Harvest Report with Nick

I am pleased to report that we have officially completed the two major capital projects in the Drier Division: the new sample house at Wheatley and the new storage bin at Waldenburg. These projects represent important investments in our ability to serve members more efficiently, improve harvest operations, and position the cooperative for future growth.

As harvest winds down, I want to take a moment to recognize the incredible work of our employees across the Drier Division and Commodity Operations team. This year brought significant change to our organization, including difficult decisions around facility utilization, staffing, and cost management. Through it all, our employees remained focused on what matters most: serving our members safely, efficiently, and professionally. Change is never easy, but our teams adapted, stayed focused, and continued to deliver for our membership every day.

Despite the challenges leading into harvest, operations went remarkably well. The planning, coordination, and communication between our locations allowed us to execute the harvest season largely as intended. Our facilities were prepared, grain moved efficiently, and our teams did an outstanding job handling the crop while maintaining service levels. That success is a direct reflection of the effort and commitment of employees across the organization.

While harvest operations were successful, crop quality continues to be a major concern. As Kevin mentioned, rice milling yields are some of the worst we have experienced in decades. Poor milling yields negatively impact both producer returns and cooperative performance, making it one of the biggest challenges facing our industry this year.

Soybeans also presented quality issues in portions of Southeast Arkansas.The presence of Phomopsis longicolla, which causes seed decay and necrosis, contributed to lower yields and quality concerns in some areas. Combined with other growing season challenges, it created additional headwinds for many of our soybean-producing members.

While crop quality challenges have created headwinds for both our members and our cooperative, I am proud of how our employees responded throughout the year. They navigated significant operational changes while remaining focused on member service, grain quality, and execution. Their commitment and professionalism were a major reason harvest moved as smoothly as it did. As we shift our focus to planning for 2027, we will continue looking for opportunities to improve efficiency, maximize the value of every bushel, and strengthen the services we provide to our membership.

The teamwork and communication between our membership and employees is what makes Riceland successful, and I appreciate all you do on behalf of the cooperative.

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