Keith King never imagined his 21 years in the catfish industry would culminate in him turning his back, perhaps for good, on the work he loves so much.

Stung by sky-high feed and fuel prices and competition from cheaper imported catfish, King is draining the ponds at his Aqua Farm operation in Leland.

King, president of the Catfish Farmers of Mississippi, said he will grow corn and soybeans — much more profitable crops — in the soil once it dries.

It’s becoming a common scenario as the state’s farm-raised-catfish industry, long one of Mississippi’s most successful agriculture sectors, is seeing dozens of operations close and others drain their ponds to grow row crops.

“The times are as difficult as they’ve ever been,” said Roger Barlow, president of The Catfish Institute, a group that promotes the U.S. catfish industry. “We’re going through a lot of challenges, a lot of issues.”

Corn and soybean costs marching toward historic highs and Chinese-bred catfish gaining a stronger presence in the last two years have been the catalyst for industry changes, King said.

Mississippi is the leader in domestically grown catfish, accounting for about 60 percent of the product, said Terry Hanson, an aquaculture economist at Mississippi State University.

But the shift is evidenced by the numbers.

The state has lost 30 catfish operations since last year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The area dedicated to catfish farming dropped 13.1 percent since last year from 92,500 water surface acres last July to 80,400 water surface acres last month.

And the number of fish processed plummeted from 700 million pounds in 2003 to 500 million pounds in 2007, a 28.6 percent dip.

Catfish feed — typically a mix of corn, soybeans and other grains — costs more than $400 a ton versus $250 a ton farmers paid last year.

MSU estimates catfish farmers spend half their production costs feeding their fish.

“In the past, we’ve had (back-and-forth price) cycles,” Hanson said. “Feed prices have gone up 60 percent. People are looking at the numbers and are pulling their hair out.”

Rick Moyer said he’s determined to stay in the business he’s toiled in for 23 years.