Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders joined U.S. Sen. John Boozman at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff on Tuesday, Oct. 27, for a roundtable with catfish producers and aquaculture researchers focused on federal farm policy, the rising cost of production and efforts to improve fish health and feed efficiency.
The meeting began at 9 a.m. CT in UAPB’s newly completed Student Engagement Center in Pine Bluff. It was scheduled as part of Boozman’s statewide farm tour and took place ahead of the building’s ribbon-cutting later that morning.
What officials discussed
- Farm Bill 2.0: Boozman, who chairs the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee, outlined provisions in the proposed Agricultural Act of 2026 that he is advancing, including support for the safety net, disaster assistance, crop insurance, farm financing, agricultural research, rural infrastructure and market development.
- Production costs and feed: UAPB researchers told attendees that feed comprises roughly half of commercial fish production costs and described research into lower-cost feed ingredients and alternatives to antibiotics.
- Fish health and technology: University projects presented at the roundtable include AI-based studies of fish behavior and expanded fish health inspection and diagnostic work intended to improve commercial production efficiency and reduce losses.
- Market pressures: Participants discussed imported seafood competition and the impact of bird-related losses on producer returns.
Boozman described broad goals for the pending farm legislation, saying it would strengthen farm assistance programs, improve access to loans and support research and rural development investments. The package also calls for steps to expand domestic and international market opportunities and increase oversight of foreign ownership of U.S. farmland, according to his outline.
Research priorities at UAPB
Researchers at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff emphasized applied projects intended to lower per-unit production costs for commercial catfish operations. Work presented to the group included:
- studies using artificial intelligence to monitor and interpret fish behavior;
- trials of feed formulations that reduce reliance on costly ingredients;
- investigations of non-antibiotic approaches to disease prevention and improved diagnostics through the university’s fish health inspection programs.
Officials and producers stressed that reducing feed costs and minimizing disease and bird-related losses are central to keeping domestic catfish operations competitive.
Next steps
The Agricultural Act of 2026 remained a proposal at the time of the meeting and requires congressional approval before becoming law. Boozman’s tour included additional farm stops in Arkansas, including visits related to rice producers and a Riceland drying facility, as part of broader outreach on the legislation.
| Topic | Detail |
|---|---|
| Location | University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, Student Engagement Center, Pine Bluff |
| Date and time | Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2026, 9 a.m. CT |
| Main participants | Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders; U.S. Sen. John Boozman; UAPB researchers; Arkansas catfish producers |
| Key research focus | Feed-cost reduction, AI behavior studies, fish health diagnostics, antibiotic alternatives |
The roundtable tied state-level concerns about production costs and market competition to federal policy discussions, with lawmakers and researchers framing research and potential program changes as tools to bolster the state’s aquaculture sector.
