by Katherine Lin, Mississippi Today
July 28, 2025

It’s been a disparate few years for Mississippi’s agriculture sector. Even as natural disasters and trade wars have caused row crop prices to decline, record high beef prices, growing poultry production and hundreds millions of dollars in federal disaster payments have bolstered the sector.

Some farmers have reported that federal payments have been slower and lower than needed as they continue to feel the impacts of bad weather in 2023 and 2024 exacerbated by low prices, high costs and trade wars. In Mississippi, row crops, which include soy beans, cotton and corn, have been among the hardest hit.

“This is one of the worst years for row crops,” said Dr. Joshua Maples, an agricultural economist at Mississippi State University. 

Row crops, especially soybeans, are an important part of Mississippi’s economy with soybean production valued at over $1 billion. Farmers are still recovering from the effects of past severe weather conditions and the outlook for 2025 is not promising with higher than normal rainfall that may result in a lower crop yield.

The prices of row crops have declined since 2022 leading to smaller profits for farmers who are struggling to break even with high production costs. As a result of 2018 tariffs, China, the biggest importer of soybeans in the world, shifted to buying more from South America, a loss that the U.S. industry has not recovered from.

The bright spots in the agriculture industry have been the livestock and poultry industries. Poultry, the largest agriculture sector in Mississippi, grew by 10% according to data from the Mississippi State University Extension largely due to strong production.

But livestock saw the most growth, with a 14% increase.

“Livestock is the shining star of Mississippi,” said Mike McCormick, a cattle farmer and president of the Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation. Beef prices have soared due to historically low numbers of cattle in the United States. As of January 1, 2025, there were 86.7 million head of cattle in the United States, the fewest since 1951. 

While cattle farmers are currently seeing higher returns, they struggled for years with drought and weak profit margins leading to smaller herds. Farmers are trying to grow their herds but the process will likely take a few years, so beef prices will likely continue to be high.

In 2024, the state’s agricultural nominal GDP remained relatively unchanged with a decrease of 0.4% while the overall state GDP grew by 4.2%.

Agriculture GDP makes up around 2% of the state GDP. At the end of June, data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis showed that in the first quarter of 2025, Mississippi’s economy grew 0.7%.  The agriculture sector was the largest contributor to growth of any industry at 0.83%. This was the third straight quarter that agriculture had the largest GDP growth rate in the state.

But agriculture GDP growth in the first quarter of this year was largely due to $120 million in direct payments from the federal government to Mississippi farmers.

“It’s not reflective of the reality farmers are facing right now,” said Andy Gipson, Mississippi’s agricultural commissioner on a recent episode of Mississippi Today’s podcast The Other Side, of what would appear on paper to be robust growth in farming output.

These payments are part of the American Relief Act that was passed in December 2024 that set aside more than $30 billion in direct payments to farmers to help with losses from economic changes and natural disasters. The money is being paid out through multiple programs, including the Emergency Commodity Assistance Program, or ECAP, and the Supplemental Disaster Relief Program, or SDRP. The commodity program helps farmers impacted by increased production costs and falling crop prices while the disaster program helps those affected by severe weather in 2023 and 2024.

 “The $120 million is about 3.5% of the total GDP the state gained from ‘Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting’ in 2024,” said Dr. Sondra Collins a Senior Economist at the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning. She expects to see the impact of these programs on GDP throughout the year as applications continue to be submitted and money is paid out. 

McCormick’s family has been farming in Mississippi since the 1820s and says this is one of the most challenging periods for farmers since the farm crisis of the 1980s. 

“Farming has always been a risky business,” said McCormick.

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

The post Some hope, some worries: Mississippi’s agriculture GDP is a mixed bag appeared first on mississippitoday.org

Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.

Political Bias Rating: Centrist

The article presents a balanced, factual overview of Mississippi’s agricultural economy without promoting any ideological stance. It reports on the challenges faced by farmers due to weather, trade, and market factors alongside the positive growth in livestock and poultry sectors. The tone is neutral, relying on data and quotes from economists and industry representatives without editorializing. The inclusion of federal disaster payments is explained as a factor affecting GDP figures but is not framed with partisan judgment. Overall, the article adheres to straightforward reporting of economic conditions and policy impacts without evident bias.

by Gwen Dilworth, Mississippi Today
July 25, 2025

The committee tasked with advising the Mississippi Division of Medicaid met Friday for the first time in a year and a half. 

The meeting in Jackson was a primer on Medicaid programs and provided a financial update for new members, most of whom were appointed in 2024 but have not yet participated in a meeting. 

The Medicaid Advisory Committee offers expertise and opinions to the state Medicaid program about health care services. It is made up of doctors, hospital executives, managed care organization representatives and other Medicaid stakeholders. 

