By Dan Burden, content specialist, AgMRC, Iowa State University, djburden@iastate.edu.

Revised February 2011 by Diane Huntrods, AgMRC, Iowa State University.


Channel catfish are one of the most important freshwater species farm-raised in the United States, particularly in the South. As of 2010, catfish is the sixth most popular fish or seafood consumed in the United States; only shrimp, canned tuna, salmon, tilapia and pollock are more popular. That year, Americans consumed an average of 15.8 pounds of seafood per person, and 0.80 pounds of that was catfish.  (National Fisheries Institute 2011)

Farmed Catfish
Farm-raised channel catfish may reproduce naturally in ponds or be spawned and reared in captivity, with the resulting fingerlings released into ponds for grow-out. Optimal temperature for maximum growth of channel catfish is 85°F. The pH should remain at neutral (7.0), while dissolved oxygen levels should be maintained above 5.0 ppm.
 
Most of the farm-raised catfish are cultured in ponds constructed with levees. The levees form above-ground ponds four to six feet deep of 10 to 20 water surface acres. Development of a special diet has greatly improved the taste of the finished product, eliminating the “fishy” or “muddy” flavor that used to be commonly associated with pond-reared catfish. To ensure freshness, the fish are seined from the ponds and sent to the processing plants in aerated tank trucks. Processing plants produce a variety of wholesale offerings including whole fish, strips, nuggets, steaks, fillets and pre-marinated and breaded products. Properly processed and frozen, farmed catfish will retain excellent product quality for two to four months.

Production
As of January 1, 2011, more than 99,600 acres of ponds were used for catfish production, down 13 percent from the previous year's 115,000 acres. From July 1, 2010 through December 31, 2010, more than 10,000 acres were taken out of production. Inventory numbers also declined for several categories of catfish, including broodfish and foodsize. However, the number of stockers on hand on January 1, 2011 was up 4 percent and the number of fingerlings was up 32 percent.  (NASS 2011)

The number of catfish operations decreased to 909 in 2011, with 85 operations no longer in business (NASS 2011).  

Sales
Producer
Catfish producers in the United States had total sales of $403 million during 2010, up 8 percent from the previous year's $373 million. The four top states--Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas and Texas--accounted for 94 percent of total U.S. sales. The sales total of all foodsize fish increased to $375 million, a 7 percent increase from 2009 sales.  (NASS 2011) 

Producer prices for catfish started at $0.76 per pound in January 2010 and reached $0.86 per pound by December 2010. While variable, prices generally increased during the year. The average price per pound during 2010 was $0.80, $0.03 above the $0.77 paid last year.  (NASS 2011)

Processor
In 2010, 472 million pounds of U.S. farm-raised catfish were processed, 1 percent above the 466 million pounds processed in 2009. During January 2011, however, 35.1 million pounds of catfish were processed, down 12 percent from January 2010. The 2010 average price received for processed fish was $2.50 per pound, down $0.03 from the previous year.  (NASS 2011)

Exports
According to the FAS's Global Agricultural Trade System (GATS 2010), the total value of exported U.S. catfish during 2010 was $3.1 million. Canada, the primary destination, purchased catfish valued at $1.8 million. China, another leading destination, purchased catfish valued at $406,000.

Imports
While variable, imports of catfish continued to increase during 2010, peaking in December at 16.9 million pounds and totaling 137.5 million pounds for the year (NASS 2011).

China has been the dominant source for imported catfish since 2004. That trend continued in 2010, with China providing catfish valued at $21.2 million. The total value of the catfish imported during the year was $23.0 million.  (GATS 2010)

Outlook
The overall outlook for catfish producers and processors is mixed; they face a number of issues. Since corn and soybean meal prices are still high, feed costs will remain high. Imports of competing seafood products, and the general health of the economy and its impact on restaurant sales will also affect consumer demand for catfish.     

With respect to marketing, there is optimistic outlook for channel catfish market growth. New or prospective producers should not assume there will be a willing buyer at harvest time. Most current catfish production is sold to large processors, and new producers may be too far from a processor to economically market their catfish through this low-premium conduit. New processing plants that locate in areas with little existing production and rely on promises of new production may fail within the first few years. The reasons for these failures are as follows: (1) overcapitalization and limited cash flow; (2) harvesting and logistical problems in transporting fish to the processing plant; (3) inconsistent fish supplies; and (4) established producers in the area who already have specialty markets for live fish that offer better prices. Also, generally, it takes 18 months in construction and production time for a farmer to produce his first crop of fish. For this reason, the availability of financing capital or high interest rates may limit the development of new production acreage, as well as make it more difficult to compete with existing processors for market share. Even in areas with established production and processing, farmers should continually investigate new markets. Perhaps limited in size and availability, these markets can be more profitable than wholesale sales to processors. Alternative markets include live-haulers, on-farm sales, fee fishing and local sales.  (Channel Catfish Production.)


Sources
Aquaculture Sold: 2007 and 2002, 2007 Census of Agriculture, USDA, 2009.

Catfish, Global Agricultural Trade System (GATS), Foreign Ag Service (FAS), USDA, 2010.

Catfish Processing, National Ag Statistics Service (NASS), USDA, 2011.

Catfish Production, NASS, USDA, 2011.

Top 10 Consumed Seafood, National Fisheries Institute, aboutseafood.com, 2010 - Lists the top ten species consumed in the United States by pounds per person.