HDR1012000170011023971500Catfish Processing
Catfish
Processing
National
Agricultural
Statistics
Service
USDA
Washington, D.C.
Released October 23, 1997, by the National Agricultural Statistics Service
(NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, U.S. Department of Agriculture. For
information on "Catfish Processing" call Jim Brewster at (202) 720-8784,
office hours 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET.
Catfish Processing Up 12 Percent
Farm-raised catfish processed during September totaled 43.5 million pounds
round weight, up 12 percent from September 1996. The average price paid to
producers was 69 cents per pound for September 1997, down one cent from last
month and down eight cents from a year ago.
Net pounds of processed fish sold during September totaled 21.5 million
pounds, up 10 percent from the comparable month in 1996. Sales of fresh fish,
at 8.74 million pounds, were up 10 percent from September 1996 and represented
41 percent of total sales. Frozen fish sales, at 12.8 million pounds, were up
9 percent from a year ago, and accounted for the remaining 59 percent of total
fish sales. Sales of whole fish represented 21 percent of the total, fillets
accounted for 58 percent, and the remaining 21 percent were mostly, steaks,
nuggets, and value added products.
The September 1997 average price received by processors for total fresh fish
was $2.11 per pound, down 12 cents from last year. Prices for fresh whole fish
were $1.54 per pound, down 13 cents from last year. Prices for fresh fillets
were down 12 cents at $2.73 per pound. Total frozen fish averaged $2.35 per
pound, 10 cents below September 1996. Prices for frozen whole fish were down
11 cents at $1.91, while frozen fillets at $2.63 per pound were down 11 cents
from $2.74 a year ago.
Freshwater catfish imports for August 1997 totaled 235 thousand pounds, up
43 percent from August last year. Brazil accounted for 77 percent of the
imports in August while Canada and Vietnam accounted for the remaining 23
percent. Exports reported for August 1997 were 49.6 thousand pounds, all of
which were to Germany and Singapore. Import and export data are compiled by
the U.S. Bureau of Census.
Aq 1 (10-97)
Farm-Raised Catfish: Quantity Processed and Prices Paid to Producers
by Major Processors, and United States Imports, 1996-97
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: Round Weight Processed : Average Price : Imports
:------------------------------------: Paid to : of
Month : Monthly : Cumulative : Producers 1/ : Catfish 2/
:-----------------------------------------------------------------------
: 1996 : 1997 : 1996 : 1997 : 1996 : 1997 : 1996 : 1997
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: ---------- 1,000 Pounds -------- Dollars Per Pound (000) Pounds
:
Jan : 38,475 42,409 38,475 42,409 .77 .73 256 64
Feb : 38,004 45,067 76,479 87,476 .78 .73 304 44
Mar : 46,376 48,431 122,855 135,907 .78 .73 401 44
Apr : 38,557 45,721 161,412 181,628 .78 .73 60 15
May : 39,517 43,409 200,929 225,037 .79 .73 373 0
Jun : 36,752 42,282 237,681 267,319 .79 .72 197 71
Jul : 39,025 43,376 276,706 310,695 .79 .71 219 134
Aug : 40,463 44,154 317,169 354,849 .78 .70 164 235
Sep : 38,807 43,472 355,976 398,321 .77 .69 195
Oct : 42,070 398,046 .76 188
Nov : 37,203 435,249 .75 103
Dec : 36,874 472,123 .73 22
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1/ Price for fish delivered to processing plant door. Price includes charges
for any services provided by the processing plant, such as seining and
hauling, but does not include any adjustments based on year-end
settlements.
2/ Data furnished by U.S. Bureau of Census.
Catfish Processors: Sales Volume, Average Price, and Ending
Inventory, United States, September 1996-97
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: Sales : Average : Ending
: Volume : Price : Inventory
Item :-------------------------------------------------------
: 1996 : 1997 : 1996 : 1997 : 1996 : 1997
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: 1,000 Pounds Dollars Per Pound 1,000 Pounds
Fresh :
Whole Fish :
Round & Gutted :
Only : 810 918 1.11 .99 1/ 1/
Whole Dressed : 2,405 2,452 1.84 1.72 1/ 1/
Total : 3,215 3,370 1.67 1.54 166 184
:
Other :
Steaks : 90 80 2.07 2.01 8 1/
Nuggets : 832 1,088 1.43 1.36 79 97
Other 2/ : 159 190 3.41 3.20 1 1/
Total : 1,081 1,358 1.77 1.65 88 111
:
Fillets 3/ : 3,645 4,009 2.85 2.73 422 424
:
Total Fresh : 7,941 8,737 2.23 2.11 676 719
:
Frozen :
Whole Fish :
Round & Gutted :
Only :
Whole Dressed : 1,168 1,162 2.02 1.91 689 984
Total : 1,168 1,162 2.02 1.91 689 984
:
Other :
Steaks : 182 190 1.90 1.71 1/ 98
Nuggets : 1,715 1,868 1.35 1.22 1/ 1,406
Other 2/ : 979 1,020 2.73 2.67 1,048 1,257
Total : 2,876 3,078 1.85 1.73 2,456 2,761
:
Fillets 3/ : 7,657 8,541 2.74 2.63 6,281 5,834
:
Total Frozen : 11,701 12,781 2.45 2.35 9,426 9,579
:
Total Fresh & Frozen : 19,642 21,518 2.36 2.25 10,102 10,298
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1/ Not published to avoid disclosure of individual operations.
