ITTA BENA, Miss. – Cast a line and break out the tartar sauce – it’s not too late to celebrate National Catfish Month. Heartland Catfish Company, the nation’s leading supplier of fresh and frozen catfish products, is celebrating the beloved fish throughout the month of August.
The #HeartlandCatfishCelebration across social media features exciting recipes, catfish fun facts and company history. Catfish fans throughout the country can engage with Heartland Catfish Company and share their appreciation for this healthy, versatile seafood product. See the fact sheet below to learn more about catfish production.
In recognition of the dedication and innovation of the greater U.S. farm-raised catfish industry, Congress declared the month of August as National Catfish Month in the late 1980s. Today, 94 percent of all catfish produced in the United States comes from four Southeastern states – Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana and Arkansas. Whether fried, grilled, sautéed or broiled, U.S. farm-raised catfish provides an environmentally-safe source of protein consumers around the country can trust.
U.S. Farm-Raised Catfish and the Economy:
Catfish sales in the United States totaled more than $386 million in 2016, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data.
According to a Mississippi State University report, the catfish industry provided $169 million worth of economic impact to the state of Mississippi and occupied 35,000 acres of production in 2016.
Catfish farmers in Alabama generated $120 million in sales in 2016, according to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It was the Alabama farmers’ best year since 2011 and a 20 percent improvement over sales in 2013.
According to Alabama Catfish Producers, a division of the Alabama Farmers Federation, Alabama catfish farms employ more than 6,000 people statewide and generate an annual economic impact of more than $158 million to the state.
Founded in 1995, Heartland Catfish Company has grown into the country’s largest U.S. farm-raised catfish producer and processor, with plants in Itta Bena, Miss., and Greensboro, Ala. Owned by the Tackett Family of Tackett Fish Farms, Heartland Catfish Company is the largest single producer of farm-raised catfish in the United States and sells fresh and frozen catfish products to retailers and restaurants around the country. Follow Heartland Catfish Company on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram and visit heartlandcatfish.com to learn more.
