USDA Catfish and Trout Reports
23 April 2012
USDA Catfish Processing April 2012
Farm-raised catfish processed during March 2012 totaled 27.7 million pounds round weight, down 9 percent from
March 2011. The average price paid to producers was $1.20 per pound for March 2012, down 2.8 cents from last month
but 12.6 cents above a year ago.Net pounds of processed fish sold during March 2012 totaled 14.8 million pounds, down 18 percent from the comparable
month in 2011. Sales of fresh fish, at 5.26 million pounds, were down 13 percent from March 2011 and represented
36 percent of total sales. Frozen fish sales, at 9.49 million pounds, were down 21 percent from a year ago and accounted
for the remaining 64 percent of total fish sales. Sales of whole fish represented 20 percent of the total fish sold, fillets
accounted for 57 percent, and the remaining 23 percent were mostly steaks, nuggets, and value added products. The total
end of the month inventory decreased 4 percent from last month but was up 77 percent from a year ago.
The total fresh and frozen average price for March 2012 was $3.45, up 24 cents from a year ago. The March 2012 average
price received by processors for total fresh fish was $3.41 per pound, up 29 cents from last year. Prices for fresh whole
fish were $2.42 per pound, up 25 cents from March 2011. Prices for fresh fillets were up 50 cents from a year ago at
$4.68 per pound. Total frozen fish averaged $3.47 per pound, up 21 cents from March 2011. Prices for frozen whole
dressed fish were up 38 cents at $3.06 and frozen fillets at $4.22 per pound were up 47 cents from a year ago.
Imports for consumption of Ictalurus spp., Pangasius spp., and other catfish of the order Siluriformes for February 2012
totaled 15.1 million pounds, up 9 percent from the amount imported in February 2011. Imports were from Canada, China,
the Netherlands, Mexico, and Vietnam. The Ictalurus spp. imports totaled 1.32 million pounds, which were from China.
Fresh catfish fillet exports totaled 120 thousand pounds, with 37.1 thousand pounds going to Canada and the rest going to
the Bahamas, Mexico, and Vietnam. Exports of frozen catfish fillets reported for February 2012 totaled 11.1 thousand
pounds, going to the Bahamas, Canada, and the Islands of Turks and Caicos.
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