(Photo from Ag Commissioner Gipson on Facebook)
- The F.A.R.M. committee will conduct a listening tour across Mississippi between December and March to hear from farmers, industry leaders, and those concerned with the state of agriculture.
A newly created committee aimed at ensuring Mississippi agriculture has a bright future met for its initial gathering on Wednesday in Jackson. The group discussed issues facing farmers, from labor shortages to high insurance premiums to international competition.
Farmers, both in Mississippi and nationwide, have described the current farming climate as a struggle.
“Pretty dire situation,” one farmer said, and “more of the same misery” is expected.
The initiative, called the Future of Agriculture Resiliency for Mississippi Strategic Plan, or the F.A.R.M. Plan, will examine a variety of issues, including:
- market development and crop diversification
- workforce and labor
- infrastructure and food supply resilience
- land, water, and resource stewardship
- technological innovation
- quality of life throughout rural Mississippi
“Agriculture is currently in a time of crisis nationwide. When a crisis arises, we must respond,” Agriculture and Commerce Commissioner Andy Gipson (R) said during a press conference announcing the initiative. “Agriculture is Mississippi’s largest industry, and we must make it a priority to plan for the future in order to make agriculture stronger and more resilient.”
During the Wednesday meeting of the committee, Keith Coble, Vice-President of the Mississippi State University Division of Agriculture, Forestry, and Veterinary Medicine, informed the group that the only highlight of Mississippi farming is cattle prices, which are at an all-time high. Otherwise, the state is struggling and does not expect relief for a couple of years.
“Financial stress in the farm sector is especially significant in rural areas where often agriculture is the major driver of the economy,” Coble said. “As producers experience financial hardship, bankruptcy filings are lagging behind due to producers depleting equity before actual filings.”
Coble also noted that a declining world population will harm agricultural demands.
Commissioner Gipson said nations like China and members of the European Union are already consuming less food. However, he said there is a bit of good news in that China has a growing middle class that eats a few ounces of pork and beef weekly.
Mississippi, a leader in soybean production, is experiencing challenges related to tariffs. In the past, China purchased half of the state’s $1.56 billion soybean production. This year, the Asian country purchased zero. Gipson and Coble said China is purchasing from Brazil.
When asked about the change, Gipson said, “I don’t think people are shocked, just surprised by how fast it happened.”
Farmers at a recent fundraiser for U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R) said they need help financially. Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, reference prices were raised to alleviate some of their financial struggles. However, the Act will not provide relief until October 2026.
Some farmers have asked for bridge payments to tie them over until next October. Gipson said he has spoken with U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins about that possibility.
“I am hearing good, positive support for doing that,” he said.
During a listening tour, the F.A.R.M. committee will visit five areas between December and March. They will hear from farmers, industry leaders, and Mississippians concerned with the state of farming. The tour is scheduled to wrap up in Jackson. Members will then compile the information and present their findings to state and federal legislators.
“These are high-level issues that are negatively affecting our farmers and producers, which in turn, will negatively impact our families and individual consumers as well,” continued Commissioner Gipson. “So, we’re looking at what can we do in Mississippi today to make sure agriculture remains strong in the future of our great state.”
The meetings are scheduled for:
- December 11, 2025 – Stoneville
- January 21, 2026 – Hattiesburg
- February 4, 2026 – Verona
- February 26, 2026 – Brookhaven
- March 6, 2026 – Jackson
Members of the committee include Gipson, Coble, Casey Anderson (Executive Director of the Mississippi Forestry Association), Kevin Brown (Regional Manager and Policy Development Coordinator of the Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation), Ben Burkett (State Coordinator of the Mississippi Association of Cooperatives), Darnella Winston (Project Director of the Mississippi Association of Cooperatives), Ryn Laster (Director of Food Safety and Animal Welfare at Cal-Maine Foods, Inc.), Mark Leggett (President of the Mississippi Poultry Association), Bubba Simmons (Producer and former President of the Mississippi Delta Council), and Hunter Taylor (Vice President and Branch Manager of the Mississippi Land Bank).
“I believe this is the most significant initiative our agency has launched since I took office as Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce because we are not just thinking about today or tomorrow only. We are thinking about 10 to 20 years down the road – what is agriculture going to look like for Mississippi? And that is the question we are going to help answer,” Gipson said.
