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) In the first 10 months of 2025, Vietnam’s pangasius export value to China (including Mainland China and Hong Kong) reached $483 million, up 1% compared to the same period in 2024. October alone posted $73 million, a strong 19% increase year-on-year. The Chinese market currently accounts for nearly 27% of Vietnam’s total pangasius export value.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) According to data from Vietnam Customs, the country’s lobster exports posted another strong month in October 2025, reaching $93 million - a 75% increase from the same month in 2024. This performance extends the sector’s impressive growth streak from earlier in the year, pushing cumulative exports for the first 10 months to $712 million, up an extraordinary 135% year-over-year. Within the product mix, green lobster remained the dominant driver, accounting for 98% of total export value, with $700 million recorded in the first 10 months - a 141% jump year-on-year. In contrast, exports of spiny lobster and other lobster varieties declined slightly by 22% and 1%, respectively, indicating that market demand is becoming increasingly concentrated on the most sought-after product line.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Currently, Da Nang City has no fishing vessels detained, sanctioned by foreign authorities, or criminally prosecuted for IUU fishing violations. Patrols, monitoring of marine fishing activities, and handling of violations have been prioritized by competent forces, significantly reducing nearshore fishing infringements.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) According to statistics from Vietnam Customs, Vietnam’s tuna exports to Israel in the first nine months of 2025 reached just over USD 27 million, down as much as 49% compared to the same period in 2024. This is a steep and prolonged decline for many consecutive months, reflecting changes in import demand as well as shifts in the supply structure of this market.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The first 700 tons of Vietnamese tilapia ordered and imported by JBS Group will initially be distributed through supermarket chains, the Horeca network and JBS’s product showrooms in Brazil.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In October 2025, Vietnam’s pangasius exports hit $217 million, representing an 8% increase compared to the same month in 2024. For the first 10 months of the year, total export value has surpassed $1.8 billion, up 9% year-on-year. This growth demonstrates clear positive momentum for the pangasius industry, despite continued declines in certain markets.
In recent days, the Central provinces of Vietnam have been suffering from historic flooding, with prolonged heavy rains, landslides, flash floods, and deep inundation causing extremely serious impacts on tens of thousands of households, as well as many VASEP member exporters located in the region. With the spirit of mutual support and solidarity, and in order to promptly assist residents and member exporters in the affected areas to stabilize their lives and restore production activities, VASEP calls on all seafood exporters, organizations, and individuals to extend supports to the people and member exporters in the flood-hit areas. We urge timely and practical material and spiritual contributions to help member exporters and local communities in the severely affected provinces overcome this difficult period.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the final days of October 2025, Vietnam’s domestic raw shrimp market remained generally stable, though slight adjustments were recorded in several sizes across key farming regions.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s shrimp exports reached USD 498 million in October 2025, up 26% from the same period last year. This is one of the highest monthly revenues since the beginning of the year, reflecting solid demand in major markets and faster shipment schedules by exporters. From January to October, shrimp export value reached USD 3.9 billion, up 22% compared to the same period in 2024.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On October 31, 2025, the US Court of International Trade (CIT) officially issued an order to suspend the case filed by the National Fisheries Institute (NFI), the National Restaurant Association (NRA), and several US seafood companies against the US Government concerning the implementation of the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA).
VASEP - HIỆP HỘI CHẾ BIẾN VÀ XUẤT KHẨU THỦY SẢN VIỆT NAM
Chịu trách nhiệm: Ông Nguyễn Hoài Nam - Phó Tổng thư ký Hiệp hội
Đơn vị vận hành trang tin điện tử: Trung tâm VASEP.PRO
Trưởng Ban Biên tập: Bà Phùng Thị Kim Thu
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