European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - October 11, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Magazine Delta Farmers Gamble on trendy Catfish a to a work to Clef Al to by David Beard associated press attention All you Yankee yuppies out there poached Salmon is passe. Halibut is history. In Mississippi they have seen the future and the future is Catfish. That s right Catfish. The ugly be whiskered Lish. Long a Favorito among Dixie diners is getting its act together and taking it on the Road setting its sights on the nation s supermarkets last food franchises and finest restaurants. It s a Gamble for Mississippi Delta Farmers who Are raising Catfish in Ponds dug where Cohon once grew. In just 12 years they be turned a modest Experiment into a $300 million a year Industry upgrading a lowly River led scavenger into a Domosle High protein Grain fed gourmet delicacy. Chefs irom new Orleans to new York already Are marinating Paul eating grilling and baking the fish in trendy preparations thai Are a far cry from its Humble deep Fried beginnings. Vou can still find it deep Fried too at such chains As Long John Silver a Bob Evans farm and Danny s last month Dairy Queen franchise owners announced that Catfish will be test marketed in nearly 000 restaurants in Texas. Cat Lih is the undisputed Star of Tho menu at David Beard s Catfish King a Chain of five restaurants in Texas Oklahoma and Alabama owned by great american foods. Ninety seven percent of our Salas Are Catfish accounting manager Bill Tyson says. We re sort of he Kentucky Fried Chicken of the  several Mississippi companies say they Are planning to Market Frozen Catfish Tor oven or microwave and experiments with Catfish mousse Are under Way. Randy Broadway is among the Farmers who re taking a Chance on Catfish. This whole business is a  Broadway says As tractors and cranes help Complete the process of seining about 250.000 fish fingerlings from one of his Ponda and loading them into a temperature controlled tank. But  the beat thing we be got going right now. " the fingerings Are sold to other Farmers and placed in growing Ponds to reach the proper size for processing. Nov. Sill attain has called Catfish a Savory Savior for the economically depressed Delta and Mississippi in general. The tale with about 73,500 acres in Ponds produces about 85 percent of the nation s farm grown Catfish. But Industry officials beset by softening demand say the Industry is Al a Crossroads. People Don t know the amount of Money you re investing in this business says Broadway a former pharmaceutical Salesman who joined seven Otic investors in buying the $1 & Miffin Arm last december. If things go a Broadway expects the investment Wilt pay off in three years if they Don the and Iris partners will Likely Lolow the farm s previous owner into foreclosure. People Don t realize that there s a lot More to this than hamming up some water feeding fish and going to the Bank says Tommy Taylor Humphreys county agent for the Mississippi cooperative Extension service. Taylor said that 1 0 percent of the county s Farmland has been converted into Catfish Ponds. He said the Industry provided about hah of the county s $125 million agricultural sales last year. Farm cooperatives such As Delia processors inc. Have bounded from one employee in january 1981 to 1.050 today and have transformed an Indianola Cotton Field into the largest fresh fish packing Plant in the United states. Agricultural conglomerates such As Hormel ant Colagra have moved into Catfish prompting worries about increased concentration of the Market. But declining prices a possible oversupply a weakening in demand for Catfish unionizing efforts and increased Competition from cattlemen facing their own problems have added to the growing pains for the Industry. August brought a shake up in Industry organizations a shift in marketing strategies and an unprecedented three your $6 million Campaign to promote the Grain fed fish. I m confident that this is the Only Way that Tho Industry can move  says Jack Perkins chairman of the marketing committee for the Catfish Farmers of America. It we do everything right you la see us follow the Steps that the poultry Industry took 20 years  the Industry has averaged 25 percent jumps in sales in the past five years processing about 195 Millon pounds of live fish in 1985, reports show. Industry figures show that Catfish Indus Liy employs More than 3,000 people in Mississippi. Perkins notes that . Department of agriculture reports Only an 8 percent jump in demand for the fish this year despite its emerging popularity As a gourmet fish whose fans include Forbes Magazine publisher Malcolm Forbes and new York times food writer Craig c la borne while 8 percent growth might be considered Good in some areas it s not what we re accustomed to and not what we need to move the surplus fish we re going to  Perkins says. Me predicts that the Harvest of fish will comb 20,. Percent although other Industry Leader say the to percent growth in the Sale of Catfish teed Batter reflects the increase. We re at a Crossroads said Roger Yang. Who was named Mississippi s Catfish Farmer of they or in 1985. We re headed into w oversupply to tuition Law couple that with in i Natty tort the Catfish to Market like a strike then in a in heart Buble the National labor relations Board has heard complaints of unfair labor practices at Delta Catfish with workers alleging dismissals and disciplinary measures after unionizing  Mississippi a act has said it would dirt organizing efforts contending that the predominantly Black work Force averages wages of toss than of a hour about one halt what Union workers Avera Ein the  Don t like doing this says Frank Mcknight one of the farm workers for Randy Broadway As he waded in the Pond but Eva got to make living and there in t much to compels with around  Taylor remain confident that the Industry will weather Union and Market challenges. We took soil with a High Day Content and poor drainage and nude that into an advantage says Taylor. We have developed feeding systems that everybody uses now we Are All concerned but i m not really worried  saturday october 11, 1986 the stars and stripes Page 13