(NASS-USDA) Farm-raised catfish processed during August 2012 totaled 24.9 million pounds round weight, down 19 percent from August 2011. The average price paid to producers was 79.8 cents per pound for August 2012, down 4.5 cents from last month and 47.9 cents below a year ago.
Net pounds of processed fish sold during August 2012 totaled 14.4 million pounds, up 1 percent from the comparable month in 2011. Sales of fresh fish, at 5.03 million pounds, were up 15 percent from August 2011 and represented 35 percent of total sales. Frozen fish sales, at 9.42 million pounds, were down 5 percent from a year ago and accounted for the remaining 65 percent of total fish sales. Sales of whole fish represented 19 percent of the total fish sold, fillets accounted for 62 percent, and the remaining 19 percent were mostly steaks, nuggets, and value added products.
The total end of the month inventory decreased 8 percent from last month but was up 51 percent from a year ago.
The total fresh and frozen average price for August 2012 was $2.79, down 86 cents from a year ago. The August 2012 average price received by processors for total fresh fish was $2.83 per pound, down 83 cents from last year. Prices for fresh whole fish were $1.95 per pound, down 66 cents from August 2011. Prices for fresh fillets were down $1.01 from a year ago at $3.76 per pound. Total frozen fish averaged $2.77 per pound, down 88 cents from August 2011. Prices for frozen whole dressed fish were down 30 cents at $2.85 and frozen fillets at $3.11 per pound were down $1.36 from a year ago.
Imports for consumption of Ictalurus spp., Pangasius spp., and other catfish of the order Siluriformes for July 2012 totaled 22.6 million pounds, up 25 percent from the amount imported in July 2011. Imports were from Canada, China, French Polynesia, the Phillipines, Thailand, and Vietnam. The Ictalurus spp. imports totaled 73.0 thousand pounds, which were from Canada and China.
Fresh catfish fillet exports totaled 114.1 thousand pounds, with 68.1 thousand pounds going to Canada and the rest going to Aruba, the Bahamas, Colombia, Kuwait, and Vietnam. Exports of frozen catfish fillets reported for July 2012 totaled 5.3 thousand pounds, going to the Bahamas and South Korea.