Bowers Named Aquaculture Producer of Year
Bay City Tribune April 18, 2005
By Amy Schelp
Harold Bowers of Palacios was named Aquaculture Producer of the Year at Bay City Chamber of Commerce’s Business After Hours gathering Thursday evening.
This is the first award of its kind in Matagorda County, and Bowers was chosen by a new aquaculture committee, which considered recommendations from the Texas Aquaculture Association and the Texas Cooperative Extension.
The aquaculture panel was formed recently to recognize how important this industry has become to this area, said Mitch Thames, chamber president.
Bowers, 65, grew up farming traditional crops such as rice and cotton, as well as raising cattle in Palacios.
In the 1980s, he ventured into catfish farming in Calhoun County.
In 1989, three of his ponds were stocked with redfish and six ponds with shrimp — and Bowers Shrimp has been expanding since, with farms in Collegeport and the Rio Grande Valley, and a shrimp-processing plant in Palacios.
In 1995, Bowers leased land from the government of Belize, where he raises three crops of shrimp per year — providing numerous jobs and an economic boost to the small Central American country.
With an estimated yield of 3.8 million pounds of shrimp, he currently plans to farm 855 acres of shrimp on three farms this year.
The business also plans to put 325 acres of catfish farms into production, yielding about three million pounds.
In 2004, Bowers successfully experimented with a hatchery — this year it was expanded to bring a desired yield of 10 million baby catfish.
Bowers’ total shrimp and catfish operation is expected to provide about 200 jobs this year.
Those attending praised Bowers for his business philosophy and energetic business ethic — two traits essential to growing a successful aquaculture business for his family and community.
While honoring Bowers, chamber members and guests enjoyed a seafood meal prepared by Ceaux Good Catering, with fried catfish donated by the Texas Aquaculture Association, shrimp donated by Bowers and crawfish from Ward’s Produce.
“We are so pleased with the turnout and opportunity to highlight agriculture in our community,” said Thames about the record attendance at a Business After Hours function.
“The nation in general is turning toward seafood in an effort to eat healthier, and that has a positive economic impact on local aquaculture businesses,” said Thames.
“We’re on the cutting edge of agricultural technology and the aquaculture phenomenon — it’s very exciting.”