2/ Includes all products not already reported, including weight of breading
and added ingredients.
3/ Includes regular, shank, and strip fillets; excludes any breaded product.
Catfish Processing Estimates
Survey Procedures: Survey data for catfish processing are collected from
approximately 30 processors. All participating processors
must meet the minimum criteria of having a capacity to process at least
2,000 pounds live weight of catfish per 8-hour shift. The survey is conducted
entirely by NASS Headquarter's staff in Washington, D.C. NASS field offices,
however, are responsible for keeping Headquarters informed of any new
processing operations in their state to ensure that the survey coverage is as
complete as possible. Processors are contacted either by mail or telephone.
Diligent effort is made to ensure that all operations are accounted for in the
estimate.
Estimation Procedures: The "Catfish Processing" report refers strictly to
farm-raised fish and excludes wild capture fish. Prior to
summarization, questionnaires are compared with the previous month's reports
for comparable placement of data, reasonable price levels, and reasonable
inventory carryover given the sales and processing totals reported. Estimates
are made for those processors whose reports are not available in time to be
included in the release. These plants are identified by an asterisk on page 5
of this release. Estimates are normally based on the processor's previous
report and current conditions. Published totals are a straight summation of
the individual reports and estimated data. Price items are weighted by the
associated volumes to compute weighted average prices. The published price
for total whole fish, however, reflects an adjustment to the round and gutted
only price to bring it to an equivalent dressed weight price.
If a plant uses a fiscal accounting system, proration is used to convert
reported data to a calendar month basis. Only national level estimates are
published due to the limited number of plants involved. Generally, individual
items are not published if there are less than three plants reporting, or if
any one plant has 60 percent or more of the total.
One unique feature of the "Catfish Processing" report is the listing of
cooperating processors by name on each month's release. This feature
originally was used to solicit industry cooperation in maintaining coverage,
but it has continued because of the processors' overall acceptance of this
policy.
Import and export data for frozen catfish fillets, which are compiled by the
Department of Commerce, are also included in this report.
Reliability: Catfish processing estimates are based on a census of all known
active processors and, therefore, have no sampling variability.
However, estimates may be subject to errors such as omissions, duplication,
and mistakes in reporting, recording, and processing of the data. These
errors are minimized through strict quality controls in the edit and
summarization process, and a careful review of all reported data for
consistency and reasonableness.
Revision Policy: Revisions may be necessary following a review of late
reports received from plants. Revisions of less than
2 percent of the existing published levels of any category will normally not
be made.
Definitions Used For Catfish Processing:
Average Price Paid to Producers - Refers to the price of fish delivered to
the processing plant door. Price
includes charges for any services provided by the processing plant, such as
seining and hauling, but does not include any adjustments based on year-end
settlements.
Fillets - Boned sides of the fish, cut lengthwise away from the backbone.
Fresh Fish - Fish intended for immediate consumption. Also referred to as
ice-packed.
Frozen Fish - Fish which are individually quick frozen and glazed (IQF) or
individually bagged and bulk frozen.
Nuggets - Small fillets cut from below the rib section of the fish. Usually
includes breading or added ingredients.
Round & Gutted Only - Fish with no processing done or viscera only removed.
Round Weight - A term for fish live weight.
Steaks - Cross-section cuts from larger dressed fish.
Strips - Finger size pieces of fish cut from fillets. Usually includes
breading or added ingredients.
Whole Dressed - Weight of whole fish with only head, viscera, and skin
removed. Generally, 60 percent of the live weight remains as
dressed fish.
Processing data were compiled in cooperation with the following processors:
America's Catch Guidry Catfish Processors, Inc.
Amite River Industries Harvest Select
Aqua Farm Catfish Heartland Catfish
Carolina Classics Catfish, Inc. Lake's Farm Raised Catfish, Inc.
Confish Inc. Pride of Florida
Corbin Fish Farm Pride of the Pond
Delta Pride Catfish, Inc. Pride of the South Catfish Co.
Dorey Fish Co. Prime Line Catfish Co.
Farm Fresh Catfish Co. Seabrook Seafood, Inc.
Fast Catfish Simmons Farm-Raised
Fish Breeders of Idaho Southern Farm Fish Processors
Franklin Catfish Southern Pride
Freshwater Farms, Inc. Southfresh Farms
GAF Fisheries Superior Fish Processors
* Estimated
The next "Catfish Processing" report will be released at 3:00 p.m. ET on
November 24, 1997.
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its programs on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age,
disability, political beliefs, and marital or familial status. Persons with
disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program
information (braille, large print, audiotape,
etc.) should contact the USDA's TARGET Center at 202-720-2600 (voice and TDD).
To file a complaint, write the Secretary of Agriculture, USDA, Washington,
D.C., 20250, or call 1-800-245-6340 (voice) or 202-720-1127 (TDD). USDA is
an equal employment opportunity employer.
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