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**FLORIDA**

**Catfish**

**February 7, 2006**

There were 31 catfish operations in Florida on January 1, 2006. Total
water surface area was 520 acres, a decrease of 130 acres from 2005.
Most of the acreage was for foodsize fish (480 acres). Total sales in
Florida in 2005 were \$1,120,000. The majority of the sales were to
processors.

**UNITED STATES**

Catfish growers in the 11 selected States had sales of 482 million
dollars during 2005, up slightly from the previous year. The top four
States (Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, and Louisiana) accounted for 95
percent of the U. S. total sales. Nationwide sales of all foodsize fish
decreased slightly from 2004 to 450 million dollars. Fingerlings and fry
sales totaled 24.1 million dollars, an increase of 9 percent from 2004.
Sales of stockers totaled 5.99 million dollars in 2005, a 4 percent
decrease from the previous year.

By point of first sale, direct sales to processors accounted for 95
percent of the total sales of foodsize fish while 87 percent of the
stocker sales were to other producers. Remaining sales were for
recreational use, to live haulers, or for retail, government, or other
uses.

The water surface acres being used for catfish production as of January
1, 2006, totaled 170 thousand acres, down 2 percent from the 174
thousand acres used a year earlier. Of the total acres, 6.62 thousand
are to be renovated during the period of January 1 to June 30, 2006. An
additional 1.33 thousand acres are under construction or expected to be
constructed and in use by July 1, 2006. During the period of July 1
through December 31, 2005, the area taken out of production totaled 6.68
thousand acres. As of January 1, 2006, foodfish were produced on 139
thousand acres, fingerling producing acres totaled 22.8 thousand, and
4.78 thousand acres were being used for broodfish.

Catfish producers had 1.11 million broodfish on hand January 1, 2006, up
7 percent from January 1, 2005. Large foodsize fish (over 3 pounds per
fish) on hand totaled 10.8 million on January 1, 2006, an increase of 4
percent from a year ago. The number of medium foodsize (1.50 pounds to 3
pounds per fish) increased 10 percent to 103 million, while small
foodsize fish (0.75 pound to 1.50 pounds per fish) numbers decreased 11
percent to 214 million. Large stockers (over 180 pounds to 750 pounds
per 1000 fish) on hand January 1, 2006, at 269 million fish, were up 1
percent from the previous year. Small stocker (over 60 pounds to 180
pounds per 1000 fish) numbers increased 35 percent to 509 million. There
were 1.04 billion fingerlings on hand January 1, 2006, up 59 percent
from January 1, 2005.

<table>
<colgroup>
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<col style="width: 6%" />
<col style="width: 7%" />
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</colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td colspan="12" rowspan="2"><strong><span
class="smallcaps">Catfish</span></strong>: Water Surface Acres
Utilization of Acres January 1, 2005 and 2006 and acres taken out of
production July 1-December 31, 2005, and number of operations and annual
sales, by State</td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td rowspan="2">State</td>
<td colspan="2">Water surface acres</td>
<td colspan="4"><p>Utilization of acres,</p>
<p>2006</p></td>
<td rowspan="2">Taken out of Pro-duction in 2005</td>
<td colspan="2">Number January 1 operations</td>
<td colspan="2">Annual sales</td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td>January 1, 2005</td>
<td>January 1, 2006</td>
<td colspan="2">Reno-vated</td>
<td>New con-struction</td>
<td><p>Used for</p>
<p>Brood-fish</p></td>
<td>2005</td>
<td>2006</td>
<td>2004</td>
<td>2005</td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td colspan="10"></td>
<td colspan="2"><em>Thousand dollars</em></td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td>AL</td>
<td>25,100</td>
<td colspan="2">23,500</td>
<td>860</td>
<td>160</td>
<td>320</td>
<td>290</td>
<td>230</td>
<td>194</td>
<td>101,198</td>
<td>97,602</td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td>AR</td>
<td>31,500</td>
<td colspan="2">32,600</td>
<td>760</td>
<td>100</td>
<td>570</td>
<td>4,800</td>
<td>153</td>
<td>132</td>
<td>66,618</td>
<td>77,556</td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td><strong>FL</strong></td>
<td>650</td>
<td colspan="2">520</td>
<td>*</td>
<td>--</td>
<td>10</td>
<td>60</td>
<td>46</td>
<td>31</td>
<td>1,139</td>
<td>1,120</td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td>LA</td>
<td>7,600</td>
<td colspan="2">6,600</td>
<td>550</td>
<td>--</td>
<td>--</td>
<td>730</td>
<td>38</td>
<td>28</td>
<td>14,316</td>
<td>14,936</td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td>MS</td>
<td>101,000</td>
<td colspan="2">99,000</td>
<td>4,000</td>
<td>400</td>
<td>3,500</td>
<td>3,500</td>
<td>410</td>
<td>390</td>
<td>274,971</td>
<td>268,303</td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td>MO</td>
<td>1,320</td>
<td colspan="2">1,360</td>
<td>65</td>
<td>*</td>
<td>25</td>
<td>*</td>
<td>24</td>
<td>24</td>
<td>1,358</td>
<td>1,723</td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td>Oth <sup>1/</sup></td>
<td>6,420</td>
<td colspan="2">6,790</td>
<td>380</td>
<td>670</td>
<td>355</td>
<td>165</td>
<td>257</td>
<td>236</td>
<td>20,575</td>
<td>20,885</td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td>Total</td>
<td>173,590</td>
<td colspan="2">170,370</td>
<td>6,615</td>
<td>1,330</td>
<td>4,780</td>
<td>9,545</td>
<td>1,158</td>
<td>1,035</td>
<td>480,175</td>
<td>482,125</td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td colspan="12"><sup>1/</sup> Includes CA, GA, KY, NC, and TX. *
Included in other states to avoid disclosure.</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

