(NASS-USDA) Farm-raised catfish processed during June 2012 totaled 23.9 million pounds round weight, down 2 percent from June 2011. The average price paid to producers was 93.4 cents per pound for June 2012, down 10.4 cents from last month and 29.7 cents below a year ago.
Net pounds of processed fish sold during June 2012 totaled 12.5 million pounds, up slightly from the comparable month in 2011. Sales of fresh fish, at 4.69 million pounds, were up 2 percent from June 2011 and represented 38 percent of total sales. Frozen fish sales, at 7.77 million pounds, were down 1 percent from a year ago and accounted for the remaining 62 percent of total fish sales. Sales of whole fish represented 21 percent of the total fish sold, fillets accounted for 60 percent, and the remaining 19 percent were mostly steaks, nuggets, and value added products. The total end of the month inventory decreased 5 percent from last month but was up 98 percent from a year ago.
The total fresh and frozen average price for June 2012 was $3.10, down 36 cents from a year ago. The June 2012 average price received by processors for total fresh fish was $3.01 per pound, down 43 cents from last year.
Prices for fresh whole fish were $2.12 per pound, down 37 cents from June 2011. Prices for fresh fillets were down 51 cents from a year ago at $4.09 per pound. Total frozen fish averaged $3.16 per pound, down 32 cents from June 2011. Prices for frozen whole dressed fish were down 12 cents at $2.91 and frozen fillets at $3.68 per pound were down 60 cents from a year ago.
Imports for consumption of Ictalurus spp., Pangasius spp., and other catfish of the order Siluriformes for May 2012 totaled 20.1 million pounds, up 23 percent from the amount imported in May 2011. Imports were from Brazil, Canada, China, Mexico, the Phillipines, Spain, Thailand, and Vietnam. The Ictalurus spp. imports totaled 345 thousand pounds, which were from China.
Fresh catfish fillet exports totaled 83.6 thousand pounds, with 83.1 thousand pounds going to Canada and the rest going to United Arab Emirates. Exports of frozen catfish fillets reported for May 2012 totaled 4.6 thousand pounds, going to the Republic of Equatorial Guinea and Saint Lucia.