Britt, Tuberville Get USDA To Help Catfish Farmers
The check is in the mail to catfish farmers in Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas and Texas and it will be a big boost for the economies of those four states.
The plan for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service to purchase surplus catfish came after Alabama Republican U.S. Senators Katie Britt and Tommy Tuberville, along with others from catfish farming states, wrote a letter in early July. The USDA responded by agreeing to purchase up to $20 million in farm-raised catfish products.
Catfish farmers in Alabama face a mix of economic, environmental, and regulatory pressures, combined with foreign imports that are undercutting prices. That crisis is challenging the future of the entire industry that plays a major role in the economies of the nation's top four catfish producing states.
In Alabama. mostly West Alabama, catfish farming produced 33 percent of the nation’s farm-raised catfish, employees more than 2,400 Alabamians and adds nearly $92 million to the state economy.
While not a final solution to the problems facing catfish farmers, it is a significant help. USDA’s intervention provides “much-needed relief” to producers and rural families who rely on the industry. The purchases will help stabilize prices, reduce surplus inventory, and keep farms operating during the downturn.
“Alabama’s catfish industry is a major economic driver for our state. This $20 million purchase by USDA will provide much-needed relief to hardworking producers and the families who rely on them,” Britt posted on her social media. “I’m grateful to Secretary (Brooke L.) Rollins for her commitment to strengthening our catfish industry, supporting rural economies and ensuring Alabama’s producers can continue to provide high-quality U.S. catfish to families across the country.”
Among the factors plaguing catfish farming are:
- Price drops during surplus years,
- Feed cost spikes (feed is ~50–60% of operating costs),
- Predation, especially from cormorants,
- Disease outbreaks and water‑quality issues, and
- Competition from cheaper imports
Britt is also attempting to help reduce losses from predators by supporting the Cormorant Relief Act, which would allow catfish farmers to protect their ponds from predatory cormorant populations.
Also read: Senators Britt & Tuberville Asking Feds to Help Catfish Farmers
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