$61 Million USDA Catfish Purchase

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Thursday it will spend $472.5 million on new commodity purchases under its Section 32 program. The funding allocation includes $20 million for farm-raised catfish, $20 million for chicken, and $21 million for rice. These specific categories account for $61 million of the total expenditure.

U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith, a Republican from Mississippi, stated that the new agreement should help stabilize markets for the state's leading agricultural products. She serves on the Senate Agriculture Committee and the Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee. Hyde-Smith said the infusion of more than $60 million in these three commodities should benefit producers and stabilize local markets.

The Section 32 program directs the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service to buy surplus American commodities for domestic food and nutrition assistance programs. The funding comes from 30 percent of the previous year’s customs receipts. This mechanism allows the agency to support domestic producers while supplying food to families in need through food banks and charities.

Hyde-Smith led a letter to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins earlier this summer requesting increased Section 32 purchases. The department has already executed two related purchases this year. In July, the USDA approved a $20 million purchase of surplus farm-raised catfish. In September, it approved a $20 million purchase of wild-caught shrimp.

The senator described the administration's actions as support for domestic workers. She noted that producers deserve a level playing field against unfair imports that do not match the quality of domestic goods. The new purchases will direct the specified commodities into existing nutrition assistance channels across the country.