Farm-raised catfish processed during September 2012 totaled 24.5 million pounds round weight, down 19 percent from September 2011. The average price paid to producers was 79.3 cents per pound for September 2012, down 0.5 cent from last month and 48.2 cents below a year ago.
Net pounds of processed fish sold during September 2012 totaled 13.4 million pounds, up slightly from the comparable month in 2011. Sales of fresh fish, at 4.97 million pounds, were up 20 percent from September 2011 and represented 37 percent of total sales. Frozen fish sales, at 8.45 million pounds, were down 9 percent from a year ago and accounted for the remaining 63 percent of total fish sales. Sales of whole fish represented 19 percent of the total fish sold, fillets accounted for 60 percent, and the remaining 21 percent were mostly steaks, nuggets, and value added products.
The total end of the month inventory increased 2 percent from last month and was up 19 percent from a year ago.
The total fresh and frozen average price for September 2012 was $2.79, down 93 cents from a year ago. The September 2012 average price received by processors for total fresh fish was $2.78 per pound, down 94 cents from last year. Prices for fresh whole fish were $1.89 per pound, down 76 cents from September 2011. Prices for fresh fillets were down $1.16 from a year ago at $3.72 per pound. Total frozen fish averaged $2.79 per pound, down 93 cents from September 2011. Prices for frozen whole dressed fish were down 31 cents at $2.86 and frozen fillets at $3.11 per pound were down $1.42 from a year ago.
Imports for consumption of Ictalurus spp., Pangasius spp., and other catfish of the order Siluriformes for August 2012 totaled 23.7 million pounds, up 29 percent from the amount imported in August 2011. Imports were from Brazil, Canada, China, French Polynesia, Iceland, New Zealand, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam. The Ictalurus spp. imports totaled 84.0 thousand pounds, which were from China.
Fresh catfish fillet exports totaled 95.2 thousand pounds, with 57.2 thousand pounds going to Canada and the rest going to the Islands of Turks and Caicos and Vietnam. Exports of frozen catfish fillets reported for August 2012 totaled 5.5 thousand pounds, going to the Bahamas and the Republic of Equatorial Guinea.