There were 104 million market-ready catfish from the three major producing states in the United States – Alabama, Arkansas and Mississippi – available on 1 July, an increase of 17 percent compared to the same stage of 2016, according to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).
USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) reported that there were 2.4 million large food-size catfish (over 3 pounds) available, up 41 percent; the medium food-size supply (1.5 to 3 pounds) comprised 28.4 million fish, up 36 percent; and the small food-size supply (three-fourths of a pound to 1.5 pounds) totaled 72.7 million fish, up 10 percent.
The three major states also had 445,000 broodfish on 1 July, up 6 percent from last year's 420,000 broodfish.
Catfish operations in these states had 293 million stockers, up 1 percent from 1 July 2016. Producers also had 535 million fingerlings and fry available.
The total water surface area used for catfish production in Alabama, Arkansas and Mississippi for the period 1 July through 31 December 2017 amounts to 54,200 acres, down 1 percent from a year ago, with the area used for food-size fish up 1 percent year-on-year to 44,100 acres; the area used for fingerling production down 9 percent to 6,980 acres; and the area used for broodfish up 12 percent to 1,770 acres.
