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The amount of catfish processed in May was similar to that last year. (Fisheries and Allied aquaculture: auburn.edu/NASS-USDA/FIS)
Catfish processing up slightly
UNITED STATES
Tuesday, June 26, 2012, 15:30 (GMT + 9)
Farm-raised catfish processed during May 2012 totalled 25.0 million lbs round weight, up 1 per cent from May 2011. The average price paid to producers was USD 1.04 per lb for May 2012, down 12.9 cents from last month and 13.1 cents below a year ago, according to figures released by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Net lbs of processed fish sold during May 2012 totalled 13.4 million lbs, up 6 per cent from the comparable month in 2011. Sales of fresh fish, at 4.84 million lbs, were up 2 per cent from May 2011 and represented 36 per cent of total sales.
Frozen fish sales, at 8.54 million lbs, were up 9 per cent from a year ago and accounted for the remaining 64 per cent of total fish sales. Sales of whole fish represented 20 per cent of the total fish sold, fillets accounted for 60 per cent, and the remaining 20 per cent were mostly steaks, nuggets and value-added products.
The total end of the month inventory decreased 5 per cent from last month but was up 128 per cent from a year ago.
The total fresh and frozen average price for May 2012 was USD 3.22, down 29 cents from a year ago. The May 2012 average price received by processors for total fresh fish was USD 3.19 per lb, down 19 cents from last year.
Prices for fresh whole fish were USD 2.25 per lb, down 15 cents from May 2011. Prices for fresh fillets were down 20 cents from a year ago at USD 4.35 per lb.
Total frozen fish averaged USD 3.24 per lb, down 34 cents from May 2011. Prices for frozen whole dressed fish were down 2 cents at USD 2.91 and frozen fillets at USD 3.79 per lb were down 43 cents from a year ago.
Imports for consumption of Ictalurus spp., Pangasius spp., and other catfish of the order Siluriformes for April 2012 totalled 19.8 million lbs, up 48 per cent from the amount imported in April 2011. Imports were from Brazil, China, Guyana, Thailand and Vietnam.
The Ictalurus spp. imports totalled 534,000 lbs, which were from China. Fresh catfish fillet exports totalled 235,000 lbs, with 53,700 lbs going to Canada and the rest going to China, Jamaica, the Islands of Turks and Caicos and Vietnam.
Exports of frozen catfish fillets reported for April 2012 totalled 29,700 lbs, going to the Bahamas, Canada and the Republic of Equatorial Guinea.
editorial@fis.com
www.fis.com
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