Wes Ward, 34, had no farming experience — and still doesn’t — when he became Arkansas’ agriculture secretary in March 2015. The son of a Baptist preacher, Ward, from Lake City (Craighead County), joined the U.S. Marine Corps after graduating from Riverside High School and obtained the rank of captain after serving tours of duty in Afghanistan and Jordan. He is now a major in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve.
He earned an agriculture business degree from Arkansas State University in Jonesboro and his law degree and a master’s in agriculture and food law from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. Ward also served on U.S. Rep. Rick Crawford’s staff as field coordinator.
Since Ward was named agriculture secretary, he has traveled with a state delegation to Cuba to discuss the establishment of trade with Arkansas.
How important (potentially) is Cuba as a trade partner with Arkansas?
Cuba imports up to 80 percent of its food. In 2014, Cuba’s agricultural imports totaled almost $2 billion, nearly doubling since 2004. Cuba has the highest per capita rice consumption in the Western Hemisphere: about 177 pounds per person, compared with 26 pounds in the United States. Prior to the embargo, Cuba was typically the largest market for U.S. long-grain rice exports.
Since Arkansas produces about 50 percent of the nation’s rice, the rice industry would be one area that would benefit. What is often overlooked is just how important the export market is to Arkansas agriculture. Arkansas is ranked about 29th in the nation in total land area, but we are ranked 13th in the nation in total agricultural exports. We will generally export between 30 and 40 percent of our production.
Without getting into the politics of climate change, what is the department doing to deal with changing weather patterns?
We have some of the best farmers and ranchers in the world right here in Arkansas, and we have a lot to be proud of due to our ability to consistently produce high-quality agricultural products. But farming isn’t easy and there are many, many challenges that our producers have to overcome each year. The list of challenges is long, but it includes overcoming weather, pests and weeds, just to name a few. This is why our research and education institutions are so important. They are consistently finding new varieties and new ways of doing things to overcome the challenges that our producers face.
How important is promotion and outreach to Arkansas’ agricultural industry?
We continue to see a trend of people moving from rural areas to urban areas, and we continue to see people who are further and further removed from the farm with no knowledge of where their food comes from. Through promotion and outreach we can educate people to not only let them know just how important agriculture is to them personally — we all have to eat — but also how important agriculture is to our state and the livelihoods of so many families that work in the agriculture industry.
Promotion and outreach are also important to help maintain and open new markets for our agricultural producers. Our producers already have enough requirements placed on them. Promotion and outreach allow us to tell their story and help them fight for things that they need and help prevent unnecessary and burdensome regulations.
How does being a Marine influence you?
I think my Christian faith and being a Marine are the two things that influence me the most. They are both so important to who I am and how I try to live my life. Becoming a Christian and becoming a Marine are both life-changing experiences. Both teach you to put others before yourself, to lead a life of sacrifice and to be a servant leader.
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