2025 Commodity Group Report - Producer Advisory Council Meeting

Dear Valued Partner,

The mission of the Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center (CMREC) is to develop research and Extension programming to serve the needs of central Mississippi communities by improving the economic and personal well-being of agricultural producers, landowners, allied industry, and rural and urban citizens. To fulfill this mission, it is critical that we con- nect with our stakeholders to identify needs and work together to develop impactful solutions.

On the third Tuesday in February each year, area producers and other stakeholders come together with MSU research and Extension faculty and community partners for the Central Mississippi Producer Advisory Council (PAC) Meeting. This meeting provides an opportunity to discuss important agricultural needs, university research, and Extension programming de- signed to strengthen agronomic crops, horticultural crops, livestock and timber production, as well as the stewardship of other natural resources. The following pages contain the report from the 2025 PAC Meeting, which was held on February 18, 2025 in Raymond, MS. A total of 132 individuals were in at- tendance and six commodity groups were represented. At this year’s PAC we restructured the commit- tee session to allow stakeholders to attend multiple sessions. Our hope is the additional opportunities to provide input are beneficial and increase the robustness of our findings. This report contains summaries from each of the commodity group’s breakout meetings.

If you were able to attend the 2025 meeting, I want to thank you for your time and participation. If you were not able to attend, I hope that you will find this report helpful in keeping you updated. I look forward to your participation at the next PAC Meeting on February 17, 2027.

We are grateful for the continued support of our partners Hinds Community College and Alcorn State University Extension, as well as our generous sponsors Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation and South- ern AgCredit. In addition to these sponsors, we are thankful for the insight, direct and indirect support provided by the commodity associations and promotion boards that represent the products produced in Central and Southwest Mississippi. We are also grateful for the support of our university administrators in the Division of Agriculture, Forestry, and Veterinary Medicine (DAFVM), Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station (MAFES), and the Mississippi State University Extension Service (MSUES) for their leadership and continued support of our work. Last but certainly not least, we could not conduct the research and Extension programming that addresses the needs of our producers without our es- teemed University faculty and staff from CMREC, Extension Southwest Region, and various other depart- ments in DAFVM, MAFES, and Extension. Thank you!

On behalf of the faculty and staff of CMREC, thank you for your continued support and participation as we take care of what matters for producers in Central Mississippi.

Hail State!

Curt Lacy, Ph.D.
Professor and Head
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center