What is Dried Catfish? Why Buy It?

Dried Catfish is a popular seafood product obtained by processing fresh catfish through drying methods such as sun-drying, smoking, or oven-drying. This process removes moisture, thereby preserving the fish for extended storage without refrigeration while enhancing its flavor and texture. Dried Catfish is widely consumed across Africa, Asia, and parts of Europe due to its rich nutritional content, including high protein, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins, and essential minerals like calcium and phosphorus.

The demand for Dried Catfish is high because of its long shelf life, easy transportation, and convenience in cooking. It is a cost-effective source of protein and a key ingredient in traditional dishes, soups, and stews. Additionally, its unique smoky aroma and umami taste make it a preferred choice for enhancing the flavor of meals.

For businesses, Dried Catfish is a profitable commodity due to its consistent demand in both domestic and international markets. Its affordability and nutritional value drive its popularity among consumers looking for sustainable and healthy seafood options.

Applications/Uses of Dried Catfish

Dried Catfish has versatile applications across various industries, including food, animal feed, and even medicinal uses.

Food Industry

Soups and Stews:

Used as a key ingredient in traditional African and Asian cuisines such as Nigerian pepper soup, Egusi soup, and Thai fish soup.

Snacks and Side Dishes:

Ground or shredded dried fish is used as a seasoning or accompaniment for rice and porridge.

Seasoning and Condiments:

Crushed dried fish is used in making fish powder, which enhances the flavor of various dishes.

Preserved and Ready-to-Eat Meals:

Found in packaged instant soups and stews in some international markets.

Animal Feed Industry

Fish Meal Production:

Dried Catfish by-products are processed into fish meal, a rich protein source used in animal feed, particularly for poultry and aquaculture industries.

Pet Food Industry:

Incorporated into pet food formulations for dogs and cats due to its high protein and omega-3 content.

Pharmaceutical and Nutritional Supplements

Dietary Supplements:

Used in making protein-rich supplements for individuals requiring a high-protein diet.

Traditional Medicine:

In some cultures, dried fish is believed to have medicinal properties that aid in bone strength and immune support.

Top Producing/Exporting Countries of Dried Catfish

Dried Catfish is primarily produced in regions with abundant freshwater fish farming industries. The leading producers and exporters include:

Nigeria

The largest producer of Dried Catfish in Africa, supplying both local and international markets.

Ghana

Known for its high-quality smoked catfish exports to neighboring countries and the international market.

Thailand

A major player in the dried seafood industry, exporting to Asian and Western markets.

Vietnam

Specializes in processed seafood, including dried fish products, for export.

Indonesia

Produces large quantities of dried fish, including catfish, for local and international markets.

China

A key exporter of various dried seafood products, including catfish, to global markets.

Top Importing Countries of Dried Catfish

Dried Catfish has a strong international demand, with top importing countries including:

United States

Imports significant quantities of Dried Catfish for African and Asian diaspora communities.

United Kingdom

A major importer due to high demand from West African communities.

Canada

Increasing demand for ethnic foods, including dried seafood products.

Germany

Imports for both ethnic food markets and broader European consumers.

United Arab Emirates

A key market for dried seafood, catering to diverse immigrant populations.

Malaysia

Uses Dried Catfish in traditional cuisines and processed food production.

Japan

Imports high-quality dried seafood for culinary and food processing industries.

International Price of Dried Catfish Per 20 Pieces

The unit price ($ per 20pcs) of Dried Catfish in the international market depends on a host of different factors including:

• The grade of the produce (usually the more the processing, the higher the price)
• The price of the raw material
• Age of the seeds (this can affect the price)
• Production levels in producing countries
• Economic conditions and the exchange rates between the currencies of the producing and importing countries.
• The quantity ordered (the greater the quantity, the cheaper you can get it per ton)
• Harvest season (it is more costly when it is out of harvest season).
• Weather conditions (some commodities are sensitive to weather conditions).
• Freight & haulage cost
• Percentage of markup
• Import duties, trade tariffs and trade agreements between countries
• Distance from the country of origin
• Technology/Infrastructure available in country of origin
• Relationship between the buyer and seller

 

That said, as at March 2025, Dried Catfish costs between $25 and $80 Per 20 Pieces in the international market (i.e. $1.25/piece to $4/piece).

