Northeast Rice Research and Extension Center to open in Harrisburg

AgricultureNews BriefsNortheast ArkansasTalk Politics

by George Jared ([email protected]) ago 0 views 

Agriculture industry and academia leaders will be present Friday (Aug. 30) for the grand opening of the Northeast Rice Research and Extension Center.

The center, located on Arkansas Highway 1 in Harrisburg, held its first full field day on Aug. 8 with more than 250 people in attendance.

Tours will also be available for guests at the grand opening. Attendees may RSVP online.

“We are looking forward to showing this beautiful facility to the public — for whom it is built,” said Tim Burcham, director of the center. “We are very pleased to have our partners from agriculture, federal and state government and our University of Arkansas System here to help us make this a truly grand opening.”

The $18.5 million center is funded by the Division of Agriculture, with a grant from the Arkansas Rice Research and Promotion Board from Tariff Rate Quota funds from a U.S.-Colombia trade promotion agreement specifically directed to rice research.

Construction on the center began in the spring of 2023. The center has been conducting research on the 600-acre location since 2021, Burcham, said. The center’s silt loam soils are typical for rice production in Northeast Arkansas, which allows the division to translate research results for the region’s farmers more directly.

“The soils and microclimate of northeast Arkansas make it a very unique place to grow rice,” said Jean-François Meullenet, director of the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station. “Because of those factors, we are eager to continue the research needed to help growers make the most of the conditions.”

The program will also include representatives from the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, naming sponsors, the University of Arkansas System and Board of Trustees, the U.S. House of Representatives, the Arkansas Legislature, and other agriculture industry supporters.

The center is operated by the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, the research arm of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.