A rice manufacturing discipline day will likely be held Wednesday (July 20) and will likely be co-hosted by the Arkansas Discovery Farm Program and Anheuser-Busch. It’ll spotlight water and nutrient effectivity, carbon sequestration and embody excursions of the Northeast Rice Analysis and Extension Middle, Pratt Farms and Busch Agricultural Assets.
The sector tour will likely be 8:30 a.m. and start on the Northeast Rice Analysis and Extension Middle positioned on Arkansas 1 in southern Poinsett County.
Anheuser-Busch makes use of thousands and thousands of tons of rice as a major ingredient in its staple beers together with Budweiser, Bud Mild and Michelob Extremely. Greater than 70% of the rice it makes use of is grown in Arkansas and the highest enter for the crop is water.
The corporate is looking for methods to help farmers in growing and implementing water conservation practices and it donated $100,000 to USA Rice to help the Rice Stewardship Partnership (RSP). It has supported this system in every of the final 4 years.
The RSP is a public-private enterprise between USA Rice, Geese Limitless, USDA, and provide chain companions that gives growers with technical and monetary help to transition to extra environment friendly irrigation, nutrient, and power practices whereas creating wildlife habitat on working ricelands.
“We’re enthusiastic about co-hosting this discipline day with Anheuser Busch to focus consideration on steady enchancment to extend profitability in rice manufacturing via extra environment friendly use of soil and water sources in real-world conditions,” mentioned Mike Daniels, director of the Discovery Farms program and an extension specialist in water high quality. “Larger effectivity is turning into an more and more vital consideration in agricultural sustainability and profitability, particularly in mild of rising inflation and potential supply-chain points with inputs.”
The analysis is being funded partially by a grant from the Anheuser-Busch Basis which helps the Arkansas Discovery Farm Program’s community of working farms that doc the affect of conservation on water high quality and soil well being to function studying hubs for the trade.
“Please be a part of us for a Discovery Farm roadshow showcasing modern and environment friendly farming practices from a number of inlet rice irrigation. to cowl cropping,” mentioned Invoice Jones, agronomist for Anheuser-Busch. “It’s my objective to share the nice work the Discovery Farm system is doing to analysis to permit native growers, agronomists and trade members to make extra knowledgeable choices.”
Jones mentioned the corporate’s dedication to soil well being practices is instantly associated to its 2025 sustainability objectives and “ambition to be web zero by 2040 and educating all stakeholders within the area is essential to succeeding at scale.”
Anheuser-Busch is the main shopper of rice within the nation, based on the corporate. It buys about $120 million value of rice annually, and many of the rice utilized by the corporate is grown inside an hour’s drive of Jonesboro. At its native mill positioned simply outdoors town’s limits, about 2.6 million kilos of rice is milled every day.
The agenda for the day could be discovered at Arkansas Discovery Farm program.
