Governor Hutchinson knows what's good for rice is good for ducks and good for Arkansas, too
Apr 14, 2021
LITTLE ROCK, AR – Yesterday, Governor Asa Hutchinson, along with conservation and agricultural leaders, state agencies, and legislators celebrated the passage of a state resolution highlighting the value of waterfowl and waterfowl habitat in Arkansas.
According to the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission, more than 100,000 waterfowl hunters are active in Arkansas each year, many of whom hunt iconic flooded timber and rice fields. They support the state’s economy by contributing more than $70 million annually, or about $1 million each day of duck season.
“All of the food that is needed for our waterfowl, one-third of that comes from our rice fields,” said Hutchinson. “And so it’s all tied together; our rice production, our beautiful timber here in Arkansas, and our waterfowl hunting that is second to none.”
Arkansas leads the country in rice production – about half the rice grown in the U.S. comes from there. The state’s rice industry contributes more than $6 billion annually to the state’s economy and employs more than 25,000 Arkansans.
“Arkansas’s rice community is grateful for the support of our Governor and legislature in acknowledging the importance of rice production for our state as well as our waterfowl visitors,” said David Gairhan, a rice farmer and chair of Arkansas Rice. “This resolution illustrates the environmental and economic impact of our collective industries to the state.”
In 2013, Ducks Unlimited and USA Rice formed the Rice Stewardship Partnership, which has achieved great success in helping farmers from all six major rice-producing states implement conservation practices that are vital for protecting farmlands and sustaining rice production while at the same time benefiting waterfowl and waterfowl hunters.