Between 1970 and 2001, the farming of channel catfish was the largest aquaculture activity in the United States and Mississippi was the leader with over 55% of catfish being grown in Mississippi. At the peak of production in 2001 the industry employed 10,760 and generated $1.24 billion. My project reviews the reasons behind the growth and decline of this industry.
What is a catfish farm?
A catfish farm is a large tract of land divided into square or rectangular ponds. Each pond ranges between 3 and 8 feet in depth and is usually between 5 and 10 acres in area. Farms can use a variety of freshwater sources but ground water is preferred. Catfish fingerlings are let into this water and are fed a prepared feed which is made up of corn and soybean meal and 
constitutes about 30% protein. Electric aerators are used to maintain the dissolved oxygen level in the water. Within 8-9 months, the fish reach the target weight of between 1 and 2 pounds and are sold to restaurants, markets or processors.
Initial stages of industry development
Your sidebar can have widgets for news, events, images and more. If there’s no content in your sidebar, the main content will automatically adjust to the page width.