Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce Andy Gipson announced the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce (MDAC) is launching a new program, the County Correspondents Program, to strengthen communication between the department and farmers, ranchers, and landowners across all 82 counties in Mississippi.
“Today, we are taking a bold step to further strengthen and support agriculture as Mississippi’s greatest industry. Pursuant to the provisions of Mississippi Code 69-1-13(k), I am officially announcing the County Correspondents Program of your Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce. Our vision for the County Correspondents Program is for your Department of Agriculture and Commerce to receive timely information on current issues and to be responsive to the issues of our local farmers in each and every county and community of Mississippi,” said Commissioner Gipson.
Commissioner Gipson has designated farmers from every Mississippi county to serve as County Correspondents. Each correspondent will communicate with MDAC on issues affecting their local jurisdiction. Likewise, MDAC will regularly communicate timely agriculture and commerce related information to the local farmers for distribution throughout the communities of Mississippi.
“With farmer liaisons serving as local contacts in all 82 counties, MDAC will remain in regular constant contact with our farmers and rural communities across the state. Local agriculture and commerce issues can be communicated to our County Correspondents, who will then deliver the information to MDAC for responsive action to whatever local issues and/or interests may arise,” said Commissioner Gipson.
Claude Nash will lead this effort for the department. “I am very pleased that longtime Mississippi Market Bulletin Editor Claude Nash has accepted the additional role of Director of the MDAC County Correspondents Program. Claude will continue serving as Editor of the Market Bulletin, and he will be the main point of contact for each of our County Correspondents,” said Commissioner Gipson. “As an added benefit, we anticipate that the County Correspondents program will result in even broader statewide distribution of the popular Mississippi Market Bulletin, an important buy/sell market directly for our Mississippi farmers.”
“Having served as editor of the Mississippi Market Bulletin for the past 29 years, growing up on a family farm, and continuing to raise cattle on my own, I am very excited to have the opportunity to be a part of this new program,” stated Claude Nash. “Agriculture is an important and significant industry to our state, and this program will allow Mississippi farmers to continue to have their issues and concerns heard and to receive support from MDAC.”
Commissioner Gipson and the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce are looking forward to providing support to local farmers with information on state and federal developments, and for the organization, reorganization and growth of neighborhood and county agricultural clubs and associations. The Commissioner believes this program will be vitally important to the future success of issues and of Mississippi agriculture as the department strives to actively represent farmers and agriculture, the greatest industry in the State of Mississippi. Constituents interested in finding their County Correspondent can contact Claude Nash at claude@mdac.ms.gov or (601) 359-1123.
Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce Andy Gipson Press Release
4/18/2019
Sarah Ulmer
