LOCAL MARKETING OF CATFISH: OPPORTUNITIES FOR FARMERS' MARKET PRODUCER-VENDORS IN KENTUCKY

Small-scale aquaculture in the United States has always been reliant on direct and niche marketing in order to be profitable.  Since local growers can supply fresh fish, farmers' markets are an outlet where small-scale producers could successfully compete with the plethora of cheaper, frozen seafood.  Farmers' market vendors can be ideal candidates for small-scale aquaculture because many have existing ponds that can be renovated for aquaculture and they might be able to profitably sell fish fillets in farmers' markets where the customers are accustomed to paying premium prices for locally-grown foods.  This study investigates the potential for farmers' market vendors to diversify into catfish aquaculture.

Many small farmers' markets suffer from a dearth of animal protein because most vendors sell produce and eggs.  The benefits of enlisting farmers' market vendors into fish production and sales is threefold: producer surplus from sales-based profits, consumer surplus from purchasing fresh fish proteins, and social surplus from introducing more animal proteins in the local food economy.

Results from a previous study outlined the economics of small-scale catfish farming in Kentucky in ponds of sizes varying from 0.1 hectares to 0.4 hectares.  Recent publications in small-scale fish processing also indicated the premium of processing the fish into fillets.  These costs, in combination with expected returns from fillets sales in local food markets of Kentucky indicated the income potential for small-scale catfish production.

Kentucky's farmers' market vendors were recruited for learning about the income potential from small-scale catfish aquaculture.  They were then surveyed about their water resources that might make them suitable for aquaculture.  They also indicated their willingness to diversify into fish farming.  These survey results are a preliminary effort in expanding small-scale aquaculture in the United States, which has taken severe downturns in recent years due to international competition.