 

How To Safely Source for Your Dried Catfish Produce

If you find the right export company, buying directly from them can make the purchase process easy and stress-free, when compared with doing the sourcing on your own. That said, there are few things to note when dealing with an export company in Nigeria or Africa. The specific requirements for Nigeria are listed below, but they mostly apply to other African countries:

• The exporting company must be registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) to make sure the company is registered and permitted to carry out business
• The export company must also be registered with the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC).
• The company must possess a domiciliary account to accept international

 

The company should get all necessary export-related documentation done before the shipment leaves the port of origin. Some of the documents are:

• Certificate of origin
• Bill of lading
• Inspection Certificate (SGS, Cotecna, Bureau Veritas, Intertek, etc)
• Phytosanitary certificate
• Fumigation certificate

 

Where To Find Reliable Exporters

An important question that still needs to be answered is how to find Dried Catfish exporters in Nigeria. You can use any of the methods listed below:

• Attend trade fairs
• Use search engines like Google, Yahoo,
• Search for agents on Linkedln
• Sign up on trade platforms (e.g. Alibaba, Tradeford, Go4WorldBusiness)
• Neogric – Neogric is one of the reliable Dried Catfish exporters in Neogric is rated among the best in the exporting business in Nigeria. The company is not limited to the exportation of Dried Catfish alone but can export other agricultural produce ranging from perishables to dry seeds.

 

How To Pay For Your Dried Catfish Produce

You can pay for Dried Catfish using different methods, but three of the popular ways of paying for your agric produce are:

• Bank (T/T) Payment
• Advance Payment
• Letter of Credit (LC)

 

Bank Payment (T/T)

Bank payment is also known as T/T, “Telegraphic Transfer” or “Telex Transfer” In other words, it is an international wire of funds from the buyer’s bank to the seller’s bank.

A T/T is technically not the same as a wire transfer, which is often done through the SWIFT network. However, when a seller or supplier asks for a T/T payment, a wire transfer is what they are really asking for.

The wire transfer based on the SWIFT system is the most common payment method in international trade. Typically, it takes 1-5 working days to clear, and generally costs between 25 and 50 USD, depending on your agreement with the commercial department in your bank.

Advance Payment

There are sellers that will demand anywhere from 30% to 50% advance payment, and for good reason. If both parties have done deals in the past, sellers can ask for a percentage of the sales (about 30%) before they ship the produce and they can request for the remaining amount after a scanned copy of the Bill of Lading has been sent to the buyer.

It is the safest option for exporters and it also guarantees that they will have some funds to help with sourcing. It is popular among manufacturers on B2B marketplaces like Alibaba and also with commodity traders.

However, advance payment carries considerable risk for the importer (buyer) because the exporter (seller) might not be under as much pressure to ensure quality checks compared with a stricter form of payment. Some might even disappear entirely.

Having said that, advance payment is very useful and is widely used. For instance, the seller might need to secure the commodity in the face of increased competition. It can also be used when the exporter needs some money for sourcing the produce or for processing raw materials.

The most important thing is for both importer and exporter to build mutual trust by having a track record of successful deals with each other or other known companies.

 

Letter of Credit

Letter of Credit is an agreement generated by the bank of the buyer, guaranteeing payment once certain conditions are met. It is one of the safest types of payment available to both buyer and seller.

Some of the types of Letter of credit are:

 

• Commercial Letter of Credit,
• Sight Letter of Credit
• Transferrable or Non-Transferable Letter of Credit
• Standby Letter of Credit (SBLC)
• Usance or Deferred Payment Letter of Credit
• Revocable or Irrevocable Letter of Credit
• Confirmed or Unconfirmed Letter of Credit
• Revolving Letter of Credit
• Green Clause Letter of Credit
• Red Clause Letter of Credit

 

L/Cs are not totally safe (for either buyer or seller) too. For instance, sellers can ship substandard products or those that are different from the ones agreed upon. In this case, the seller gets paid and the buyer receives goods he cannot use.

