Louisiana Farmer, Researcher Honored at USA Rice Outlook Conference

by Don Molino

The US rice industry is gathered in Memphis this week for the annual USA Rice Outlook Conference.

Growers and industry representatives from every rice growing state in the country (Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, Missouri, Arkansas and California) as well as industry leaders and members from several rice growing countries will be meeting at the Memphis Convention Center through Friday.

Evangeline Parish rice farmer Richard Fontenot will be awarded the Rice Farmer of the Year Award later today during the annual awards luncheon.  Fontenot and his brother Neal own and operate R&N Farms near Ville Platte.  They grow some 1500 acres of rice, soybeans and a few crawfish ponds thrown in for good measure.

The Director of the LSU AgCenter's Rice Research Station at Crowley will be formally presented with the Rice Industry Award for 2016 at that same luncheon.  Dr. Steve Linscomb has been doing research for LSU for almost 35 years.  Linscomb does his rice breeding work not only at the H. Rouse Caffey Rice Research Station but also at the LSU AgCenter's research facility in Puerto Rico, allowing he and the other rice researchers to conduct their experiments year round.