Forestry Department

About forestry service, 38760, Metcalfe, MS, US, Mississippi

Belzoni ( bel-ZOHN-ə) is a city in Humphreys County, Mississippi, United States, in the Mississippi Delta region, on the Yazoo River. As of the 2020 census, Belzoni had a population of 1,938. It is the county seat of Humphreys County. It was named for the 19th-century Italian archaeologist/explorer Giovanni Battista Belzoni. The area was named Farm-Raised Catfish Capital of the World in 1976 by then Governor Cliff Finch, since it produces more farm-raised catfish than any other U.S. county. About 40,000 acres (160 km2) of the county are under water in ponds used to grow catfish. About 60% of U.S. farm-raised catfish are grown within a 65-mile (100-km) radius of Belzoni. The title "Catfish Capital" is also claimed by Savannah, Tennessee, Des Allemands, Louisiana, and Selkirk, Manitoba. Belzoni is known for the World Catfish Festival held every April. The festival, which began in 1976, attracts over 10,000 visitors annually and includes unique events such as a catfish eating contest and the Miss Catfish pageant, where contestants are tested on their knowledge of the aquaculture industry.