August: The Month of the Catfish

With your Southeast Regional Ag News, I am Haylie Shipp. This is the Ag Information Network.

Last week, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) joined a handful of senators including Senator Warnock (D-GA) and Senator Britt (R-AL) in introducing a Senate resolution to designate August 2023 as National Catfish Month.

According to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Alabama is ranked 2nd nationally in farm-raised catfish production behind its western neighbor, Mississippi. Alabama is home to approximately 66 farm-raised catfish farms, predominantly across the Black Belt Region, that encompass approximately 15,000 acres of surface water area. The catfish industry employs over 2,400 individuals and contributes nearly $92 million in economic value to the state.

“The catfish industry is vital to Alabama’s economy, and we are proud to be the #2 state, producing one-third of the world’s catfish,” said Senator Tuberville. “I’ve cooked and eaten a lot of catfish in my day, and even owned a catfish restaurant named Tubby’s Catfish in the 1980’s. I join my fellow Alabamians in honoring our hardworking catfish producers and processors to ensure the security of our food supply.”