May is National Poultry/Eggs and Beef Month. In Mississippi, poultry is our #1 commodity. Last year, Mississippi earned $3.26 billion from poultry alone. We also have a thriving beef industry in our great state, exceeding $300 million in value of production in 2022.

Our farmers and ranchers continue to ensure that our citizens, as well as people around the world, are fed. We are proud of our agricultural heritage and production, and those that work diligently to preserve both. I recently had the opportunity to promote our Mississippi producers and products on a trade mission to Europe, and was proud to find Vardaman, Miss., sweet potatoes at a market in Amsterdam, Netherlands. As Ag Commissioner, I and the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce, pledge to continue in our efforts to develop domestic and international markets for Mississippi products.

And I encourage my fellow Mississippians to support our farmers, ranchers and producers by shopping local. This month especially, I hope you all source your eggs, poultry and beef products from local producers. Visit GenuineMS.com to learn where you can find all things grown, raised, crafted and made right here in the Magnolia State. Shop at your local farmers market for all your fresh produce needs; visit msfarmersmarket.com to find a farmers market near you. Don't forget to check out the Mississippi Farm Marketplace to advertise your crops for sale or to find local crops to purchase.

Andy Gipson

Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce

MDAC STAFF SPOTLIGHT

Pictured L-R: Erica Griffin and Mauriuna Jackson.

Congratulations to MDAC's own Erica Griffin and Mauriuna Jackson! Recently, Griffin and Jackson, who work with the State Metrology Laboratory located on the campus of Alcorn State University in Lorman, attended the Southeast Measurement Assurance Program (SEMAP) Conference.

SEMAP is an event that is held annually to allow metrologists to collaborate and share experiences to improve the lab practices at state and private labs across the southeast region of the United States. Each year, a different state lab hosts, giving lab team members the opportunity to share ideas and recommendations and discuss ways to improve.

This year’s conference was hosted by the State of Tennessee's metrology lab, with an overall goal to improve the quality of measurement data collection and allow labs to create a proficiency test (PT) plan for the upcoming year. Griffin was nominated by her peers to oversee the PT plan for 2024.

The Mississippi Metrology Laboratory is operated by the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce (MDAC) and accredited by the National Institute of Standards and Technology to test mass, volume and length. The Lab uses these standards to calibrate the weights and volume measures used by MDAC and service companies that install, repair and test scales and gas pumps used for commerce throughout Mississippi.

DIVISION SPOTLIGHT

State Seed Testing Laboratory

Director: James Smith

The Mississippi State Seed Testing Laboratory, operated by the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce's Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI), provides regulatory and service seed testing to the seed industry and farmers of Mississippi. The lab is located on Mississippi State University's campus in Starkville.

The seed lab inspects and collects samples of seed offered for sale to determine truth-in-labeling. Seed companies and farmers may submit samples of seed for testing to obtain information about the quality of the seed. The lab performs physical purity tests, germination tests and vigor tests on the samples submitted. Regulatory and service tests protect and support seed companies and farmers by providing unbiased and reliable information in a timely manner. All tests are conducted using the Association of Official Seed Analysts Rules for Testing Seeds and associated handbooks. The Seed Testing Lab also tests all seed for the Mississippi Crop Improvement Association, the seed certification agency in Mississippi.

Last year, the lab issued 1,890 permits for the sale of seed to be planted; conducted 32,712 tests on seeds; and collected 3,819 official regulatory seed samples, finding 38 to be in violation of the State Seed Law. In addition, the lab works with Mississippi State University's Extension Service to develop Seed Technology Short Course and provides educational outreach through laboratory tours. Director of the State Seed Testing Lab, James Smith, currently serves as Vice-President of the Association of Official Seed Analysts.

NOTEWORTHY NEWS

Taipei Economic & Cultural Office Presents Donation for MS Tornado Disaster Relief

Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce Andy Gipson facilitated a donation presentation to the Mississippi Baptist Disaster Relief from the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office at the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce for the purpose of providing longterm relief for those affected by the March 24 tornadoes.

Director General Robert Lo of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Houston, Texas, presented a significant donation of $50,000 collected from Taiwanese churches in the Houston area to the Mississippi Baptist Disaster Relief. These funds will go toward assisting with long-term relief efforts for those impacted by the tornadoes that stretched across Mississippi in late March.

“I’m honored to facilitate this donation presentation. Today is an example of people of faith and the private sector coming together and it shows what can be accomplished when our leaders work together,” said Commissioner Gipson. “Our agency has worked closely with the nation of Taiwan and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in the past. On behalf of our great state and, in particular, our rural, farming communities that were devastated by storms last month, I want to thank the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office for this generous donation. I know the Mississippi Baptist Disaster Relief will maximize these funds by directly addressing the greatest needs of those impacted communities.”

