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Mississippi Farmers Face Rice Crisis: Surplus and Losses Mount

1/25/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Farmers in Merigold, Mississippi face a crisis as prices fall, with rice well below production costs.
Local farmer Jack Westerfield reports 2.2 million pounds of unsold rice, highlighting the surplus.
At a recent meeting, Mississippi farmers discussed a government program to pay them to destroy surplus rice, echoing the 1980s farm crisis.
Agricultural broker Gwin Smith notes that despite good crops, farmers are losing money.

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Story summary

Farmers in Merigold, Mississippi face a crisis as prices fall, with rice well below production costs.
Local farmer Jack Westerfield reports 2.2 million pounds of unsold rice, highlighting the surplus.
At a recent meeting, Mississippi farmers discussed a government program to pay them to destroy surplus rice, echoing the 1980s farm crisis.
Agricultural broker Gwin Smith notes that despite good crops, farmers are losing money.