Alabama Fish Farming Center

Alabama Fish Farming Center The AFFC is funded by Auburn University and is helping the US catfish industry by contributing servi

The Alabama Fish Farming Center (AFFC) was created in 1983 as an entity under the Alabama Soil and Water Conservation Committee (ALS & WCC). The purpose of the AFFC was to provide technical assistance to Alabama's rapidly growing catfish farming industry in the area of pond design: disease and water quality analysis; and farm management. To accomplish this, the ALS & WCC contracted with Auburn Uni

versity's Cooperative Extension Service (ACES) to provide and equip and aquaculturist; Auburn's Agricultural Experiment Station (AAES) to provide and equip a fish health specialist; and with the Soil Conservation Service (NRCS) to provide and equip an agricultural engineer. The ALS & WCC the provided an administrative assistant and a technician employed through the Hale County Soil and Water District and provided funding to house the center in Greensboro. The Center's annual budget came from the General Fund through the ALS & WCC which was the Center's parent agency. At that time there were approximately 8,000 acres of catfish production in Alabama. By 2001 the Center was servicing 25,000 acres of catfish production and had moved into a larger facility. Then in 2002 a combination of events and circumstances starting with a 9/11 recession and continuing with import pressures from Asia reduced the demand for the US farm raised catfish. In 2003 severe budget cuts to ALS & WCC from the General Fund resulted in major cuts in funding to the Fish Farming Center. In 2004 NRCS terminated its involvement with the Alabama Fish Farming Center due to lack of demand for its services. The end result was that in 2005 Auburn University assumed budgetary control and administrative oversight through the Department of Fisheries and Allied Aquacultures as its funding was transferred from the General Fund to the Educational Fund. In late 2005 Auburn added an Agricultural Economist to the staff to help farmers cope with the difficult economic conditions the industry was facing. Auburn's Department of Fisheries has also conducted a significant amount of research through the Alabama Fish Farming Center by use of grants (i.e. Blackbelt Initiative and Pond-to-Plate projects) to help improve the efficiency and productivity of the industry as well as help diversify the industry for the future.

07/22/2026
07/16/2026

HALE COUNTY, Ala. (WIAT) — Senators Katie Britt and Tommy Tuberville have joined several of their senate colleagues in endorsing a request by the U.S. farm-raised catfish industry. They’re asking the U.S. Department of Agriculture to purchase surplus catfish products. CBS 42 News spent time with...

Alabama’s Catfish Farmer of the Year: Matt Sims
07/10/2026

Alabama’s Catfish Farmer of the Year: Matt Sims

06/30/2026

"Crayfishes remind us how much of nature remains hidden in plain sight. Beneath rocks, inside caves, under wetlands, and along stream banks lives an entire world that is never noticed by any of us." Read here: https://tnature.substack.com/p/crayfish-crawfish-and-crawdads

Our very own Dr. Rypel and Dr. Stoeckel talk about how crayfishes discuss the biodiversity that their community represents in our local and larger ecosystems.

06/08/2026

What does catfish farming have to do with Alabama jobs, rural communities, Auburn University, food safety, and the state economy?

A whole lot more than you might think.

Monday on The Noon Show, Johnnie Aycock and Lisa Jones talk with Auburn University Extension Professor Dr. Luke Roy from the Alabama Fish Farming Center in Greensboro about all things catfish farming.

We’ll discuss:🐟 Why Alabama is a national leader in catfish production🐟 The economic impact of catfish farming across Alabama and the Southeast🐟 Why U.S. farm-raised catfish is different from imported fish🐟 Auburn University’s land-grant mission and how research helps Alabama farmers every day🐟 The future of one of Alabama’s most important — and often overlooked — industries

This conversation goes far beyond what’s on your plate.

Join us Monday from noon to 1 on FM 100.1 or listen anywhere at TheNoonShow.com. Auburn University Auburn University School of Fisheries, Aquaculture, and Aquatic Sciences Gregory Whitis Marcy Rayburn Huey

04/18/2026

One of Auburn’s most important catfish partnerships happens through Alabama Extension. This program works directly with catfish farmers in Alabama, serving as a liaison between the industry and SFAAS. The goal is practical and immediate: help strengthen the biological and economic sustainability of catfish farming through on-the-ground support, fish health expertise, and research that reaches the pond instead of staying on paper.

AFFC’s Doctoral students,Jesse James and James Tuttle, and Masters student, Sunni Dahl, made presentations at Aquacultur...
04/18/2026

AFFC’s Doctoral students,Jesse James and James Tuttle, and Masters student, Sunni Dahl, made presentations at Aquaculture America in Las Vegas.

04/18/2026

What many don’t know is that some hybrid catfish are growing too large too fast, which cuts into local farm profits.

How? Oversized fish eat feed, prey on smaller fish, and are worth significantly less at processing.

Alabama producers are taking this hit and Auburn is trying to solve this problem through research and outreach, studying the fish and working directly with farmers to test practical solutions. SFAAS is not just describing an issue. Together, Alabama’s catfish industry is working to eliminate one of its most expensive production challenges for all.

01/11/2026

Address

529 S Centreville Street
Greensboro, AL
36744

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 4:30pm
Tuesday 8am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 8am - 4:30pm
Thursday 8am - 4:30pm
Friday 8am - 4:30pm

Telephone

(334) 624-4016

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Alabama Fish Farming Center posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share