Rice Board Approves $2.86 Million for Five Projects, Impacting Phillips County

Phillips County growers and rice merchants should note that the Arkansas Rice Research and Promotion Board approved $2,860,000 in funding for five projects, with the program financed by assessments of 1.35 cents-per-bushel paid by buyers at first sale and by producers on rice grown. The board’s actions fund market development and promotion from buyer assessments and rice extension and research from producer assessments, a funding structure that directly ties to local farm receipts.

News reports state the board approved the funding at its Feb. 5 meeting, while a Department of Agriculture news release announcing the awards is dated Feb. 19, 2026. Some outlets describe the awards as five promotion projects, while the Department of Agriculture language describes them as five promotion and research projects; the board’s published schedule shows a separate meeting to discuss research projects on Feb. 25–26, which may clarify whether research awards were included in the Feb. 5 approvals.

The funding round attracted 11 proposals requesting $2,986,044, with the request for proposals open from Dec. 5, 2025, to Jan. 9. The excerpts available do not list the names of the five funded projects or the dollar allocation per project; public meetings and board minutes determine funding decisions, and the board is composed of nine Arkansas rice producers appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Arkansas Senate, with four members designated as representatives of the merchant and milling industry serving two-year terms.

Board Chair Jim Whitaker framed the approvals as statewide market support: “Arkansas is the largest rice-producing state in the United States, and the Arkansas Rice Research and Promotion Board plays a vital role in supporting our rice farmers. By investing in promotion of rice through assessment collections today, the board increases market access and demand for Arkansas rice both domestically and internationally in the future.”

Local context for Phillips County is significant: the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture analysis of American Relief Act assistance shows rice received roughly $106.6 million of $286.2 million in total assistance (37 percent), and Phillips County is listed among the top five counties receiving federal crop assistance alongside Mississippi, Craighead, Poinsett and Clay counties. That federal assistance is separate from the Rice Board’s assessment-funded grants, but both streams affect local growers’ cash flow and program access.

Key documents and details remain to be published: the full Department of Agriculture news release dated Feb. 19, 2026, the Feb. 5 meeting minutes, and the Feb. 25–26 agenda for research projects to confirm project names, descriptions, and award amounts. Growers and county ag offices seeking specifics can contact Mary Hightower at mhightower@uada.edu for UAEX context and should monitor the Rice Research and Promotion Board’s public meeting records ahead of the Feb. 25–26 session for decisions that could affect extension services and market-promotion activities in Phillips County.