Return to the Table of Contents for Publications
CATFISH
March 5, 2001

USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service   |  1222 Woodward Street   |  Orlando, Florida 32803   |  407 / 648-6013


FLORIDA

  There were 38 catfish operations in Florida on January 1, 2001. Total water surface area was 680 acres, an increase of 290 acres from 2000. Most of the acreage was for foodsize fish (320 acres) and fingerlings (50 acres). Total sales in Florida in 2000 were $1,296,000. The majority of the sales (85 percent) from the operation were to processors.

UNITED STATES

  Catfish growers in the 13 major producing States had sales of 501 million dollars during 2000, up two percent from the previous year. The top four States, Mississippi, Alabama, and Arkansas, and Louisiana accounted for 96 percent of the U.S. total sales. Nationwide sales of all foodsize fish increased one percent from 1999 to 469 million dollars. Fingerlings and fry sales totaled 23.4 million dollars, an increase of 24 percent from 1999. Sales of stockers totaled 7.65 million dollars in 2000, more than double the 3.65 million dollars sold the previous year.

  By point of first sale, direct sales to processors accounted for 95 percent of the total sales of foodsize fish while 87 percent of the stocker sales were to other producers. The remainder were sold for recreational use, to live haulers, for retail, government, or other uses.

  The water surface acres being used for catfish production as of January 1, 2001, totaled 190,320 acres, up two percent from a year earlier. Of the total acres, 6,085 are to be renovated during the period of January 1, 2001 to June 30, 2001. An additional 5,065 acres are under construction or expected to be constructed and in use by July 1, 2001. During the period of July 1, 2000 through December 31, 2000 4,510 acres were taken out of production. As of January 1, 2001, 156,855 acres were being used for foodfish production, 24,580 acres were being used for fingerling production, and 5,615 acres were being used for broodfish.

  Catfish producers had 1.33 million broodfish on hand January 1, 2001, down 4 percent from January 1,2000. Large foodsize fish (over 3 pounds per fish) on hand totaled 6.87 million on January 1, 2001, up 18 percent in comparable states from a year ago. The number of medium foodsize (1.50 pounds to 3 pounds per fish) increased 14 percent to 87.9 million, and small foodsize fish (0.75 pound to 1.50 pounds per fish) numbers increased 20 percent to 240 million.

  The number of large stockers (over 180 pounds to 750 pounds per 1000 fish) on hand January 1, 2001, at 349 million, were down two percent from the previous year. Small stocker over 60 pounds to 180 pounds per 1000 fish) numbers increased 4 percent to 450 million. There were 1.02 billion fingerlings on hand January 1, 2001, down three percent from January 1, 2000.

CATFISH: Utilization of Water Surface Acres Jan 1-Jun 30, 2000, and Acres Taken Out of Production
Jul 1-Dec 31, 2000, by State

State
Water surface acres Utilization of acres, 2001 Taken
out of
pro-
duction in
2000
Reno-
vated
New
con-
struction
Used for
brood- fish
Jan 1
2000
Jan 1
2001
AL 22,100 24,400 410 230 560 210
AR 33,000 30,500 950 550 800 500
FL 390 680 * * * 40
LA 13,500 13,300 930 540 260 740
MS 110,000 112,700 3,100 1,900 3,900 1,800
MO 1,860 2,090 * * 45 *
Oth 1/ 6,480 6,650 700 660 340 460
Total 187,330 190,320 6,090 3,880 5,905 3,750
1/ Includes CA, KY, NC, OK, SC, TN, and TX.
*Included in other states to avoid disclosure.

CATFISH: Number of operations and annual sales
State Number of operations Annual sales
January 1
2000
January 1
2001
1999 2000
  Thousand dollars
AL 260 270 71,124 81,617
AR 170 160 70,587 65,737
FL 22 38 1,110 1,296
LA 94 80 32,434 32,976
MS 405 400 294,876 300,303
MO 40 45 2,854 3,117
Oth 1/ 261 259 16,306 16,354
Total 1,252 1,252 489,291 501,400
1/ Includes CA, KY, NC, OK, SC, TN, and TX.
*Included in other states to avoid disclosure.

CATFISH: Number and live weight of broodfish, January 1
State Total number of fish Live weight of fish
2000 2001 2000 2001
  Thousands
AL 138 155 774 890
AR 260 210 1,170 950
FL * * * *
LA * * * *
MS 870 860 4,100 3,950
MO * 10 * 45
Oth 1/ 109 92 551 469
Total 1,377 1,327 6,595 6,304
1/ Includes CA, KY, NC, OK, SC, TN, and TX.
*Included in other states to avoid disclosure.

