Annual Rice Industry Alliance Meeting set for May 19 in Fayetteville
April 8, 2026
By John Lovett
University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture
Fast Facts
- Rice Quality and Evaluation Short Course May 20-21 with Cereals & Grains Association
- Deadline to register for Industry Alliance Meeting is May 16
- Supreme Rice VP John Morgan keynote speaker at meeting
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Download PHOTOS of rice and researchers
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The latest advancements in rice research, economics and technology are the focus of the 2026 Arkansas Rice Processing Program Industry Alliance Meeting, May 19, at the Don Tyson Center for Agricultural Sciences.
The center is located at 1371 W. Altheimer Drive in Fayetteville. The Rice Processing Program is a part of the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, the research arm of the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture and was created in 1994 to address post-harvest quality issues and research needs in the U. S. rice industry with the goal to enhance the quality and value of rice and rice products.
Consistently ranked as the top rice-producing state in the nation, Arkansas has become a hub of research to adapt to the evolving demands of rice production, said Griffiths Atungulu, professor and agricultural engineer in the department of food science for the Division of Agriculture and the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences at the University of Arkansas. Atungulu is the director of the Arkansas Rice Processing Program.
The Industry Alliance Meeting brings together industry leaders, researchers and stakeholders. Registration is due on May 16. The event is open to the public, but there is a registration fee of $800 for individuals from non-sponsor companies. The meeting will be recorded but not presented online on May 19. The meeting content is freely available to employees of sponsor companies.
The Rice Quality and Evaluation Short Course, a two-day event co-hosted by the Division of Agriculture and the Rice Processing Program, will be held in person and online May 20-21, at the Food Science Building, 2650 N. Young Ave., near the Don Tyson Center, in conjunction with the Cereals & Grains Association.
Industry Alliance Meeting schedule
This year’s Industry Alliance Meeting will feature John Morgan, vice president of Supreme Rice, as the keynote speaker. Keith Glover, president and CEO of Producers Rice Mill, will offer a rice industry outlook with perspectives on trends of rice milling yield and quality.
Research on rice breeding and genetics, drying, milling and storage, as well as end-use quality and functionality, will be presented by scientists and engineers with the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, rice industry companies and the School of Engineering and Sciences at the Tecnológico de Monterrey.
Included in the lineup is the increasingly popular luncheon keynote, “Arkansas Rice Production Update,” by Jarrod Hardke, professor and rice extension agronomist with the Division of Agriculture.
The May meeting will also feature a new segment, initiated by Atungulu, titled “Growing Growers’ Voices.”
Kaushik Luthra, assistant professor of post-harvest grain processing in the department of biological and agricultural engineering and extension engineer, will provide an overview of how his lab group is developing strategic partnerships with rice growers. Luthra is based at the Northeast Rice Research and Extension Center in Harrisburg. This effort is part of the Rice Processing Program’s outreach segment and aims to maximize research and extension output to the rice industry.
The full schedule can be found online at the event website. Registration includes lunch, snacks and a social barbecue dinner on May 19. A non-meat option can be offered at each meal by contacting riceprog@uark.edu for dietary restriction requests.
Links to nearby hotel accommodations are also available at the event website. The deadline to reserve with a group rate for the Inn at Carnall Hall and Hyatt Place is April 18.
Rice Quality and Evaluation Short Course
Using a mix of lecture and lab demonstrations, the Rice Quality and Evaluation Short Course will provide information and hands-on experience about rice physiology, quality, milling, functionality and sensory evaluation. The structure and composition of a rice kernel and the physicochemical properties of kernel constituents will also be discussed.
In-person registration includes two full days of training and lectures, access to all course materials, light snack breaks, lunch and a certificate of completion.
The course will be held in the Food Science Building. Along with Atungulu, the event will feature presentations by Han-Seok Seo, a professor of sensory science and director of the experiment station’s Sensory Science Center; Julie Thomas, a research scientist and plant molecular geneticist; Mahfuzur Rahman, an assistant professor in the department of food science; and Rusty Bautista, a grain quality scientist and seed technology lead at RiceTec, Inc.
Registration is available online for both in-person and virtual programs. The in-person registration fee is $795 for Cereals & Grains Association members and $895 for non-members. Virtual registration costs $395 for association members and $495 for non-members.
To learn more about ag and food research in Arkansas, visit aaes.uada.edu. Follow the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station on LinkedIn and sign up for our monthly newsletter, the Arkansas Agricultural Research Report. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit uada.edu. To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit uaex.uada.edu.
About the Division of Agriculture
The University of Arkansas 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 three system campuses.
Pursuant to 7 CFR § 15.3, the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs and services (including employment) without regard to race, color, sex, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, sexual preference, pregnancy or any other legally protected status, and is an equal opportunity institution.
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Media Contact:
John Lovett
University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture
Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station
(479) 763-5929
jlovett@uada.edu