Aug 02, 2019
STUTTGART, AR – USA Rice staff traveled across the better part of the Grand Prairie rice growing region in Arkansas this week attending a conference, grower meetings, and a field day.
The Southern Region Legislative Conference coordinated by southern state Farm Bureaus was hosted this year by Arkansas Farm Bureau in Little Rock. The conference focused on legislative and regulatory issues with implications for agriculture at both the federal and state levels. Conference attendees also toured agricultural operations throughout the region, making stops at Riceland Foods and the Dale Bumpers National Rice Research Center. USA Rice was a sponsor of this year’s conference and appreciated the opportunity to help Arkansas rice show off for the other states.
Thursday afternoon, USA Rice staff attended a meeting of the Arkansas Rice Research and Promotion Board. Michael Klein, USA Rice vice president of communications and domestic promotion, provided an update to the group, covering international and domestic promotion activities that are supported by the board.
"This board entrusts us with a great deal of their hard-earned dollars and it is very satisfying to be able to report back on all the victories we have achieved for the entire industry with that money," Klein said. "With more than 2,700 annual promotion activities in 18 countries around the world plus our domestic initiatives, there's a lot to choose from!"
Klein also promoted the U.S. Rice Industry Sustainability Report that is moving into the education and outreach phase with webinars and presentations on the horizon.
On Friday, USA Rice staff were on hand at the University of Arkansas Rice Research & Extension Center Field Day, which included a tour of the research facility showcasing the research work and accomplishments in the morning, and an expo where USA Rice had a booth in the afternoon.
In addition to learning where their research check off dollars are going, attendees of the Field Day also received a special code to register for the USA Rice Outlook Conference that will save them $10 on a regular registration for the December meeting.