LANCASTER Crawfish
suggest fishbait not gourmet
dining to most Americans. But
it’s on the plate, not on the hook,
where the small, lobster-like
crustacean is earning a reputation
as a promising cash crop for some
southern farmers.
Also known as crayfish and
crawdads, crawfish thrive in fresh
water lakes and swamps across
the country and around the world.
While already a -delicacy in
France and Scandinavia, crawfish
are gaining popularity as a
speciality food in the U.S.
Louisianans have always savored
crawfish bisque or stew, but now
New York, Chicago, and Cleveland
have become big markets for
processed crawfish tails, ac
cording to Kenneth Roberts of the
Louisiana Cooperative Extension
Service.
The wild catch, which makes up
about 50 to 70 percent of the total
crop, is not enough to satisfy
growing demand in the restaurant
and food trade. Several hundred
farmers in Louisiana and Texas
raise crawfish in cultured ponds
and rice fields, and the idea is
spreading through Mississippi and
South Carolina.
“Louisiana farmers harvested
about 28 to 30 million pounds of
crawfish last season, which ran
from November 1980 to last June,”
says economist Michael
Stellmacher of USDA’s Economic
Research Service. “This harvest
earned them about |25-$29 million.
Texas farmers produced an ad
ditional 3 to 4 million pounds,
worth around $5.5 million.
“There are about 60,000 pond
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Crawfish farmers tap growing gourmet market
acres in production in Louisiana,
and 4,000 to 5,000 in Texas. Both the
acreage and amount of production
are increasing. Ten years ago,
there were less than 20,000 acres in
both states combined.”
Crawfish farming is part of a
growing aquaculture industry
fairly new to this country. About
5.000 U.S. farmers raise fresh
water catfish, trout, and crawfish
for commercial food use. Around
150.000 producers raise fish for
recreational use primarily to
stock lakes and ponds for fishing.
The farm value of all cultured fish
is between $225 and $250 million a
year, up frdm $125 to $l5O million in
1977, according to Stellmacher.
“Aquaculture gives many far
mers, both large and small, an
alternative enterprise, enabling
them to increase the income
potential of their land, labor, and
other resources,” he says.
Raising crawfish is one way
some farmers can stretch their
resources. Crawfish are usually
raised in ponds and are sometimes
double-cropped with rice.
“Double cropping has some
problems,” says Louisiana’s
Roberts. “It requires a lot more
management. Rice planting needs
to be carefully coordinated with
the crawfish harvest. Also, some
rice land requires periodic leveling
that can -interrupt the crawfish
cycle.”
“A rotation system using
crawfish, rice, and soybeans is in
vogue right now;” Roberts says.
“Under this system, the farmer
harvests crawfish every 3 crops.”
Culturing crawfish in ponds is
another alternative. Although not
Mount Joy, Pa.
every farmer with an idle pond on
the back forty can produce
crawfish, only a small acreage is
needed, and farmers generally
don’t have to restock the pond after
the first year.
Also, crawfish don’t require
special food. They can live on pond
and pasture grass, rice, or brown
top millet.
But there are drawbacks.
Crawfish need good-quality water,
and a pumping system is
necessary to keep the water cir
culating and well oxygenated.
Unlike catfish, crawfish are less
likely to seek out a source of good
water. So, they can die off in poor
water conditions.
In addition, harvesting requires
a lot of labor. The wire traps used
to catch crawfish must be
every day. Some farmers with
ponds pay fishermen to bring in the
crop, but they may end up short of
help if the wild harvest is at its
peak.
Despite its shortfalls, crawfish
culturing can offer producers a
good return on their investment.
Last season, processors paid
farmers a record-high 80 to 85
cents a pound for their catch, up
about a quarter from a year
earlier. Texas producers: received
more, $1.40 a pound, because they
sold almost all their crop directly
to restaurants and consumers.
Roberts estimates the cost to
start a 100-acre pond system in
Louisiana during 1980 was a little
over $26,000, excluding land. Each
acre produces an average 600
pounds. So, at 85 cents a pound,
farmers could have grossed $51,000
in the first year. After expenses,
Lancaster Farming, Thursday, December 24,1981—827
taxable net earnings might be
around $25,000, excluding the cost
of hired labor for harvesting. Hired
labor normally receives a 40-
percent share of the profits.
Harvest returns vary from year to
year. “Prices were high in 1981
because of the drastically reduced
wild catch from Louisiana’s At
chafalaya Basin,” Stellmacher
says.
“The water level in the
Mississippi River didn’t rise
enough last fall, and the crawfish
stayed in their burrows. Prices will
probably be down this season if
water levels are more typical, and
there’s a larger wild crop.
However, the market should still
be strong.”
South Central PA,
goat breeders elect officers
GETTYSBURG - The South
Central Pennsylvania Dairy Goat
Association celebrated its annual
Christmas Party together with the
Adams County 4-H Dairy Goat
Club Wednesday, December 12, at
the Adams County Extension
Service Offices.
Following' a covered-dish sup
per, elections were held for 1982
officers of the SCPDGA. Dana
Holder of Fairfield was elected
President. Vaughn Solomon of
Orrtanna was elected Vice
president. Vickie Mowery of
Shippensburg was re-elected to a
fourth term as Secretary. Fred
Keller of Gettysburg was elected
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There’s no difference in quality
or price between wild and cultured
crawfish. In fact, wild stock is
frequently used to stock the ponds.
Prices depend on the type of
market and time of harvest, and
not where the fish came from.
Crawfish sold to restaurants and
directly to consumers generally
bring higher prices than those sold
to processors. Also, prices are
generally highest before the wild
harvest begins.
“The crawfish producers and the
aquaculture industry as a whole
are very optimistic right now.”
Stellmacher says. “But we’ll have
to wait and see how things turn
out.”
Treasurer. Donna Forsman was
named Publicity Director. Steve
Valenzisi was chosen as Program
.Coordinator and re-elected to a
second year as Ag Council
Representative, with Vertis
Bream and Vaughn Solomon being
chosen as Alternates.
The Association meets at 7 p.m.
on the third Wednesday of each
month at the Adams County Ex
tension Offices on Route 30, west of
Gettysburg. The January 20th
meeting will feature a talk on
“Heredity and Selecting Traits”
by Dr. Lee Majeskie. Everyone
interested in dairy goats is invited
to attend.