Congressman Andy Harris has expressed his support for a new initiative that will allocate $1.9 million from the Maryland Department of Agriculture to three food banks in the state. The funding, provided through the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service, will be used to purchase wild-caught Chesapeake blue catfish filets for distribution across Maryland.
The program is set to deliver 283,000 pounds of blue catfish to the Maryland Food Bank, Capital Area Food Bank, and Western Maryland Food Bank.
“I applaud the Maryland Department of Agriculture and the USDA for this important partnership to help Maryland families and our local businesses. Through these efforts, food banks are now supplied with wild-caught Chesapeake blue catfish, turning an environmental challenge into a resource that strengthens our seafood industry and supports Maryland families in need,” Congressman Harris said in a statement.
Andy Harris currently serves as a member of the U.S. Congress representing Maryland’s 1st district, a position he has held since 2011 after replacing Frank Kratovil. Before his tenure in Congress, Harris served in both the Maryland House of Representatives and the Maryland Senate from 1999 to 2011. Born in New York City in 1957, Harris resides in Cambridge and earned his BS from Johns Hopkins University in 1977.
For further information regarding this announcement, media inquiries can be directed to Anna Adamian at Anna.A@mail.house.gov.
