HARRISBURG & STUTTGART, AR; WINNSBORO, LA; and SLEDGE, MS — USA Rice staff traveled across the Mississippi Delta last week to participate in industry meetings and field days that highlighted the research, promotion, and policy work underway to strengthen the U.S. rice industry.
On Tuesday, the Horizon Ag Field Day was held in Harrisburg at the Northeast Rice Research & Extension Center, featuring a line-up of Horizon Ag staff, crop consultants, and USA Rice staff. Attendees were also treated to live music, a buffet by Tacos for Life, and complimentary beverages from Anheuser-Busch. USA Rice President & CEO Peter Bachmann provided attendees with an overview of the historic challenges and opportunities facing the U.S. rice industry, with a particular focus on growing consumer demand for jasmine rice and the opportunity for U.S. farmers to capture more of that market.
The trip continued in Stuttgart on Wednesday at the Arkansas Rice Research and Promotion Board meeting. The event included presentations by the University of Arkansas, Arkansas Rice Federation, and USA Rice. Bachmann provided an update on USA Rice activities in Washington, including the latest Farm Bill and other policy deliberations, as well as USA Rice international and domestic promotion program updates. The group later gathered for dinner at the Five Oaks duck lodge, hosted by George Dunklin.
On Thursday, several field days were held concurrently. The University of Arkansas wrapped their field days at the rice research station in Stuttgart, with attendees participating in field tours with presentations from rice breeders, entomologists, and other specialists, as well as Riceland Foods CEO Kevin McGilton and Producers Rice Mill CEO Keith Glover.
The Bland family hosted two events at their Sledge, Mississippi, farm last week, beginning Thursday with a focus on how voluntary conservation programs can support farm profitability. Attendees included Members of Congress Bennie Thompson (D-MS) and Shontel Brown (D-OH), USA Rice, Ducks Unlimited, the National Black Growers Council, and other agricultural leaders. The event featured a tour highlighting the farm’s conservation practices, including alternate wetting and drying, row rice, land leveling, and tailwater recovery.
The following day, the family hosted the National Black Growers Council Model Farm Field Day at CMB Farms, co-sponsored by Mars Food & Nutrition, where attendees toured rice and soybean fields and heard from producers, researchers, government agencies, and industry representatives on irrigation, technology, conservation, and other production topics.
In Winnsboro, Louisiana, USA Rice participated in the NELA Rice Field Day at the LSU AgCenter's Macon Ridge Research Station. Area growers and industry representatives got a hands-on understanding of a variety of development and management practices via a walking tour of the plots alongside researchers.
The group convened at the station where area rice grower and USA Rice Chairman John Owen welcomed everyone ahead of presentations by LSU’s Dr. Adam Famoso, Dr. Tyler Musgrove, and Dr. Felipe Dalla Lana da Silva, along with a Delphacid update from Dr. Dawson Kerns. Dr. Michael Deliberto gave an economic overview on the rice market and USA Rice Director of Field Services Kane Webb provided a USA Rice update on action in the Senate Agriculture Committee, upcoming promotion activities, and meetings for growers to have on their radar following harvest season.
Across the week’s events, attendees were eager to hear about the crop quality and challenges, especially given the significant reduction of acres planted across the region this year.
As harvest approaches across the Mid-South, the field days across the Delta offered USA Rice staff a valuable opportunity to connect national advocacy and promotion efforts with the growers, researchers, and industry partners who make those programs possible.