No matter how you cook it, farm-raised catfish is the largest single product of U.S. aquaculture. The nutritious fish is low in saturated fat and a great source of lean protein. Even better, most of the production takes place here in the Midsouth. According to the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, the top four farm-raised catfish producing states are Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, and Texas accounting for a combined 96% of the total production. 

Of those states, Mississippi ranks number one, raising 65% of the nation’s catfish at approximately 5,000 pounds per acre in annual production. In 2022, that was 34,100 acres with a production value of $278 million. 

While August is recognized as National Catfish Month, there has been a day designated to celebrate the industry since 1987, when President Ronald Reagan signed a proclamation on Jun. 25 recognizing National Catfish Day. At the time, production costs for catfish only averaged 65 cents per pound.  

Fast forward to today and that cost has nearly doubled. In observation of this national day, let’s look at changes in the industry throughout the decades including a drop in total surface water acreage, the introduction of hybrids, new production systems, and even vaccinations.  

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Changes in Acreage and Production Systems 

Extension catfish specialist, Jimmy Avery at Mississippi State University National Warmwater Aquaculture Center has been involved in catfish research and Extension since 1982. With 41 years of experience, he has seen many advancements in the industry and a drop in the total acreage along the way. 

“We reached our peak in catfish production in 2002 at 197,000 acres in the U.S. Now, we are down to 56,000 total acres for U.S. farm-raised catfish in 2023,” Avery said. 

The acreage may be down, but production is more intensive. According to Avery, today’s catfish production systems rely on 5 or 6 horsepower (hp) per acre compared to only 1 hp in the 1990s.  

Some producers are also turning to split pond operations, where all the fish are contained in one section of the pond while the other part of the pond is used to treat generated waste within the pond. Intensive production systems across the Southeast make up 31% of the total production acreage.  

Furthermore, farm-raised catfish production is touted as eco-friendly. According to the sustainability report released by The Catfish Institute (TCI), U.S. farm-raised catfish is endorsed by an array of environmental groups “because of its efficient feed conversion rate and environmentally friendly farming practices.” The report notes that self-contained ponds protect catfish from pollutants and in turn, the ponds have little impact on surrounding natural ecosystems. 

Hybrids, Genetics, and Research 

One big change in the industry is the use of hybrid catfish. About 60% of farm-raised catfish are hybrids. The hybrid is a cross between a male blue catfish and a female channel catfish. The use of hybrids varies from state to state and depends on the types of ponds, production capabilities, and marketing opportunities.  

The USDA-ARS Warmwater Aquaculture Research Unit in Stoneville, Miss is conducting research to improve production of both hybrids and channel catfish lines.  

“The USDA group has released some new channel catfish broodfish lines called Delta Select. They are proving to be a better performing channel catfish, and genetic selection puts them a lot closer to the production capabilities we get with hybrids,” he said. 

The 2022 USDA annual report for the research project notes that two lines of blue catfish broodfish were also released to producers. For more details, you can read the progress report for the project, Improving the Productivity and Quality of Catfish Aquaculture at www.ars.usda.gov.  

Another area of research at the National Warmwater Aquaculture Center in Stoneville deals with fish health management. “We have developed a new vaccine for one of our most devastating bacterial diseases,” said Avery. The live vaccine is grown and applied to catfish feed, then the fish are fed the vaccine at about 50 to 60 days old when their immune systems are fully developed. 

Industry Outlook and Farm Bill  

According to a recent USDA catfish production report, water surface acres are down by 4% in 2023 compared to last year, but Avery does not find that alarming and says the overall fish production is fairly stable at this point.  

Like many in the ag industry, catfish producers suffered the high cost of production in 2022. Avery said farmers saw the highest price for catfish feed they have ever paid, but the situation is starting to ease. 

“I am concerned about the high feed price. But, as the price of grain products begin to come down, our feed price will moderate, and that is a good sign for catfish farmers.” 

Avery also offered comments about the upcoming farm bill and what to expect from the catfish industry. 

“In talking with some White House staff and lobbyists associated with the industry, one area of emphasis is strengthening support programs for loss of fish, either through weather disasters, unexpected disease issues, or bird depredation. Those are some of the issues currently on the minds of catfish farmers for farm bill discussions,” he said.