  -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  **[Catfish]{.smallcaps}**:                                                                                 
  Number sold, weight, and                                                                                   
  value of sales of all                                                                                      
  foodsize                                                                                                   
  ---------------------------- ------------- --------- --------- --------- ----------- --------- ----------- ------
  State                        Number sold             Total               Total sales           Average     
                                                       pounds                                    value per   
                                                       sold                                      pound       

                               2004          2005      2004      2005      2004        2005      2004        2005

                               *Thousands*                                 *Thousand             *Dollars*   
                                                                           dollars*                          

  AL                           82,000        78,000    145,000   142,000   95,700      92,300    0.66        0.65

  AR                           58,000        64,000    103,000   104,000   63,860      73,840    0.62        0.71

  **FL**                       1,100         1,400     1,900     1,640     1,102       1,066     0.58        0.65

  LA                           15,800        14,800    23,000    21,100    14,260      14,770    0.62        0.70

  MS                           220,000       235,000   388,000   348,000   256,080     247,080   0.66        0.71

  MO                           650           510       1,130     1,500     904         1,230     0.80        0.82

  Other ^1/^                   11,770        11,700    20,120    20,185    18,967      19,593    0.94        0.97

  Total                        389,320       405,410   682,150   638,425   450,873     449,873   0.66        0.70

  ^1/^ Includes CA, GA, IL,                                                                                  
  KY, NC, SC, and TX.                                                                                        
  -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  **[Catfish]{.smallcaps}**:                                                
  Inventory and live weight of                                              
  broodfish, January 1                                                      
  ---------------------------- -------------- -------------- -------------- --------------
  State                        Total number                  Live weight of 
                               of fish                       fish           

                               2005           2006           2005           2006

                               *Thousands*                                  

  AL                           100            100            500            400

  AR                           110            110            540            530

  **FL**                       16             8              85             45

  MS                           680            820            3,300          4,000

  Other ^1/^                   128            68             650            340

  Total                        1,034          1,106          5,075          5,315

  ^1/^ Includes CA, GA, IL,                                                 
  KY, LA, MO, NC, SC, and TX.                                               
  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| **[C        |             |             |             |             |
| atfish]{.sm |             |             |             |             |
| allcaps}**: |             |             |             |             |
| Inventory   |             |             |             |             |
| and live    |             |             |             |             |
| weight of   |             |             |             |             |
| all         |             |             |             |             |
| foodsizes,  |             |             |             |             |
|             |             |             |             |             |
| January 1   |             |             |             |             |
+=============+=============+=============+=============+=============+
| State       | Total       |             | Live weight |             |
|             | number of   |             | of fish     |             |
|             | fish        |             |             |             |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
|             | 2005        | 2006        | 2005        | 2006        |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
|             | *Thousands* |             |             |             |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| AL          | 66,000      | 66,700      | 89,300      | 90,900      |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| AR          | 61,930      | 59,130      | 83,730      | 79,300      |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| **FL**      | 745         | 740         | 1,310       | 1,290       |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| LA          | 15,910      | 11,110      | 22,100      | 18,300      |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| MS          | 185,000     | 175,400     | 245,400     | 228,500     |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| Other ^1/^  | 14,500      | 14,600      | 21,325      | 21,635      |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| Total       | 344,085     | 327,680     | 463,165     | 439,925     |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| ^1/^        |             |             |             |             |
| Includes    |             |             |             |             |
| CA, GA, IL, |             |             |             |             |
| KY, MO, NC, |             |             |             |             |
| SC, and TX. |             |             |             |             |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+

  -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  **[Catfish]{.smallcaps}**:                                                
  Inventory and live weight of                                              
  fingerling, January 1^1/^                                                 
  ---------------------------- -------------- --------------- ------------- ---------------
  State                        Total number                   Total         
                               of fish                        liveweight of 
                                                              fish          

                               2005           2006            2005          2006

                               Thousands                                    

  AL                           51,500         166,000         1,700         6,000

  AR                           31,000         184,000         3,500         5,200

  **FL**                       720            85              25            2

  LA                           6,870          18,400          230           635

  MS                           439,000        641,000         14,300        21,800

  MO                           1,780          3,750           50            109

  Other ^2/^                   23,790         26,180          900           900

  Total                        654,660        1,039,415       20,705        34,646

  ^1/^ Fingerling: Over 2 lbs                                               
  to 60 lbs/1,000 fish. ^2/^                                                
  Includes CA, GA, IL, KY, NC,                                              
  SC, and TX.                                                               
  -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

