While the Louisiana crawfish season started out slow with high prices, prices are starting to soften as supply comes on.
“We expected to have a soft start because of the flood,” said Frank Randol, owner of Lafayette, Louisiana-based Randol’s, a crawfish processor, referring to the statewide flood last August that submerged thousands of homes and businesses after dropping the equivalent of 7.1 trillion gallons of water across the state.
Plus, cold weather in early December caused the crawfish to molt.
As a result, prices reached USD 2.50 (EUR 2.37) per pound ex-vessel, and USD 3.49 (EUR 3.40) a pound and higher in late December and early January.
However, prices have begun softening as more crawfish has become available.
“This week, prices are more in line with where they normally and, as the production comes up, the restaurants will pick back up,” Randol said. “We think it will be a good year.”
“Prices started out really high, but are getting better,” said Sean Desporte, co-owner of Desporte & Sons, a wholesaler and retailer in Biloxi, Mississippi. The crawfish are coming in at medium and large sizes, according to Desporte.
Consumer, restaurant and retail buying of crawfish is expected to pick up leading up to Mardi Gras on 28 February. Leading up to the big day, crawfish boils, parades and other celebrations are held throughout Louisiana and Mississippi. “Mardi Gras is our target; it starts the high demand for seafood and crawfish. We expect the table-sized crawfish will be on-target and on time,” Randol said.
Lower prices are also expected to spur demand. This week, ex-vessel prices dropped to between USD 2 (EUR 1.89) and USD 2.25 (EUR 2.13) per pound, while wholesale prices fell to around USD 2.99 (EUR 2.83) per pound.
In Louisiana restaurants, meanwhile, cooked crawfish is selling for between USD 5 and USD 7 (EUR 4.73 and EUR 6.57) per pound, Randol said. Meanwhile, boiled crawfish from wholesaler Quality Poultry & Seafood is going for USD 5 (EUR 4.73) per pound, and live is selling for around USD 4.29 (EUR 4.06) a pound wholesale.
