Production economic relationships in intensive U.S. catfish production systems

The U.S. catfish industry is evolving by adopting intensive farming practices such as intensively aerated ponds and split-pond systems. The functional relationship between fish yield and key production inputs in these intensive systems was analyzed based on commercial catfish production data from 143 pond observations (2010−2018). A Cobb-Douglas production function was employed for the intensively aerated ponds and a modified translog production function was used to define the production relationships in split ponds. Results indicated that the size of fingerlings at stocking, stocking density, aeration rate, feeding rate, survival, and harvest size of the fish were statistically significant variables influencing fish production in intensively aerated ponds. Initial fingerling stocking biomass (interaction of stocking size and stocking density), feed conversion ratio (FCR), feeding rate, and pond size were the most important variables influencing production in split-pond systems. Feed fed, as well as stocking biomass, were the significant variables found in both models. Both production functions indicated further scope for improvement in the use of inputs to increase production, especially in feed management.