USDA announces nearly USD 20 million in catfish awards

Seafood Source

USDA announces nearly USD 20 million in catfish awards

By Nathan Strout

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has issued nearly USD 20 million (EUR 17.2 million) in awards for catfish products, which it will use for federal nutrition programs like national school lunches.

The department first declared its intention to purchase USD 20 million worth of farm-raised catfish in July as part of a USD 76.5 million (EUR 65.8 million) bulk buy of several products.

"The farm-raised catfish industry has been under tremendous financial pressure as producers have struggled with years of rising costs and inflation. Like many agricultural sectors, our catfish farmers have faced significant economic challenges," U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Mississippi) said at the time. "These Section 32 purchases will provide meaningful support for producers in Mississippi and other catfish-producing states while delivering a healthy, high-quality source of protein to families served by nutrition programs across the country."

Hyde-Smith had previously led a letter to USDA asking the federal government to support the domestic catfish industry with a bulk purchase.

In the 4 September announcement, USDA awarded USD 10 million (EUR 8.6 million) to Itta Bena, Mississippi, U.S.A.-based America's Catch for 2 million pounds of catfish fillets; USD 708,320 (EUR 609,186) to Isola, Mississippi-based Consolidated Catfish Producers for 152,000 pounds of catfish fillets; USD 4.5 million (EUR 3.9 million) to Itta Bena-based Heartland Catfish for 836,000 pounds of catfish fillets; USD 4.4 million (EUR 3.8 million) to Tunica, Mississippi-based Magnolia Processing for 874,000 pounds of catfish fillets; and USD 191,900 (EUR 165,039) to Cecilia, Louisiana, U.S.A.-based Ocean Select Seafood for 38,000 pounds of catfish fillets.