CLEVELAND, MS – At least 50 Delta growers, still smarting from a week of snow, ice, and freezing temperatures, braved a cold, driving rain to meet at the Bolivar County Extension Auditorium for the Mississippi Rice Council annual meeting here yesterday. Council President Kirk Satterfield welcomed and thanked attendees and provided a brief report before turning the podium over to Mississippi Rice Promotion Board Chair Patrick Swindoll who announced the board would be meeting to evaluate funding requests later in the month.
Next, Candy Davis, chair of Delta Rice Promotions, reported on her group’s shift in focus to areas outside of immediate rice country to better spread the word about Mississippi rice. This includes the group’s plans to promote the mighty grain at next week’s 61st Annual Dixie National Livestock Show & Rodeo at the Mississippi State Fairgrounds in Jackson.
The program took a technical turn with a presentation from Mississippi State’s Dr. Drew Gholson who opened and closed by reminding attendees that he and his researchers are available to assist growers with any irrigation issues, from side inlet or pump projects to best practice recommendations for all plot types. He also provided an overview of the latest irrigation research from the university including moisture sensors in row rice, pump automation in AWD, and more.
Then, Will Gray, agricultural project manager for The Nature Conservancy, discussed his group’s successful ground water wheel timer program that they are expanding from Arkansas into Mississippi in April. He said they have secured funding for approximately 370 pump automation units to be installed on rice farms in the Delta and encouraged growers to reach out.
Dr. Scott Manley, director of agriculture support for Ducks Unlimited, gave an update on the Rice Stewardship Partnership program, including that while the program’s focus remains bringing state and federal funds to farmers, they are looking to increase participation and support from supply chain partners that they think will offer more flexibility to growers.
Manley then deferred to Assistant State Conservationist for NRCS, Taharga “Tee” Hart, who introduced some of his team in attendance and explained that while last year his group funneled more than $54 million to farmers in the Delta through EQIP and CSP programs, programs were changed and budgets cut heading into 2026. He said NRCS is still committed to “helping people with their land,” but that it was going to be a different year going forward.
Satterfield turned the meeting’s attention to the national and global level by introducing the many members of the USA Rice senior leadership team in the audience.
USA Rice President & CEO Peter Bachmann thanked the attendees for their continued support of USA Rice and spoke about the outstanding representation Mississippi has through Satterfield serving on the USA Rice Board of Directors Executive Committee and as the chair of the USA Rice Political Action Committee, and Mississippi Rice Council Vice Chair Carter Murrell who is the current chair of the USA Rice Council Board of Directors, in addition to others in multiple committee roles.
He then gave an overview of USA Rice responsibilities advocating for Mississippi and the entire U.S. rice industry, discussed the general state of the farm economy, and closed by sharing with attendees the three most pressing issues of the trade association.
“First and foremost for us is working to strengthen the farm safety net,” he said. “Because if you aren’t in business, we aren’t in business. Second, is working on trade issues with exports to raise consumption and tariffs to try to protect us from global bad actors, and third is doing what we can to support advances in U.S. grain quality to retain customers and attract new ones.”
Bachmann then introduced USA Rice Chief Operating Officer Sarah Moran who gave an update on international promotion activities, including unique consumer outreach in Mexico, trade missions to top markets and reverse trade missions to bring potential importers here.
Vice President of Domestic Promotion Cameron Jacobs then took attendees on a quick tour of programs under his team’s purview, including chain engagement with Rock N’ Roll Sushi, Fuzzy’s Taco Shop, Just Salad, and the Salad Collective group; nutrition policy work that impacts school feeding programs; and impressive results from the recently wrapped U.S. jasmine campaign.
USA Rice Vice President of Communications & Strategic Development Michael Klein talked about USA Rice’s education pillar. “It’s not just about educating consumers about U.S.-grown rice, or lawmakers about the challenges our industry is facing, it’s about educating the industry itself,” he said. He explained how The Rice Stuff podcast, the USA Rice Daily (you are reading now), the USA Rice Outlook Conference, and the Rice Leadership Development Program are all part of this effort.
USA Rice Vice President of Government Affairs Jake Westlin closed out the presentations with a Washington, DC, update, focusing, in particular, on farmer assistance that has already been announced and making the case in Washington for additional support.
Following a brief question and answer session with the USA Rice team, Satterfield closed the meeting by thanking everyone in attendance and all the presenters and releasing everyone to a fantastic lunch of fried catfish, hushpuppies, coleslaw, Mississippi rice, and a peach dessert.