Catfish: Domestic production falls, as imports continue to rise

摘要

Domestic catfish production in 2006 is expected to fall short of the 600-million-pound mark for the first time in five years, while imports of farmed channel catfish and basa from Asia continue to rise. A Sept. 21 report by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service notes that 379 million pounds of catfish (round-weight) was processed through July, down 8 percent from last year. The USDA estimates that 2006's total output will be in the range of 550 million to 565 million pounds. Rob Mayo, president of Carolina Classics Catfish in Ayden, N.C., expects tight supplies for 2007 as well. Mayo attributes the dip to "protracted fallout related to farmers who left the business or shrunk their production during the low-price years."