And speaking of the dangers of L/Cs for the exporter, the conditions in the Letter of credit might be practically impossible to fulfil; if an exporter agrees to such, he might be unable to receive payment. A report stated that of the letters of credit received in the UK, 50% are unworkable while 70% are rejected by the banks for payment.

 

Shipping & Delivery Terms

When shipping your products, it is important to take note of a few factors:

Order Quantity

For smaller shipments, airfreight is often the preferred option but as the order volume increases, sea freight could become significantly cheaper. Usually when the order is close to a full container load (20 ft), sea freight is used. Although the Covid-19 pandemic caused an increase in cost of delivery of products, prices have stabilised.

 

Cost of Delivery

When the order is of a large volume, sea freight often turns out cheaper than air freight. In fact, air freight could be up to 6 times more costly than sea freight if the volume is large enough.

 

Time of Delivery

Sometimes, time will be more important to the buyer than the cost of delivering the product. In this case, air freight will be the logical option (as stated above, the cost will be more). But if you have more time as a buyer, you should strongly consider using sea freight.

 

Incoterms

Incoterms refer to generally accepted shipping and payments terms. For example, buyers that have representatives in the source country or that can negotiate with the freight company can use the Free of Board (FOB) terms, since it gives them more control and can save them some money.

However, if the shipment is small or the buyer doesn’t have an extensive network to effectively handle payment for freight, insurance and port charges, he will be better off choosing the Cost-Insurance-Freight (CIF) payment option.

 

Neogric: Top Exporters and Suppliers of Dried Catfish

We invite you to place your order for high-quality Dried Catfish with us at Neogric. We are a trusted global commodity sourcing and trade solution provider with deep expertise in the Dried Catfish industry. Whether you’re a small business or a large corporation, our wide range of products and technology powered, end-to-end supply chain make the export of quality Dried Catfish easy, quick and safe. Whichever region of the world you are, be it Europe, Asia, USA, Canada, Other North/Central American countries, Africa, South America or Oceania, you can reliably order your agricultural produce and we will ensure it is successfully delivered to you, on time.

Why Buy Dried Catfish From Neogric?

Choosing Neogric as your Dried Catfish supplier offers several advantages:

 

• Quality Assurance: We maintain strict quality control standards, ensuring our Dried Catfish and other products are of the highest quality.
• Wide Product Range: We offer a diverse selection of products, catering to various
• Reliable Supply Chain: Our efficient technology-powered end-to-end supply chain ensures timely delivery of your orders.
• Expertise and Support: Our team of experts provides valuable insights and support, making your purchasing process smooth and hassle-free.

 

Our Dried Catfish Trade Specifications

• Origin: Nigeria
• Product Name: Dried Catfish
• Physical Specification: Based On Buyer’s Specification
• Quantity: Based On Buyer’s Specification
• MOQ: 10 Metric Tonnes
• Trade Process: Ex Works/FOB/CIF
• Admixture/Impurities: Based On Buyer’s Specification
• Inspection: SGS/Cotecna/Intertek/Bureau Veritas
• Packaging: Based On Buyer’s Specification
• Payment Method: TT (Bank Transfer) or L/C
• Shipping Time: 15 to 25 Days After Confirmation of TT or L/C
• Loading Port: Lagos (Nigeria), Abidjan (Cote D’ivoire) or Tema (Ghana)

 

Expected Shipping Documents

• Bill of Lading
• Certificate of Origin
• SGS Inspection Certificate
• Phytosanitary Certificate
• Fumigation Certificate
• Commercial Invoice
• Packing List

 

Place Your Dried Catfish Order With Neogric

Contact us today to place your order for high-quality Dried Catfish. Our team is ready to assist you with all your procurement needs.

• Tel: +2348147860157
• Email: neo@neogric.com
• WhatsApp:
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