CATFISH: Number and live weight of all foodsizes, January 1
State Total number of fish Live weight of fish
2000 2001 2000 2001
  Thousands
AL 39,120 46,990 49,890 60,100
AR 58,200 53,600 77,100 73,300
LA 19,270 21,040 27,950 27,350
MS 156,690 199,520 186,030 246,600
MO 1,870 2,495 2,565 3,450
Oth 1/ 7,843 10,808 12,735 16,182
Total 282,993 334,453 356,270 426,982
1/ Includes CA, FL, KY, NC, OK, SC, TN, and TX.

CATFISH: Number and live weight of total
stockers, January 1 1/
State Total number of fish Live weight of fish
2000 2001 2000 2001
  Thousands
AL 55,440 60,000 13,120 16,500
AR 126,500 95,100 22,000 18,200
LA 32,400 27,700 6,900 5,430
MS 561,500 601,400 134,200 138,300
MO 930 4,500 375 810
Oth 2/ 13,913 101,487 2,880 2,099
Total 790,683 799,187 179,475 181,339
1/ Total stockers: Over 60 lbs to 750 lbs/ 1,000 fish.
2/ Includes CA, FL, KY, NC, OK, SC, TN, and TX.


CATFISH: Number and live weight of fingerlings, January 11/
State Total number of fish Total liveweight of fish
2000 2001 2000 2001
  Thousands
AL 54,170 57,000 2,350 2,350
AR 131,000 167,000 5,600 3,900
FL 1,200 240 22 14
LA 36,600 39,400 1,030 1,910
MS 805,000 737,000 23,270 27,400
MO * 7,400 * 148
Oth 2/ 25,330 15,493 692 508
Total 1,053,300 1,023,533 32,964 36,230
1/ Fingerling: Over 2 lbs to 60 lbs/1,000 fish.
2/ Includes CA, GA, KS, KY, NC, OK, SC, TN, and TX.
*Included in other States to avoid disclosure.

CATFISH: Foodsize percent sold by outlet type, 2000
State Live-
haul
Fee/
Rec
fishing
Pro-
cess
Retail
rest. &
Fd. Stor
Other
out-
lets
AL 0 1 98 0 1
AR 1 0 93 5 1
FL 13 1 85 0 1
LA 0 0 99 0 1
MS 0 0 99 0 1
MO 80 3 0 0 17
Wt. avg. 1/ 0 .9 0 .8 95 .1 1 .9 1 .3
1/ Includes AL, CA, GA, KS, KY, NC, OK, SC, TN, and TX.


CATFISH: Number, weight, and value of sales; all stockers
State Number sold Pounds sold Sales Average value per pound
1999 2000 1999 2000 1999 2000 1999 2000
  Thousands Thousand dollars Dollars
AR 4,000 15,200 800 3,000 928 2,850 1.16 0.95
MS 9,670 35,800 1,070 2,920 1,081 3,037 1.01 1.04
Oth 1/ 10,463 15,302 1,465 2,188 1,644 1,763 1.13 0.75
Total 24,133 66,302 3,335 8,138 3,653 7,650 1.10 0.94
1/ Includes AL, CA, FL, GA, KS, KY, LA, MO, NC, OK, TN, SC, and TX.

CATFISH: Number, weight, and value of sales; all foodsize
State Number sold Pounds sold Sales Average value per pound
1999 2000 1999 2000 1999 2000 1999 2000
  Thousands Thousand dollars Dollars
AL 54,800 64,900 103,000 113,000 69,010 77,970 0.67 0.69
AR 50,000 48,000 87,500 80,000 64,750 59,200 0.74 0.74
LA 27,800 25,200 44,400 44,000 31,968 31,680 0.72 0.72
MS 283,100 271,500 385,000 380,000 281,050 281,200 0.73 0.74
MO 1,270 1,780 2,630 2,590 2,130 2,253 0.81 0.87
Oth 1/ 7,530 8,765 12,675 14,197 15,804 16,512 1.25 1.16
Total 424,500 420,145 635,205 633,787 464,712 468,815 0.73 0.74
1/ Includes CA, FL, GA, KS, KY, NC, OK, SC, TN, and TX.

CATFISH: Number, weight, and value of sales; fingerlings and fry
State Number sold Pounds sold Sales Average value per pound
1999 2000 1999 2000 1999 2000 1999 2000
  Thousands Thousand dollars Dollars
AL 16,200 * 695 * 1,501 * 2.16 *
AR 97,000 111,000 2,250 2,100 4,613 3,570 2.05 17.0
FL * * * * * * 0 *
LA 5,600 11,400 225 360 407 1,260 1.81 3.50
MS 523,300 577,800 6,200 8,130 11,222 14,878 1.81 1.83
Oth 1/ 15,790 53,140 416 1,776 1,168 3,735 3.72 2.07
Total 657,890 753,340 9,786 12,366 18,911 23,443 1.93 1.90
1/ Includes CA, GA, KS, KY, MO, NC, OK, SC, TN, and TX.
*Included in other States to avoid disclosure.


Return to the Table of Contents for Publications