Miss. (WJTV) – U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) announced that 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
According to Hyde-Smith, the purchase 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. This program authorizes the USDA to buy surplus U.S. commodities for domestic food and nutrition assistance programs
US senators request USDA support for farm-raised catfish
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“The farm-raised catfish industry has been under tremendous financial pressure as producers have struggled with years of rising costs and inflation. Like many agricultural sectors, our catfish farmers have faced significant economic challenges,” said Hyde-Smith. “These Section 32 purchases will provide meaningful support for producers in Mississippi and other catfish-producing states while delivering a healthy, high-quality source of protein to families served by nutrition programs across the country.”
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
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