Survey Procedures:  All participating catfish feed mills are feed mills that  produce and deliver catfish feed to bonafide catfish producers.  Survey data  for catfish feed are collected from feed mills by the USDA-NASS Mississippi Field Office, which is responsible for ensuring survey coverage is as complete as possible.  Mills are contacted by mail, telephone, fax, or internet.   Diligent effort is made to ensure that all operations are accounted for in the estimate.                                                                                 Estimation Procedures:  The "Catfish Feed Deliveries" report refers strictly to catfish feed delivered to bonafide catfish producers and excludes catfish feed delivered to producers of other species.  The totals include both bagged and bulk feed.  Prior to summarization, questionnaires are compared to previous reports for comparability.  Estimates are made for feed mills whose reports are not available in

time to be included in the release.  Those mills are identified by an asterisk on page 11 of this release.  Estimates are based on the mill's previous reports and current conditions.  Published totals are a straight summation of the individual reports and estimated data. If a mill uses a fiscal accounting system, proration is used to convert reported data to a calendar month basis.                                                                                 Two unusual features of this report are worthy of note:  (1) cooperating feed mills are listed by name, and (2) it is impossible for the public to infer the amount of catfish feed produced in each State.  Since many mills deliver feed to more than one State and to growers of other species, any inferences about overall production per State or per mill are not valid.                                                                                 Revision Policy:  Revisions may be necessary in the following month's publication pending a review of late reports received from mills.  Revisions to previous estimates are made to improve month-to-month relationships.  Estimates for the previous month are subject to revision in all States and regions monthly totals.  In February, all monthly estimates for the previous year are reviewed and subject to revisions.  The review is primarily based on data that may have been received after the original estimates were published.                                                                                 Reliability:  Estimates are based on data from cooperating catfish feed mills, and therefore have no sampling variability.  However, estimates may be subject to errors such as omissions, duplication, mistakes in reporting, recording, and processing of data.  These errors are minimized through strict quality controls in the edit and summarization process and a careful review of all reported data for consistency and reasonableness.                                                                                       Terms and Definitions Used for Catfish Feed Deliveries Estimates                                                                                        Broodfish - Fish kept for egg production, including males.  Broodfish produce the fertilized eggs that go to hatcheries.  The most desirable size is 3 to 10 pounds or 4 to 6 years of age.                                                                                 Catfish Feed - For the purposes of this report catfish feed is defined as feed delivered to bonafide catfish producers.  Thus, it is not the absolute total amount of feed produced or even sold by a mill.  (Some catfish feed is sold to producers of other species of fish.)  The definition includes medicated feed.  Catfish feed is designed to float on the surface of the water.  Catfish are fed this way from the moment they hatch.  Therefore, they learn to go to the surface for feed.   The result is a clean nutritious diet for American farm raised catfish.                                                                                 Catfish Feed for Foodsize Fish - Feed containing pellets larger than 1/8 of an inch.                                                                                 Catfish Feed for Fingerlings/Broodfish - Feed containing pellets 1/8 of an inch or smaller.                                                                                 Fingerlings - Fish weighing 2 to 60 pounds per 1,000 fish or 2 to 6 inches in length.                                                                                 Foodsize Fish - Fish being grown commercially for human consumption.  Optimum sizes at harvest depend on the market but are generally no lower than 3/4 pound but near one pound.                                                                                 Data were compiled in cooperation with the following feed mills:                                                                                 Alabama Feed Mill LLC                 Land O Lakes Arkat Feeds                           Melick Aqua Feed LLC Cargill Animal Nutrition              Rangen Inc. Carolina Fish Feeds                   Silver Cup Delta Western                         Southfresh Feeds Fishbelt Feeds Inc                    Star Milling Co. Flint River Mills Inc.                Topwater Feed Mill                                                                                                           Information Contacts                                                                                                              Listed below are the commodity specialists in the Livestock Branch of the National Agricultural Statistics Service to contact for additional information.                                                                                 Dan Kerestes, Chief, Livestock Branch............................(202) 720-3570                                                                                 Bruce Boess, Head, Poultry and Specialty Commodities Section.....(202) 720-4447      Charles Butler - Catfish Feed Deliveries....................(601) 965-4575      David Colwell - Cold Storage................................(202) 720-8784      Fleming Gibson - Poultry Slaughter, Turkey Hatchery,        Turkeys Raised............................................(202) 690-3237      Sharyn Lavender - Broiler Hatchery, Chicken Hatchery,        Honey.....................................................(202) 720-3244      Kim Linonis - Layers, Eggs..................................(202) 690-8632      Bruce Boess - Catfish Processing, Catfish Production,        Trout Production, Census of Aquaculture, Egg Products,        Mink......................................................(202) 720-4447                                                                                                               ACCESS TO REPORTS!!                                                                                                               For your convenience, there are several ways to obtain NASS reports, data products, and services:                                                                                                                 INTERNET ACCESS                                                                                                                 All NASS reports are available free of charge on the worldwide Internet.  For access, connect to the Internet and go to the NASS Home Page at:  www.nass.usda.gov.                                                                                                               E-MAIL SUBSCRIPTION                                                                                                               All NASS reports are available by subscription free of charge direct to your e-mail address.  Starting with the NASS Home Page at www.nass.usda.gov, under the right navigation, Receive reports by Email, click on National or State.  Follow the instructions on the screen.                                                                                        - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -                                                                                                                PRINTED REPORTS OR DATA PRODUCTS                                                                                                                CALL OUR TOLL-FREE ORDER DESK:   800-999-6779 (U.S. and Canada)             Other areas, please call 703-605-6220                FAX:  703-605-6900            (Visa, MasterCard, check, or money order acceptable for payment.)