| PROJECT SUMMARY |
| This project was a follow-up to the Trade Assistance Adjustment (TAA) training for Catfish producers in Mississippi. TAA attendees were sent a mail survey to determine production and financial topic areas that would be of most interest and assistance to them. Specific topic areas included in the survey included: 1) evaluation of their business´ financial viability, 2) improving their operations´s production efficiency, 3) investigating alternative marketing oportunities, and 4) investigating alternative aquaculture/agricultural enterprises. Areas 1) and 2) were the two specific areas chosen by respondents and were developed into workshops. Two workshops were conducted, one for catfish producers in the western (delta) region and the second in the eastern blackbelt region of Mississippi. Over 150 catfish producers applied for the TAA program from these two regions and they were the focus of the survey portion of this project, but all Mississippi catfish producers were invited to attend the workshops. Twenty-nine producers attended the two area workshops. Numerical evaluations indicated participants felt materials were important. Individual comments taken from the financial analysis workshop evaluations included, “All topics were good,” “More handouts needed on the studies presented," "could you provide copies of slides shown in all presentations, but especially the production cost reduction talk,” and “Information provided was great,..., I think it will really benefit my business.” In an effort to determine why more producers did not attend the workshops and responses included comments like, "unable to attend because of time," "May is too busy a time to attend off farm meetings, "do (the workshop) again in the winter (when we have more time)." Two partial enterprise budget publications were developed with examples specific to the two catfish regions of Mississippi and can be accessed at the MSU Cares website: http://msucares.com/pubs/index.html |
| NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS: 94 |
| TOPICS COVERED |
| Marketing strategies, plans and clubs |
| Financial records, analysis, and bench-marking |
| Capital and financial assets |
| Business and strategic planning |
