MSU agents, specialists listen to clients’ needs

BILOXI, Miss. -- More than 120 agricultural producers and industry representatives took advantage of the annual Producer Advisory Council meeting to share what research and educational programs they would like to see from Mississippi State University. 

The 2026 Producer Advisory Council meeting was held Jan. 7 at the Coastal Research and Extension Center in Biloxi. It serves as a forum for ag producers to meet and talk with MSU administrators, researchers, specialists and agents with the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station and Extension Service.

“What you share with us today will help guide us not only this year but for years to come,” said James Henderson, head of the Coastal Research and Extension Center. This Biloxi location is the hub for providing MAFES research and Extension education to 21 counties in southeast Mississippi.

The six topics under consideration were apiculture, forestry, horticulture, livestock, poultry and coastal and marine issues.

Apiculture, or bee, producers discussed the new Master Beekeeper Program for which recording sessions will begin soon. They discussed the feasibility of offering college credit or training certificates through the program. 

They also talked about the need for educational workshops for marketing honey and alternative options for handling hive loss due to pests and mosquito insecticide spraying. 

Forestry representatives talked about the recent acquisition of 14,000 acres of timberland in north Harrison County, which will serve as a dedicated area for MSU forestry research and be named the Wolf River Coastal Forest Research and Education Center. They also discussed the need for more timber markets and the lingering effects of drought stress on trees.

Members of the horticulture group learned of the launch of the Mississippi Grape Growers Association and discussed the Transition to Organic Partnership Program. Through the program, growers can transition from traditional production methods to organic production methods. 

The group also talked about grower interest in lesser-known specialty fruit crops, and growers heard about current research, including a project aimed at developing seedless muscadines.

Livestock producers said they would like education on how to protect their herds from the New World Screwworm, marketing opportunities for small ruminant products and byproducts, and ways to address the high cost of fencing and antimicrobials for livestock.

Poultry group members discussed the need for more hands-on workshops for backyard poultry processing, as well as educational webinars on disease and for new industry employees. 

The coastal and marine issues group talked about the need for more research and data on the impact of rainfall flooding to rural homeowners with water wells, which can quit working after large rainfall events. 

The group said they would like more education on how to facilitate better habitat for monarch butterflies that overwinter in Mississippi and more documentation and mitigation of off-target pesticide applications that flow into the upper Mississippi Sound.

Trent Irby, associate Extension director, thanked the crowd for their time and input.

“We could not do what we do without all the partnerships represented in this room today,” Irby said. “We appreciate what you do, and I want to thank you for your feedback on behalf of Extension Director Angus Catchot. But your feedback doesn’t have to stop today. Just reach out to any of us anytime.”

Producers in the central region will meet Feb. 17 in Raymond, and northern region producers will meet Feb. 19 in Verona.