HYDE-SMITH, COLLEAGUES ASK USDA TO PURCHASE SURPLUS CATFISH PRODUCTS

HYDE-SMITH, COLLEAGUES ASK USDA TO PURCHASE SURPLUS CATFISH PRODUCTS

Hyde-Smith Leads Letter Asking Ag. Sec. to Approve Section 32 Purchase of Surplus Farm-Raised Catfish Products

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) and several of her colleagues today endorsed a request made by the U.S. farm-raised catfish industry for the U.S. Department of Agriculture to help the industry by purchasing surplus catfish products.

Hyde-Smith led a letter to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins asking her to approve a request to purchase U.S. farm-raised catfish products through the Agricultural Marketing Service Section 32 Program. U.S. Senators Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), and Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) also signed the correspondence.

"The industry's USDA Section 32 purchase request would provide needed relief by providing essential cash flow to farmers to help alleviate the severe financial strain imposed by inflationary pressures. USDA purchases of catfish would provide immediate relief and enable 2026 fish crops to be harvested and processed, while also supporting rural communities and providing nutritious, American-grown product to families, children, and those in need," the Senators wrote.

The Senators' letter stresses the importance of the U.S. farm-raised catfish producers to their states, with nearly $2.0 billion in economic output and more than 9,100 direct and indirect jobs affected by "a crisis of economic sustainability."

"The industry has been caught in a severe inflationary squeeze, particularly from 2023 to the present, fundamentally altering its production economics. This pressure has consistently driven the cost of producing U.S. farm-raised catfish above the prices farmers receive for their fish, leading to three continuous years of negative financial returns," the Senators wrote. "The industry's rising costs are dominated by the increasing expenses of key inputs, especially feed and energy, which represent the backbone of catfish farming operations."

Section 32 is a permanently authorized program that allows the USDA to make emergency purchases of surplus U.S. commodities for distribution to domestic food assistance programs. The program is funded through 30 percent of the previous year's customs receipts collected by the U.S. government from imported products.

The letter is a continuation of advocacy by the Senators to include farm-raised catfish, Gulf shrimp, and other commodities included in USDA Section 32 decisions.

###