Hinds Today

U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith announced that Mississippi's catfish and shrimp producers are expected to benefit from a recent decision by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The USDA has agreed to purchase up to $30 million in farm-raised catfish products and $25 million in Gulf shrimp. These purchases are intended for distribution to various nutrition assistance programs, including charitable institutions.

The decision was communicated to Hyde-Smith by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. It falls under the "Section 32" program, which allows the USDA to make emergency purchases of surplus U.S. commodities for domestic food assistance programs.

Hyde-Smith commented on the situation: “Like commodity producers across the country, our catfish producers and shrimpers in Mississippi have hit hard times because of high input costs, inflation, and unfair global competition. This new round of Section 32 purchases should work to help sustain their operations while also supplying more protein for nutrition assistance programs.” She serves on both the Senate Agriculture Committee and the Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee.

Hyde-Smith has been a consistent advocate for Section 32 purchases of farm-raised catfish, shrimp, and other products as a means to support U.S. agricultural producers while providing resources for food banks and nonprofit nutrition programs.

This agreement follows previous Section 32 purchases, including an April deal for $30.5 million in farm-raised catfish and a January 2024 purchase of up to $36 million in wild-caught shrimp from the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic regions.