Catfish Production ISSN: 1948-271X Released July 22, 2011, by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Foodfish Inventory Numbers Down 25 Percent from a Year Ago Catfish operations in the three major producing States (Alabama, Arkansas, and Mississippi) had 159 million foodsize fish on hand on July 1, 2011, down 25 percent from the July 1, 2010 total of 212 million foodsize fish. The breakouts of foodsize fish inventory numbers on July 1, 2011, with their respective percent change from the previous year were: large foodsize, 2.57 million fish, down 60 percent; medium foodsize, 33.8 million fish, down 45 percent; and small foodsize, 122 million fish, down 15 percent. The three major States also had 430 thousand broodfish on hand on July 1, 2011, down 5 percent from last year's 455 thousand broodfish. The number of large stockers on hand on July 1, 2011, totaled 176 million fish, up 6 percent from the 166 million fish on hand a year ago. There were 173 million small stockers, up 2 percent from last year. Producers had 732 million fingerlings and fry on hand on July 1, 2011. The water surface area to be used for catfish production during July 1 through December 31, 2011, totaled 81.4 thousand acres, down 14 percent from a year ago. Acres used for foodsize fish totaled 65.5 thousand acres, down 17 percent from the same time period in 2010. Acres for broodfish decreased 13 percent to 1.60 thousand acres, and acres used for fingerling production decreased 8 percent to 11.5 thousand acres. Acres taken out of production during the January 1, 2011 through June 30, 2011 period totaled 4.54 thousand acres, while 2.23 thousand acres of the total in production were scheduled to be renovated from July 1, 2011 to December 31, 2011. The number of operations on July 1, 2011 in the three major States totaled 389, down 14 percent from last year's total of 454 operations. Number of Catfish Operations and Water Surface Acres Used for Production - Major States: 2010 and 2011 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ : Number of operations :Water surface acres used for production State : on July 1 1/ : July 1 - December 31 :----------------------------------------------------------------------- : 2010 : 2011 : 2010 : 2011 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ : ------ number ------ ---------- acres --------- : Alabama ......................: (NA) (NA) 20,600 19,000 Arkansas .....................: (NA) (NA) 14,600 10,700 Mississippi ..................: (NA) (NA) 59,800 51,700 : Three State total ............: 454 389 95,000 81,400 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ (NA) Not available. 1/ State level number of operations will only be published every five years in conjunction with the Census of Agriculture. Catfish Water Surface Acres by Use - Major States: 2010 and 2011 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- :Acres intended for utilization during July 1 - December 31 for: :--------------------------------------------------------------:Acres taken out : : : : Currently under : of production State and year : : : : or scheduled for : during : Foodsize :Fingerlings: Broodfish :--------------------------: January 1 - : : : : : New : June 30 : : : : Renovation :construction : ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : acres : : 2010 : Alabama ......................: 19,500 860 110 (D) (D) 280 Arkansas .....................: 11,700 2,300 330 (D) (D) 3,300 Mississippi ..................: 47,300 9,300 1,400 930 - 3,000 : Three State total ............: 78,500 12,460 1,840 1,580 45 6,580 : 2011 : Alabama ......................: 18,300 560 75 160 (D) 340 Arkansas .....................: 8,200 2,100 220 170 (D) 1,500 Mississippi ..................: 39,000 8,800 1,300 1,900 (D) 2,700 : Three State total ............: 65,500 11,460 1,595 2,230 190 4,540 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - Represents zero. (D) Withheld to avoid disclosing data for individual operations. Catfish Inventory by Size Category - Major States: July 1, 2010 and 2011 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ : : Live weight Size category : Number of fish :------------------------------------- and State : : Total : Average :------------------------------------------------------- : 2010 : 2011 : 2010 : 2011 : 2010 : 2011 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ : ---- 1,000 ---- 1,000 pounds pounds per fish : Large foodsize : Alabama ..............: 2,190 1,080 8,000 4,000 3.7 3.7 Arkansas .............: 400 260 1,300 912 3.3 3.5 Mississippi ..........: 3,760 1,230 13,000 4,600 3.5 3.7 : Three State total ....: 6,350 2,570 22,300 9,512 3.5 3.7 : Medium foodsize : Alabama ..............: 27,200 15,900 52,200 29,600 1.9 1.9 Arkansas .............: 8,470 4,900 15,900 9,400 1.9 1.9 Mississippi ..........: 25,400 13,000 47,200 22,500 1.9 1.7 : Three State total ....: 61,070 33,800 115,300 61,500 1.9 1.8 : Small foodsize : Alabama ..............: 38,000 53,700 37,200 51,500 1.0 1.0 Arkansas .............: 18,800 9,200 17,700 8,750 0.9 1.0 Mississippi ..........: 87,500 59,500 86,300 58,300 1.0 1.0 : Three State total ....:144,300 122,400 141,200 118,550 1.0 1.0 : All foodsize : Alabama ..............: 67,390 70,680 97,400 85,100 (X) (X) Arkansas .............: 27,670 14,360 34,900 19,062 (X) (X) Mississippi ..........:116,660 73,730 146,500 85,400 (X) (X) : Three State total ....:211,720 158,770 278,800 189,562 (X) (X) : Broodfish : Alabama ..............: 20 40 99 144 5.0 3.6 Arkansas .............: 65 50 264 200 4.1 4.0 Mississippi ..........: 370 340 1,750 1,650 4.7 4.9 : Three State total ....: 455 430 2,113 1,994 4.6 4.6 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ See footnote(s) at end of table. --continued Catfish Inventory by Size Category - Major States: July 1, 2010 and 2011 (continued) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : : Live weight Size category : Number of fish :------------------------------------------- and State : : Total : Average :----------------------------------------------------------------- : 2010 : 2011 : 2010 : 2011 : 2010 : 2011 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : ------ 1,000 ----- 1,000 pounds pounds per 1,000 fish : Large stockers : Alabama ..............: 38,400 45,000 14,200 17,400 370 387 Arkansas .............: 14,700 13,400 6,150 5,750 418 429 Mississippi ..........: 113,000 118,000 45,000 47,600 398 403 : Three State total ....: 166,100 176,400 65,350 70,750 393 401 : Small stockers : Alabama ..............: 41,100 44,200 3,900 5,200 94.9 118.0 Arkansas .............: 13,900 32,000 1,540 3,050 111.0 95.3 Mississippi ..........: 114,000 96,600 10,800 9,500 94.7 98.3 : Three State total ....: 169,000 172,800 16,240 17,750 96.1 102.7 : Total stockers : Alabama ..............: 79,500 89,200 18,100 22,600 (X) (X) Arkansas .............: 28,600 45,400 7,690 8,800 (X) (X) Mississippi ..........: 227,000 214,600 55,800 57,100 (X) (X) : Three State total ....: 335,100 349,200 81,590 88,500 (X) (X) : Fingerlings and fry : Alabama ..............: 40,200 47,900 1,200 784 29.9 16.4 Arkansas .............: 104,000 99,700 1,700 2,100 16.3 21.1 Mississippi ..........: 661,000 584,000 8,000 8,550 12.1 14.6 : Three State total ....: 805,200 731,600 10,900 11,434 13.5 15.6 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (X) Not applicable. Statistical Methodology Survey Procedures: All known catfish producers in the three published states are surveyed to collect production data. Individual NASS field offices maintain a list of all known catfish producers and use known sources of producers to update their lists. Operators are mailed a questionnaire as close as possible to July 1 and given time to respond by mail. Those that do not respond by mail are telephoned or possibly enumerated in person during the middle of July. Estimating Procedures: Sound statistical methodology is employed to derive the estimates from reported data. All data are analyzed for unusual values. Data from each operation are compared to their own past operating profile and to trends from similar operations. Missing data for large operations are estimated based on similar operations or historical data. Summary expansions account for the remaining non-response operations. NASS field offices prepare these estimates by using a combination of survey indications and historic trends. Individual State estimates are reviewed by the Agricultural Statistics Board for reasonableness. Revision policy: Estimates for the previous year are subject to revision when current estimates are made. Revisions are the result of late or corrected data. Reliability: In the three published states, catfish production estimates are based on a census of all known active producers and therefore, have no sampling variability. However, estimates are subject to errors such as omissions, duplication, and mistakes in reporting, recording, and processing the data. While these errors cannot be measured directly, they are minimized through strict quality controls in the data collection process and a careful review of all reported data for consistency and reasonableness. Terms and Definitions Used for Catfish Production Estimates Broodfish: Fish kept for egg production, including males. Broodfish produce the fertilized eggs, which go to hatcheries. The most desirable size is 3 to 10 pounds or 4 to 6 years of age. Fingerlings: Fish weighing 2 to 60 pounds per 1,000 fish or 2 to 6 inches in length. Foodsize (large): Fish weighing over 3 pounds. Foodsize (medium): Fish weighing over one and one-half pounds to 3 pounds. Foodsize (small): Fish weighing over three-fourths of a pound to one and one- half pounds. Fry: Fish weighing less than 2 pounds per 1,000 fish or less than 2 inches in length. Stockers (large): Fish weighing over 180 pounds to 750 pounds per 1,000 fish. Stockers (small): Fish weighing over 60 pounds to 180 pounds per 1,000 fish or over 6 inches in length. Information Contacts Listed below are the commodity specialists in the Livestock Branch of the National Agricultural Statistics Service to contact for additional information. E-mail inquiries may be sent to nass@nass.usda.gov Dan Kerestes, Chief, Livestock Branch ....................................... (202) 720-3570 Bruce Boess, Head, Poultry and Specialty Commodities Section ................ (202) 720-4447 Cody Brokmeyer - Poultry Slaughter, Turkey Hatchery, Turkeys Raised ...... (202) 690-3237 David Colwell - Cold Storage ............................................. (202) 720-8784 Kim Linonis - Layers, Eggs ............................................... (202) 690-8632 Troy Marshall - Broiler Hatchery, Chicken Hatchery, Honey ................ (202) 720-3244 Miste Salmon - Catfish Processing, Catfish Production, Trout Production, Census of Aquaculture, Egg Products, Mink .. (202) 720-0585 Access to NASS Reports For your convenience, you may access NASS reports and products the following ways: All reports are available electronically, at no cost, on the NASS web site: http://www.nass.usda.gov Both national and state specific reports are available via a free e- mail subscription. 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