STARKVILLE, Miss. – Mississippi State University published a study Sept. 6 showing its research has played a role in increasing area catfish faring productivity over the last decade. Across the U.S., the catfish industry has fallen off by nearly 70 percent since 2003 but remains an economic driver in Mississippi, Alabama and Arkansas. According to Ganesh Kumar, research professor for MSU's Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture, the industry contributed $1.9M to the three states' economies in 2019. Research efforts at MSU, Virginia Tech, Auburn University, University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff have led to a 59 percent increase in catfish production in the three states. Auburn first created the strain of hybrid catfish, a cross between blue and channel catfish. MSU scientists were able to "develop that into a commercially viable enterprise and go out and work with farmers to say, ‘Hey, look, this is how you make this hybrid," said Dr. Jimmy Avery, MSU extension aquaculture specialist and director of the Southern Regional Aquaculture Center. (Source: WCBI 09/07/22) Mississippi State research leads to nearly 60 percent increase in catfish production over last 10 years (wcbi.com)
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