Overview
During the past two decades, production of farmed American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) for their hides and their meat has expanded significantly even as it has shifted to fewer and larger operations. Louisiana and Florida continue to dominate the industry. The 2006 value of farmed alligator production in Louisiana remained relatively constant, with $28.2 million in farm-gate value, down $1.0 million from the previous year. Meanwhile, the estimated value of alligator hides and meat in Florida reached $15.9 million in 2006.
While the number of U.S. farms selling alligator hides has declined, the number of hides sold each year has steadily increased. Total sales of hides in 2005 was $33.4 million. That same year, the U.S. farms specializing in alligator meat produced over 1.3 million pounds and registered total sales of over $2.8 million. (Census of Aquaculture 2005.) February 2008 . . . Alligator
Marketing
Production
- Agricultural Summary for Louisiana 2006, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center Research and Extension.
- Alligator Fact Sheet, Georgia DNR, 2006.
Alligator Production, Southern Regional Aquaculture Center, Texas A&M University.
- Alligator Production in Florida, University of Florida, Cooperative Extension Service, 1996.
- Aquaculture Resources, Alternative Farming Systems Information Center, NAL, USDA.
- The Cajun Connection: How the U.S. Alligator Gets to Italy, USDA, FASonline, 2004.
- Census of Aquaculture (2005), USDA, 2006.
- Florida Alligator Farming, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
- Florida Harvest Data, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
- Louisiana Alligator Industry Information, Louisiana Fur and Alligator Advisory Council.
- Louisiana Alligator Regulations, Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, 2007.
Links checked February 2008.