Miss Arkansas Camille Cathey performs the National Anthem
Dec 10, 2024
LITTLE ROCK, AR – This year’s USA Rice Outlook Conference General Session got off to a rousing start with an a cappella version of the National Anthem sung by Camille Cathey, the reigning Miss Arkansas, and ended with an equally stirring presentation by Lieutenant Colonel Dan Rooney, decorated F-16 pilot, PGA pro golfer, and founder of Folds of Honor, the charitable organization that provides life-changing scholarships to the spouses and children of America’s fallen or disabled military, and first responders.
In between, USA Rice Chair Keith Glover welcomed everyone to his home state and introduced two local ag champions, Senator John Boozman, who sent a video message to conference attendees from his office in Washington, DC, and Arkansas Secretary of Agriculture Wes Ward who reiterated the impact the rice industry has on the state’s economy.
Following the General Session, conference activities moved to the Exhibit Hall with a floor plan that accommodated more than 55 exhibitor booths, a collection of massive, colorful combines, a Budweiser entertainment center, and three stages – The Rice Foundation Innovation Stage, the USA Rice Education Stage, and the Nutrien Ag Solutions Stage – that hosted a full day of concurrent educational programming.
Presentations included state research and outlook reports from the seven rice states, plus newcomer South Carolina; as well as sessions on the secrets to export success, trends and insights into the Central American market, and how rice prices influence 2025 planting decisions.
Also on today’s schedule was the fifth U.S. Rice Quality Symposium where U.S. breeders and U.S. rice importers got together to evaluate and taste test rice varieties developed especially for the Latin American market. Andreas Duess, co-founder of 6Seeds, talked about how AI is shaping the world of consumer food choices, USA Rice Vice President of Domestic Promotion Cameron Jacobs explained what motivates the next generation of rice eaters, while Outlook mainstay Jim Wiesemeyer, Profarmer’s resident farm policy expert, unpacked the 2024 elections and what ag policy is going to look like in Trump 2.0 and beyond.
Still to come for day two are sessions on new products & technology, rural mental health, navigating ag labor challenges, and much, much more. And to close out the conference, there’s the Annual Awards Luncheon presented by Rice Farming Magazine, Horizon Ag, and USA Rice, featuring special guest speaker, Alyson Van Hooser, a renowned leadership expert who will share her incredible story and what adversity can teach us all about being the best we can be.