+-------------+---------+---+----------+---+------------+---+-------------+
| **[C        |         |   |          |   |            |   |             |
| atfish]{.sm |         |   |          |   |            |   |             |
| allcaps}**: |         |   |          |   |            |   |             |
| Inventory   |         |   |          |   |            |   |             |
| and live    |         |   |          |   |            |   |             |
| weight of   |         |   |          |   |            |   |             |
| total       |         |   |          |   |            |   |             |
|             |         |   |          |   |            |   |             |
| stockers,   |         |   |          |   |            |   |             |
| January 1   |         |   |          |   |            |   |             |
| ^1/^        |         |   |          |   |            |   |             |
+=============+=========+===+==========+===+============+===+=============+
| State       | Total   |   |          | L |            |   |             |
|             | number  |   |          | i |            |   |             |
|             | of fish |   |          | v |            |   |             |
|             |         |   |          | e |            |   |             |
|             |         |   |          | w |            |   |             |
|             |         |   |          | e |            |   |             |
|             |         |   |          | i |            |   |             |
|             |         |   |          | g |            |   |             |
|             |         |   |          | h |            |   |             |
|             |         |   |          | t |            |   |             |
|             |         |   |          | o |            |   |             |
|             |         |   |          | f |            |   |             |
|             |         |   |          | f |            |   |             |
|             |         |   |          | i |            |   |             |
|             |         |   |          | s |            |   |             |
|             |         |   |          | h |            |   |             |
+-------------+---------+---+----------+---+------------+---+-------------+
|             | 2005    | 2 |          | 2 |            | 2 |             |
|             |         | 0 |          | 0 |            | 0 |             |
|             |         | 0 |          | 0 |            | 0 |             |
|             |         | 6 |          | 5 |            | 6 |             |
+-------------+---------+---+----------+---+------------+---+-------------+
|             | Th      |   |          |   |            |   |             |
|             | ousands |   |          |   |            |   |             |
+-------------+---------+---+----------+---+------------+---+-------------+
| AL          | 143,600 |   | 302,400  |   | 29,500     |   | 38,200      |
+-------------+---------+---+----------+---+------------+---+-------------+
| AR          | 95,400  |   | 100,600  |   | 21,550     |   | 20,100      |
+-------------+---------+---+----------+---+------------+---+-------------+
| LA          | 10,040  |   | 12,160   |   | 2,337      |   | 2,185       |
+-------------+---------+---+----------+---+------------+---+-------------+
| MS          | 382,000 |   | 346,000  |   | 91,400     |   | 84,700      |
+-------------+---------+---+----------+---+------------+---+-------------+
| Other ^2/^  | 12,240  |   | 17,045   |   | 2,281      |   | 3,607       |
+-------------+---------+---+----------+---+------------+---+-------------+
| Total       | 643,280 |   | 778,205  |   | 147,068    |   | 148,792     |
+-------------+---------+---+----------+---+------------+---+-------------+
| ^1/^ Total  |         |   |          |   |            |   |             |
| stockers:   |         |   |          |   |            |   |             |
| Over 60 lbs |         |   |          |   |            |   |             |
| to 750 lbs/ |         |   |          |   |            |   |             |
| 1,000 fish. |         |   |          |   |            |   |             |
| ^2/^        |         |   |          |   |            |   |             |
| Includes    |         |   |          |   |            |   |             |
| CA, FL, GA, |         |   |          |   |            |   |             |
| IL, KY, MO, |         |   |          |   |            |   |             |
| NC, SC, and |         |   |          |   |            |   |             |
| TX.         |         |   |          |   |            |   |             |
+-------------+---------+---+----------+---+------------+---+-------------+

  ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  **[Catfish]{.smallcaps}**:                                                                              
  Number sold, weight, and                                                                                
  value of sales of                                                                                       
  fingerlings and fry                                                                                     
  ---------------------------- ------------- --------- -------- -------- ----------- -------- ----------- -------
  State                        Number sold             Total             Total sales          Average     
                                                       pounds                                 value per   
                                                       sold                                   pound       

                               2004          2005      2004     2005     2004        2005     2004        2005

                               *Thousands*                               *Thousand            *Dollars*   
                                                                         dollars*                         

  AL                           87,000        34,600    2,500    830      3,800       1,162    152         1.40

  AR                           60,700        121,000   1,000    1,260    1,840       2,356    1.84        1.87

  MS                           400,000       511,000   10,200   13,600   14,892      19,448   1.46        1.43

  Other ^1/^                   19,960        13,040    657      534      1,643       1,141    2.52        2.47

  Total                        567,660       679,640   14,357   16,224   22,175      24,107   1.54        1.49

  ^1/^ Includes CA, FL, GA,                                                                               
  IL, KY, LA, MO, NC, SC, and                                                                             
  TX.                                                                                                     
  ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------