National Catfish Month: Celebrating Mississippi’s catfish legacy

Date:2025-08-02 03:12:41 Category:US Views:2 Comment:0

JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – Residents of Mississippi are no stranger to catfish. But did you know there’s a month to celebrate them?

August is celebrated as National Catfish Month. The earliest recorded recognition of this month was in 2021 when a group of U.S. Senators came together to pass a resolution to designate August 2021 as ”National Catfish Month.”

Catfish has been a longstanding staple of southern cuisine, with the most common method of cooking being breaded and fried. But for Mississippians, catfish is more than just a food. The catfish is an economic backbone of the state.

According to a study by Mississippi State’s Extension Center, Mississippi is the largest catfish-producing state, accounting for 54% of total food fish production.

On top of this, catfish farmers have recently adopted improved production technology and pond management practices. Mississippi catfish farms’ productivity rose to 5,700 pounds per acre in 2021 from 4,000 pounds per acre in 2010, allowing for Mississippi catfish farms’ average sales to rise from $3,100 in 2010 to $7,100 per water acre in 2020.

Mississippi also leads the U.S. in production with 29,900 acres in July 2024, with the Mississippi Delta accounting for most of this land. But high feed prices, cheap foreign imports, and stagnant live fish prices have caused economic hardship for Mississippi producers, resulting in a decrease in acreage from a high of 130,500 acres in 2001 to 29,900 acres in 2024.

Regardless of economic hardships, catfish has ingrained itself into southern culture. And with a whole month to celebrate the fish, why not order it next time you eat out?

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