Return to the Summary Table of Contents    [Previous page]    [Next Page]
CATFISH

FLORIDA

  There were 45 catfish operations in Florida on January 1, 2002. Total water surface area was 880 acres, an increase of 200 acres from 2001. Most of the acreage was for foodsize fish (700 acres) and fingerlings (125 acres). Total sales in Florida in 2001 were $1,327,000. The majority of the sales were to processors.

UNITED STATES

  Catfish growers in the major producing States had sales of 443 million dollars during 2001, down 12 percent from the previous year. The top four States, Mississippi, Alabama, and Arkansas, and Louisiana accounted for 95 percent of the U.S. total sales. Nationwide sales of all foodsize fish decreased 12 percent from 2000 to 410 million dollars. Fingerlings and fry sales totaled 23.8 million dollars, an increase of 2 percent from 2000. Sales of stockers totaled 8.42 million dollars in 2001, up 10 percent from the previous year.

  By point of first sale, direct sales to processors accounted for 94 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, 2002, totaled 196,590 acres, up slightly from a year earlier. Of the total acres, 5,535 are to be renovated during the period of January 1, 2002 to June 30, 2002. An additional 2,725 acres are under construction or expected to be constructed and in use by July 1, 2002. During the period of July 1, 2001 through December 31, 2001 3,945 acres were taken out of production. As of January 1, 2002, 158,970 acres were being used for foodfish production, 27,900 acres were being used for fingerling production, and 5,046 acres were being used for broodfish.

  Catfish producers had 1.17 million broodfish on hand January 1, 2002, down 12 percent from January 1,2001. Large foodsize fish (over 3 pounds per fish) on hand totaled 10.7 million on January 1, 2002, up 56 percent in comparable states from a year ago. The number of medium foodsize (1.50 pounds to 3 pounds per fish) increased 20 percent to 106 million, and small foodsize fish (0.75 pound to 1.50 pounds per fish) numbers increased 20 percent to 287 million.

  The number of large stockers (over 180 pounds to 750 pounds per 1000 fish) on hand January 1, 2002, at 311 million, were down 14 percent from the previous year. Small stocker (over 60 pounds to 180 pounds per 1000 fish) numbers decreased 24 percent to 365 million. There were 1.07 billion fingerlings on hand January 1, 2002, up four percent from January 1, 2001.

CATFISH: Water surface acres; acres being renovated; new ponds under construction;
acres out of production; and acres used for broodfish; January 1
State Water surface acres 1/ Being
renovated
Under
construction
Taken
out of
production
in 2001
Used for
broodfish
Jan 1
2001
Jan 1
2002
  Acres
AL 24,400 25,900 200 820 430 720
AR 36,000 38,000 750 * 1,100 700
FL 680 880 * 25 * 51
LA 13,300 12,100 590 130 1,000 220
MS 112,700 111,500 3,700 1,400 1,200 3,000
MO 2,090 1,800 45 15 25 45
Other 2/ 6,650 6,410 250 335 190 310
Total 195,820 196,590 5,535 2,725 3,945 5,046
1/ Included in other States to avoid disclosure of individual operations.
2/ Includes CA, GA, KS, KY, NY, OK, SC, TN, and TX.


Return to the Summary Table of Contents    [Previous page]    [Next Page]