dawn Keen - Egg Products ............................................. (202) 720-4448 Kim Linonis - Layers, Eggs ........................................... (202) 690-8632 Miste Salmon - Broiler Hatchery, Chicken Hatchery .................... (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. 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. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, political beliefs, genetic information, reprisal, or because all or a part of an individual's income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) 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