It includes two members of the recently formed Beneficiary Advisory Council, a group of Medicaid members and their families who advise Medicaid on their experience with the program. 

New federal policy seeks to heighten the role that beneficiaries play in shaping Medicaid programs and policy by mandating that members of the council serve on the Medicaid Advisory Committee. Ten percent of the group must be composed of beneficiaries or their families, a proportion that will rise in the coming years. 

Both committees are mandated by the federal government to meet quarterly. 

The last Medicaid Advisory Committee meeting, formerly known as the Medical Care Advisory Committee, was held on Dec. 8, 2023. 

Meetings were first set back in 2024 because state leaders, who were formerly charged with selecting members, were slow to make appointments. A meeting scheduled for October was postponed after former executive director Drew Snyder announced his resignation. 

Meetings were then delayed further while the agency worked to sort out a discrepancy between state law and new federal guidelines, which mandated that committee appointments be made by the executive director of Medicaid and include members of the then-unformed Beneficiary Advisory Council. The new guidelines took effect this month. 

State lawmakers proposed language in several bills earlier this year during the legislative session that would have conformed state law to federal regulations. Two such bills were vetoed by the governor. 

Medicaid Executive Director Cindy Bradshaw said the agency decided to “honor the language” of the vetoed bills, conforming to federal guidelines without updating state law. 

The committee’s recommendations have played a crucial role in crafting state Medicaid policy in the past. In 2023, the advisory group’s recommendation contributed to the Legislature’s passage of extended Medicaid coverage for new mothers. 

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

The post Medicaid advisory committee meets appeared first on mississippitoday.org

Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.

Political Bias Rating: Centrist

The article reports on the Medicaid Advisory Committee’s recent meeting in a straightforward, factual manner without expressing ideological opinions. It focuses on procedural updates, federal and state policy interactions, and the committee’s advisory role, presenting information about appointments, regulatory compliance, and policy outcomes like extended postpartum coverage. The language is neutral and descriptive, avoiding partisan framing or advocacy. The piece reports on the actions and positions of state officials and legislators without endorsing any political stance, adhering to objective journalism standards. Therefore, it reflects balanced coverage without discernible political bias.

by Candice Wilder, Mississippi Today
July 23, 2025

University of Southern Mississippi and Pearl River Community College announced Wednesday a new coastal pathways scholarship that will give graduates of the two-year school a way to complete their bachelor’s degree at USM. 

The collaboration announced at USM’s Gulf Park campus in Long Beach  is part of a regional initiative to boost education access and add job opportunities to the Mississippi Gulf Coast region. In May, USM held a similar event with Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. 

The partnership with the community colleges is also part of a larger effort to boost USM’s enrollment, which continues to decline with only 564 students enrolled in the Gulf Park campus last fall, according to data from the school’s Office of Institutional Research. 

“This scholarship pathway represents more than just financial support — it’s about creating opportunities for student success,” Joe Paul, president of USM, said in a press statement. “By partnering with Pearl River Community College, we’re building a direct and affordable route for students to continue their education and make meaningful contributions to our coastal communities.”

The scholarship offers $5,000 annually to qualified PRCC transfer students, according to the press release. To qualify for the coastal scholarship students must meet the following criteria: 

• Have most recently attended PRCC with enrollment since 2023
• Earned an associate degree from PRCC or have completed at least 60 credit hours with a minimum transfer cumulative GPA of 2.5
• Declared one of the following majors at Southern Miss Gulf Park: Biological Sciences, Business Administration (General Business), Elementary Education, Marine Biology, Marine Science (Hydrography), Ocean Engineering, Organizational Leadership, Psychology, Secondary Education 

Students must also enroll in at least 15 credit hours per semester, including a minimum of nine credit hours of face-to-face instruction on the Gulf Park campus, and maintain a 2.5 GPA to remain eligible. 

“These pathways not only open doors for individual students but also have a significant economic impact on our coastal communities,” Adam Breerwood, president of PRCC, said in a press statement. “By investing in education, we are cultivating a skilled workforce that can contribute to local businesses and stimulate growth in various sectors.”

For more information on the application process and eligibility, students are encouraged to visit the Gulf Park Coastal Pathways Scholarship website. 

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

The post New USM scholarship offers students pathway to degree Mississippi Today appeared first on mississippitoday.org

Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.

Political Bias Rating: Centrist

The article presents a straightforward report on a new scholarship opportunity between the University of Southern Mississippi and Pearl River Community College. It focuses on educational access, community benefits, and economic impact without expressing ideological opinions or partisan perspectives. The language remains neutral, emphasizing facts and statements from institutional leaders to inform readers. There is no indication of bias toward any political ideology, as the piece reports on a cooperative initiative aimed at improving education and local workforce development, which are widely supported goals across the political spectrum.