“I am honored to accept this generous donation on behalf of the Mississippi Baptist Convention Board, our Disaster Relief organization and the hundreds of Mississippians who gather to worship within these affected communities,” said Shawn Parker, Executive Director of the Mississippi Baptist Convention Board. “Under Director Hubert Yates, our Disaster Relief volunteers will be able to continue to provide much needed support and aid to our fellow citizens thanks to the Taiwanese people. We are called to be the light of the world and today, the good people of Taiwan have shown that light upon the people of Mississippi.”

Commissioner Gipson, Director General Lo and Executive Director Parker were joined by several Mississippi Baptist Convention Board members, as well as Mississippi legislators and senior pastors representing the counties impacted by the recent tornadoes. Mississippi Baptist Disaster Relief will utilize the donation to purchase supplies, clothing and food for storm victims, and provide monetary support to displaced families.

WATCH Donation Presentation

Highlighting MS Products on the World Stage

by: Ag Commissioner Andy Gipson

We all depend on the American farmer for survival. We are blessed to live in Mississippi with a strong agricultural economy where our farmers produced a record $9.7 billion in agricultural and forest products last year. While we continue to see an increase in local demand for agricultural products, access to global markets remains important for the growth of our state’s largest industry, especially given that 96 percent of the world’s population lives outside of the United States. In Mississippi, about one out of every three acres of production is bound for international markets which are critical for Mississippi farmers, ranchers, landowners, and for Mississippi’s economy.

I recently promoted Mississippi’s agricultural, food, and forest products in the Dutch, Scandinavian, and surrounding markets in Europe. It was my honor to represent Mississippi in the first USDA Agribusiness Trade Mission in the Netherlands led by USDA Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Alexis M. Taylor. We were joined by commissioners and secretaries of agriculture representing three other states, along with U.S. agribusinesses and farm organizations including the Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation.

We met with key Dutch government officials and industry groups to discuss expanding economic partnerships between the U.S. and the Netherlands and markets throughout Europe. One highlight was the visit to the Port of Rotterdam, Europe’s largest seaport. A variety of agricultural and forest products from Mississippi are shipped through the Port of Rotterdam including sustainable wood pellets for fuel from the Port of Pascagoula. Year-to-date Mississippi shipped more than six times the amount of wood pellets to the Netherlands as the entire year of 2022, due in part to increasing European demand for wood pellet fuel because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

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MDAC Now Accepting Applications for Wild Hog Control Program's Latest Round of Trapping

Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce Andy Gipson announced that the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce (MDAC) is accepting a new round of applications for its Wild Hog Control Program (WHCP). The application period will remain open until Monday, May 15. All Mississippi counties are eligible for the application period.

“I encourage farmers and landowners who have experienced property damage due to these nuisance animals to submit an application for this program,” said Commissioner Gipson. “Those who have previously participated in the Wild Hog Control Program have seen positive results.”

In Mississippi alone, wild hogs cause more than $60 million in damages annually. Through the WHCP, MDAC provides “smart” wild hog traps to landowners and managers for the control of wild hogs on private agricultural and forestry lands in Mississippi. MDAC provides the training necessary to use the “smart” traps and technical guidance regarding the most effective methods to trap and control wild hogs on private lands.

Learn More

Ag Commissioner Andy Gipson Announces

Staff Changes at MDAC

Mississippi Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce Andy Gipson announced the promotion of a staff member with the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce (MDAC). Hayes Patrick, director of the Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Museum, was named MDAC’s director of administration, beginning May 1, 2023. In this position, Patrick will oversee the agency’s accounting, procurement, human resources and property/fleet management.

Beginning September 1, 2023, Patrick will step into the role of deputy commissioner for the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce. In this position, Patrick will serve as a liaison between MDAC and other state agencies, as well as overseeing the day-to-day operations of the department.

“I am proud to name Hayes Patrick as director of administration and, in the coming months, deputy commissioner for the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce,” said Commissioner Gipson. “He has done an incredible job as director of the Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Museum since September of 2019, and I believe his skills, experience and educational background will make him an invaluable asset in these roles.”

Learn More

MDAC to Host Info Sessions on Local Food Purchase Assistance Program

The Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce (MDAC) will host two information sessions for local farmers, food producers and food processors interested in participating in MDAC’s Local Food Purchase Assistance Program. The first session will be held on Wednesday, May 10, from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the Mid-South Food Bank, located at 875 South Highway 51 in Batesville. The second session will be held on Monday, May 15, from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the Mississippi State University Forrest County Extension Office, located at 952 Sullivan Drive in Hattiesburg.

