LONOKE COUNTY, Ark. — Arkansas farmers keep a close eye on the weather, especially when there's fish involved.
"Everyone within Lonoke County, in this area, they have their specialties," Keo Fish Farms General Manager Seth Summerside said.
For Keo Fish Farms, their specialty is hybrid striped bass. Summerside said they're the largest producer in the world for it, and in recent years, he's seen a high demand for fish.
According to Summerside, the trend started when the pandemic hit.
"The sales we had at that time went up probably about 40-50%," Summerside said.
And that need is continuing to grow.
"This year, we were able to break an annual record from last year in October," Summerside said. "We've never seen a demand this high for fish. That said, the aquaculture industry is where the poultry industry was in the 1980s."
With the temperatures expected to drop this week, Summerside said the cooler weather will help them keep up with requests.
"We have 100 different ponds... anywhere between 50 to 75 million fish at various times in those ponds," Summerside said. "The oxygen level will be key. Cooler temperatures, more oxygen."
This means the fish will have a better environment and essentially thrive.
"Nutrients can flow better," Summerside said. "They're going to have better growth rates."
Summerside said that doesn't just benefit them, but also consumers.
"Half of the fish we sell goes into the food fish market," Summerside said. "The growth rate is a key for anyone using that as a protein to sustain them."
With Arkansas still in a drought, the weekend rain also lends a helping hand to the fish farm.
"When we see droughts... hot temperatures, we're having to pull groundwater up from about 100 feet below us to cool the fish down," Summerside said.