The 2024 Arkansas Crop Management Conference is set to kick off at 9 a.m. on Jan. 16 at the Wyndham Riverfront Hotel in North Little Rock, Ark.  

This two-and-a-half-day conference will run through Jan. 18, with a full spectrum of sessions that range from crop management to farm policy, along with updates from sustaining business members in the ag industry.  

Otis Howe, executive director of the Arkansas Crop Protection Association (ACPA), said the event will highlight successes and challenges of 2023 and look ahead to the changes and opportunities expected in 2024. 

Howe specifically mentioned three speakers slated for the first day of the conference who will discuss some of the most pressing matters currently faced in agriculture.  

Conference speakers 

These speakers include Brigit Rollins, staff attorney with the National Ag Law Center to discuss EPA regulations and potential changes on the horizon; John Newton, republican chief economist with the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry to present on the farm policy outlook; and Kyle Kunkler, director of government affairs for the American Soybean Association to talk about the Endangered Species Act as it pertains to farmers. 

Throughout the conference, speakers and industry representatives will be on hand to visit with attendees and answer questions between sessions. This is a great learning opportunity for anyone involved in agriculture, and it provides over 20 continued education hours for Certified Crop Advisors (CCAs) and Licensed Arkansas Consultants. 

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Early registration is open and recommended. For those who pre-register by Jan. 9, the cost of attendance is $200. A reduced rate of $125 is offered to state and federal employees. 

Attendees can also register after the cutoff date or on-site at a cost of $225, and a virtual-only option is available for $300. 

Links for registration and hotel accommodation can be found on the ACPA website at ACPAnews.com/conferences.  

The Arkansas Crop Management conference is sponsored by the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture as well as the ACPA, Arkansas Plant Food Association, Arkansas Agricultural Consultants Association, and the Arkansas Certified Crop Advisors.

This annual event is an excellent chance to build relationships and grow your network within the ag industry. For inquiries or additional details, call Howe at (501) 690-4297; or email [email protected].