(NASS-USDA) Farm-raised catfish processed during July 2012 totaled 25.1 million pounds round weight, down 6 percent from July 2011. The average price paid to producers was 84.3 cents per pound for July 2012, down 9.1 cents from last month and 40.9 cents below a year ago.
Net pounds of processed fish sold during July 2012 totaled 13.3 million pounds, up 4 percent from the comparable month in 2011. Sales of fresh fish, at 4.88 million pounds, were up 17 percent from July 2011 and represented 37 percent of total sales. Frozen fish sales, at 8.39 million pounds, were down 3 percent from a year ago and accounted for the remaining 63 percent of total fish sales. Sales of whole fish represented 21 percent of the total fish sold, fillets accounted for 58 percent, and the remaining 21 percent were mostly steaks, nuggets, and value added products. The total end of the month inventory increased slightly from last month and was up 96 percent from a year ago.
The total fresh and frozen average price for July 2012 was $2.87, down 79 cents from a year ago. The July 2012 average price received by processors for total fresh fish was $2.86 per pound, down 90 cents from last year.
Prices for fresh whole fish were $2.04 per pound, down 60 cents from July 2011. Prices for fresh fillets were down 97 cents from a year ago at $3.87 per pound. Total frozen fish averaged $2.89 per pound, down 72 cents from July 2011. Prices for frozen whole dressed fish were down 24 cents at $2.89 and frozen fillets at $3.37 per pound were down $1.11 from a year ago.
Imports for consumption of Ictalurus spp., Pangasius spp., and other catfish of the order Siluriformes for June 2012 totaled 18.8 million pounds, up 29 percent from the amount imported in June 2011. Imports were from Brazil, Canada, China, French Polynesia, Greece, New Zealand, the Philippines, the United Kingdom, and Vietnam. The Ictalurus spp. imports totaled 352 thousand pounds, which were from China and the United Kindgom.
Fresh catfish fillet exports totaled 82.7 thousand pounds, with 47.3 thousand pounds going to Canada and the rest going to the Bahamas, Bermuda, the Dominican Republic, and Germany. Exports of frozen catfish fillets reported for June 2012 totaled 10.9 thousand pounds, going to the Islands of Turks and Caicos and the Bahamas.