Catfish farming has reduced 22 percent from 2008 and the average price paid to producers was 81.1 cents per pound for January 2009, down 1.0 cent from last month but 15.3 cents above a year ago. It is said that the net pounds of processed fish sold during January 2009 totaled 19.2 million pounds, down 22 percent from the comparable month in 2008. The total end of the month inventory decreased 9 percent from last month but was up 10 percent from a year ago. Sales of fresh fish, at 7.04 million pounds, were down 19 percent from January 2008 and represented 37 percent of total sales.
According to the figure frozen fish sales, at 12.2 million pounds, were down 23 percent from a year ago and accounted for the remaining 63 percent of total fish sales. Sales of whole fish represented 17 percent of the total fish sold, fillets accounted for 59 percent, and the remaining 24 percent were mostly steaks, nuggets, and value added products.
The processors received the January 2009 average price for total fresh fish was $2.56 per pound, up 35 cents from last year. Prices for fresh whole fish were $1.72 per pound, up 23 cents from January 2008. Prices for fresh fillets were up 40 cents from a year ago at $3.30 per pound. Freshwater imports for consumption of Ictalurus spp., Pangasius spp., and other catfish of the order Siluriformes for December 2008 totaled 7.82 million pounds, up 14 percent from the amount imported in December 2007.
The main countries from where the imports were done such as Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Mexico, Thailand, and Vietnam. The Ictalurus spp. imports totaled 2.43 million pounds, which were from China and Mexico.
