JACKSON, Miss. ( WJTV ) – Following National Catfish Day on Tuesday, historical data shows that Mississippi’s catfish industry is anything but consistent.

The state produces more catfish than all other states combined. Between 2010 to 2021 , catfish production per acre rose over 42% from 4,000 pounds per acre to 5,700 annually. With Mississippi having 33,000 acres of catfish ponds, that adds up to more than 940,000 tons of catfish in 2021. The majority are located in the Mississippi Delta in and around Sunflower County, and the rest are mostly in east Mississippi near Noxubee County.

The annual food-size catfish sales have averaged $355 million since 2010. Mississippi catfish farms’ average farm-gate sales rose from $3,100 in 2010 to $7,100 per water acre in 2020.

Despite higher yields and profits, the state’s catfish industry has faced many issues in recent memory. For instance, the amount of available space for farming catfish is decreasing. Below are numbers from recent years.

• 2021: 34,700 acres
• 2022: 34,100 acres
• 2023: 32,900 acres

Mississippi State University (MSU) Extension Service has not released the latest numbers for 2024. However, at the state’s peak, acreage was at 112,700 statewide.

The state’s catfish industry faces similar challenges seen in Mississippi’s other agricultural ventures. This includes rising temperatures, fuel costs and foreign competition. In 2021, imported catfish accounted for 70% of the fish eaten in the United States.

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