There are a number of important considerations before beginning small-scale catfish production and direct marketing. This fact sheet explains differences between large and small catfish operations and the importance of direct marketing to the success of small fish farms. Large vs Small Farms Large catfish farms are expensive to build and operate. Experts on catfish culture believe that for a catfish farm to be successful, based on sales to processors, a minimum of 80 to 100 acres of ponds is required. Like many agricultural crops, there are economies of scale in commercial catfish production.
Larger farms are able to produce fish at a lower price per pound than smaller farms.
For example, large farms can buy catfish feed in bulk by the truckload while smaller producers, in order to have fresh feed, must purchase bagged feed which costs 10 percent to 20 percent more. Intensive catfish production on a part-time basis is risky because the farmer cannot watch the ponds on a regular basis, day and night. If an aerator fails, fish may die in a matter of minutes. Large farms have night-time oxygen crews that monitor ponds regularly. Small-scale producers generally get lower yields since they stock and feed at lower rates to reduce the risk of water quality problems.