64 JUNE 2016 • WORLD AQUACULTURE • WWW.WAS.ORG In the 1890 Land Grant system, extension personnel often play an advisory role to small-scale and limited-resource farmers. Aquaculture is typically not practiced by this group of farmers because U.S. aquaculture requires significant capital investment. However, these farmers could benefit from aquaculture if it can be implemented at a small scale, using low-investment methods and if fish can be sold profitably in local food markets. Channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus aquaculture is popular in the southeastern United States, including Kentucky, where the fish is part of the traditional foods associated with this region. In recent years, the U.S. catfish industry has struggled because of the effects of cheaper, imported fish such as tilapia and pangasius catfish. However, if catfish is highly valued in local food markets, there could be opportunities for small-scale catfish growers to operate profitably. Dasgupta et al. (2007) discussed the economics of catfish farming at a small scale using lowinvestment techniques such as using existing farm ponds with no artificial aeration. They recommended stocking 1,000-1,200 juvenile catfish annually per water-acre, resulting in the production of approximately 500 kg of food-sized fish. This low-cost production system can be used by farmers for whom catfish would be a subsidiary enterprise to complement other local food operations such as vegetables. This article provides marketing data showing that smallscale, low-investment catfish operations might be profitable. We conducted marketing trials with whole channel catfish and fresh channel catfish fillets among Hispanic buyers, farmers’ market buyers, and community-supported agriculture (CSA) patrons in Kentucky. The data presented indicates the revenue potential Local Food Markets for Catfish in Kentucky Siddhartha Dasgupta, Richard Bryant and Alejandro Velasquez from local marketing of catfish. These data can be compared with cost of fish production and processing to determine if smallscale catfish production can be profitable. Hispanic consumers were chosen for catfish marketing experiments because Kentucky has a relatively high Hispanic population; the United States Census Bureau estimated the Hispanic population in 2013 at 3.3 percent of Kentucky’s population (U. S. Census Bureau 2014). Anecdotal evidence indicated that Hispanics are willing to buy whole fish; hence, this demographic group was selected for marketing trials with whole catfish. Farmers’ markets were also selected for catfish marketing trials because of Kentucky’s strong farmers’ market program, with nearly 150 markets in 120 counties. Similarly, Kentucky has several CSA operations that sell mostly produce, but with limited animal protein options. Locallygrown catfish could nicely complement the vegetables, fruits, and eggs that farmers’ markets and CSAs sell to their patrons. All catfish used for this project were sourced from Kentucky growers. Marketing Whole Catfish to Hispanic Consumers Hispanic consumers at three Hispanic groceries in Kentucky, one in Lexington and two in Shelbyville, were elicited for their willingness to buy catfish during fall 2011 and spring 2012. These cities were chosen because of their disproportionately high Hispanic population; during 2010, Hispanics in both cities accounted for 6.9 percent (Lexington) and 9.1 percent (Shelbyville) of total county population. Loading live catfish onto a transport truck. Unloading live catfish into a holding tank.
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