Mississippi is the leading U.S. producer of farm-raised catfish, followed by Alabama and Arkansas. Catfish is Mississippi's seventh largest commodity. But numerous challenges, including competition from catfish-like species called basa and tra imported from Vietnam and the high cost of feed, have led some catfish producers to fill their catfish ponds and grow row crops. Catfish farmers say Asian growers produce a cheaper product by using chemicals that have been banned in the United States.
The flooding Mississippi River could spur even more Mississippi farmers out of business. Many of the farms are located in the south Mississippi Delta, an area that is already flooding, even a week before the river is expected to crest at places like Vicksburg.
"If these ponds get flooded, the fish will just become part of the flood," said Taylor Webb, a spokesman for Catfish Farmers of America, a nonprofit trade organization.
"Once the water subsides, there are going to be a lot what you call junk fish in there. You have to drain the pond, get everything out and start over," he added.
It takes 18-24 months to raise a catfish to a size that it can be sold for food, Webb said.
Flood preparations have taken a hurried pace at some farms, like Simmons Farmed Raised Catfish near Yazoo City.
Harry Simmons has owned the processing plant and catfish farms for nearly 30 years. Now he's wrapping a levee around his home, business and about 400 acres of catfish ponds in an effort to save them. He estimates that will cost $150,000.
Simmons plans to build levees around the core of his farm then move fish from unprotected ponds to those behind the newly constructed barrier. He's not sure what to expect. Simmons' farm is at least 30 miles from the Mississippi River, but it's in the low-lying basin where the Yazoo River is backing up and spilling over its banks.
"We'll just have to see what's there when the water goes down," he said.
Webb, with the trade group, said there's no definitive count on the number of farms in jeopardy. He said 60 percent of the surface acreage of U.S. catfish farms is in Mississippi, and many of those are in the low-lying Delta.
"A lot of these farmers are located in some real danger areas," Webb said. "Some are doing more pre-emptive measures than others. Some people are spending tens of thousands of dollars putting up protective levees."
But he added, "Not everybody has the resources to do that."
Others are simply netting the fish out of the ponds and selling them.
Dick Stevens is CEO of Consolidated Catfish LLC based in Isola, which is among the largest catfish processors in the country. He said he's been buying all the fish he can from farmers in threatened areas "so we can minimize the economic hit to them."
Stevens said catfish production is already down and the flood could hurt future growth.
"I'm concerned that it will cause more people to exit the industry," Simmons said.
The catfish industry generates more employment than some other types of agriculture, so closed farms are an economic blow, said Andy Prosser, spokesman for the Mississippi Department of Agriculture.
"Right now we're throwing out a lot of predictions on a lot of this farmland, including catfish, but we're not going to really know how much damage has been done until the water goes down," Prosser said. "In the areas it's going to be flooding, agriculture is the major driving force for the local economy. Catfish specifically is a major employer."
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The year 2025 marked a pivotal milestone for Vietnam’s seafood industry in its restructuring process toward sustainability, transparency, and higher value creation, amid continued uncertainties in the global economic and trade environment. Prolonged inflation in major economies, the rising trend of trade protectionism, and increasingly stringent requirements related to environmental standards, traceability, and social responsibility have posed significant challenges to seafood production and exports. Nevertheless, overcoming these pressures, Vietnam’s seafood sector has gradually demonstrated its adaptability, maintained growth momentum, and laid an important foundation for the next stage of development.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Amid the increasingly evident impacts of drought and saltwater intrusion, the shrimp-rice production model in Ca Mau province continues to prove itself as a viable direction, contributing to higher farmer incomes, improved soil conditions and the promotion of ecological and sustainable agricultural development.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The management of fishing vessels, monitoring of fishing activities, and handling of violations in the fisheries sector in Lam Dong province have continued to be implemented in a synchronized and stringent manner, contributing to raising awareness of legal compliance among fishermen and aiming to end illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Can Tho’s fishery industry sustained steady growth in 2025 with total aquatic and marine output reaching nearly 783,000 tons, fulfilling 100% of the annual target. Aquaculture, capture fisheries and fishing fleet management were further strengthened, aiming for sustainable development in the coming years.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In 2025, Vietnam’s pangasius export turnover reached nearly USD 2.2 billion, up 8% year-on-year. This result indicates that pangasius exports maintained their growth momentum despite significant volatility in the global market environment. In December 2025, pangasius export value reached USD 200 million, up 10% compared to December 2024. This solid performance in the final month of the year reflects increased import demand for consumption and inventory replenishment in key markets.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In 2025, Vietnam’s tuna exports to Spain experienced significant fluctuations. According to Vietnam Customs, during the first 11 months of 2025, export turnover for the first 11 months of the year edged up by 0.3% year-on-year, reaching nearly $15 million.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Deputy Prime Minister Bui Thanh Son has signed Decision No. 16/QD-TTg, dated January 5, 2026, approving the implementation plan for the Vietnam-Israel Free Trade Agreement (VIFTA). Under the plan, in the coming period, ministries, ministerial-level agencies, government-affiliated entities and People’s Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities must institutionalize and execute tasks focused on the dissemination of information regarding VIFTA and the Israeli market; legislative and institutional development, as well as enhancing competitiveness and human resource growth...
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Beyond achieving double-digit growth, Vietnam’s fish cake and surimi exports are showing a notable year-end "inflection point": the EU his accelerating with nearly twofold growth, China & Hong Kong are rising sharply, while the largest market, South Korea, signaled a slowdown in November. According to Vietnam Customs data, export turnover of fish cake and surimi reached $327 million in the first 11 months of 2025, up 22% year-on-year; November 2025 alone accounted for $35 million, marking a 5% increase. This serves as a critical foundation for exporters to reassess market structures and competitive intensity while finalizing order strategies for 2026.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Ca Mau, widely regarded as the nation’s “shrimp capital”, continued its strong performance in 2025 as shrimp output reached nearly 600,000 tons, maintaining its position as Vietnam’s leading shrimp-producing locality.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On December 29, 2025, at the 2025 Pangasius Industry Review Conference held in Can Tho City, the Vietnam Pangasius Association announced that fingerling prices have surged to record levels due to acute supply shortages.
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