Division of Agriculture Names Atrium at New NE Rice Center for Donor Nutrien Ag Solutions

FOUNDATION — A second concrete pour on July 18, 2023, for the foundation for the silos in front of the public space at the NE Rice Research and Extension Center in Poinsett County. (U of A System Division of Agriculture image).

MEDIA CONTACT

Mary Hightower

mhightower@uada.edu

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Nutrien Ag Solutions will be donating $400,000 to support research and outreach efforts at the Northeast Rice Research and Extension Center, the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture announced Thursday.

“Our Nutrien Ag Solutions retail locations service a large percentage of the rice acreage in Arkansas and our growers are constantly telling us they need more options from germplasm and traits to achieve higher yields and milling quality,” said Steven Martin, Jonesboro-based general manager for Nutrien. “With the new NERREC located in the heart of rice country, we thought our support of this project was critical for the rice industry in Arkansas. This will be a great learning center from field evaluations to the classroom.”

The research and extension center is operated by the Division of Agriculture’s research arm, the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station. Faculty have been conducting research on parts of its 600-acre Poinsett County location since 2021. A groundbreaking for the center was held in May.

With the $400,000 donation, the Division of Agriculture will dedicate the center’s Grand Atrium with Nutrien Ag Solution’s name.

The space is approximately 1,650 square feet and its main function is as a public gathering space prior to functions in the center’s large meeting room. In addition to being a reception space, it can also serve as an educational space with the adjacent demonstration kitchen and audio/visual wall.

“We are very appreciative of the support from Nutrien Ag Solutions,” said Deacue Fields, vice president for agriculture for the University of Arkansas System and head of the Division of Agriculture. “We see this center as critical to the needs of rice growers in northeastern Arkansas and their generous donation will help our efforts to benefit not only growers, but also the community at large.”

Jean-François Meullenet, director of the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, said “The gift from Nutrien Ag Solutions is an excellent example of the kind of private-public collaboration that feeds the innovation we strive to provide every day.”

“We are so pleased to have Nutrien Ag Solutions support the center’s vision and mission,” said Tim Burcham, NERREC director. “Rice production in Arkansas is a such critical component of the state’s agricultural economy because it is grown, harvested, and processed within our state borders — that equals jobs in the rural economy of the Arkansas Delta.

“I greatly value Nutrien’s demonstrated support for the center’s research and outreach to provide world-class innovation on sustainable rice production systems,” he said.

​To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu. Follow us on 𝕏 at @ArkAgResearch and Instagram at @ArkAgResearch.

To learn about Extension Programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit https://uaex.uada.edu/. Follow us on 𝕏 at @AR_Extension.

To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on 𝕏 at @AgInArk.

About the Division of Agriculture

The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land grant education system.

The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on five system campuses.

The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs and services without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.