In 2022, MDAC was awarded $2.82 million through a Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement with the United States Department of Agriculture. Through this initiative, food will be procured from local farmers and food producers, including socially disadvantaged farmers and processors, and distributed to underserved communities throughout the state. MDAC has partnered with the Mississippi Food Network, Feeding the Gulf Coast and Mid-South Food Bank, three Feeding America affiliated food banks, to procure and distribute the local food through their networks of existing and new agency partners.

The purpose of these information sessions is to provide attendees with support in creating productive marketing opportunities within the Local Food Purchase Assistance Program and put producers directly in contact with local food banks. Representatives from the food banks will be in attendance. Visit link to register for an information session today.

MDAC has developed a directory of local farmers and food processors for the food banks to utilize to find local Mississippi food products. Farmers and other food producers and processors that are interested in potentially marketing their products through this program are encouraged to register their farm or business in the directory at mdac.ms.gov/msfp. Types of eligible food items include, but are not limited to, fresh fruits and vegetables, dairy products, meat products, rice, eggs, value-added processed foods and beverages.

USDA Still Collecting Responses for the 2022 Census of Agriculture

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is still collecting responses for the 2022 Census of Agriculture!

The Census of Agriculture allows producers to tell the story of U.S. agriculture and it’s not too late to respond. Since data collection began last fall, over a million ag census recipients across the country have returned their questionnaires, but many have yet to respond. USDA will continue to collect completed 2022 ag census forms through the spring to ensure all producers have the chance the be represented in widely used census data. Producers can respond online at agcounts.usda.gov or by mail.

Census data inform decisions about policy, farm and conservation programs, infrastructure and rural development, research, education, and more. If you are a producer who has already submitted your 2022 Census of Agriculture, you may disregard any additional ag census letters and forms.

agcounts.usda.gov

The Mississippi Egg Marketing Board Holds Annual Easter at the Ag Museum Event

The Mississippi Egg Marketing Board successfully hosted its annual Easter at the Ag Museum event. A fun filled day of egg dyeing sponsored by Cal-Maine Foods, games, pictures with the Easter bunny and Mississippi’s Miss Hospitality Hannah Grace Crain and the Bunny Trail, where children up to 17 could collect stuffed eggs along the museum grounds. Visitors were also treated to a beef hot dog by the Mississippi Beef Council as well as other concessions featuring the “Tasty Side of Agriculture”.

The event is an annual tradition held the day before Easter at the Agriculture and Forestry Museum.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Mississippi State Fairgrounds Hosts Keath Killebrew Memorial Rodeo

The inaugural Keath Killebrew Memorial Rodeo, presented by the Killebrew Ag Foundation to benefit scholarships for aspiring young farmers, will be July 28-29 at the Mississippi Coliseum in Jackson.

The rodeo will feature a series of action-packed events such as bull riding, broncs, calf roping, barrel racing, and much more. Country music sensations and Mississippi natives Chapel Hart will perform as part of the festivities on opening night, while Drake Milligan will entertain on the closing night. Proceeds will benefit the Keath Killebrew Charisma Award Fund at the Community Foundation for Mississippi. Get your tickets now at link!

Mississippi Agriculture & Forestry Museum Hosts Night on the Town

The Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Museum is hosting the Night on the Town event from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 6, 2023. Admission is $40 for online presale and $50 at the door. This event is for ages 21 and up.

Night on the Town is perfect for couples planning a date night or individuals looking for a night out. With the purchase of admission, guests will receive a complimentary drink ticket and heavy hors d’oeuvres presented by the Tasty Side of Agriculture. While at the Museum, enjoy a special viewing on the big screen, dance to music, play yard games and go for a stroll through Small Town, Mississippi. Night on the Town is an outdoor event taking place rain or shine!

This event is sponsored by the Mississippi Agriculture & Forestry Museum Foundation, Cathead Distillery and Southern Beverage. To purchase tickets online to the Night on the Town event, visit link.

Ag Museum's Interactive 'Uncle Story' Continues

to Make Monthly Appearance

The Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Museum's Education Team has recently started a new initiative to teach children about the rich history of Mississippi agriculture with the engaging Uncle Story. Story Time with Uncle Story is an interactive event that will include an agriculture-related story, told by the loveable puppet Uncle Story, followed by a hands-on crafting time.

Uncle Story was recently featured at MPB's Summer Learning Family Fun Day and will make monthly appearances at the Mississippi Ag Museum on the second Tuesday of each month, beginning at 10:00 a.m. Check it out on Tuesday, May 9th!