said she expects Mississippi catfish producers to benefit from a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) agreement to purchase up to $20 million in farm-raised catfish for distribution through food banks, charities, and other nutrition assistance programs. The $20 million purchase of farm-raised catfish is part of an overall USDA announcement to purchase up to $76.5 million in surplus U.S. commodities through the permanently authorized Section 32 program. “The farm-raised catfish industry has been under tremendous financial pressure as producers have struggled with years of rising costs and inflation. In June, Hyde-Smith led a letter encouraging Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins to grant a request from the U.S. farm-raised catfish industry for relief through the Section 32 program. Today’s announcement builds on a January 2025 USDA agreement to purchase up to $55 million in farm-raised catfish and Gulf shrimp.