(12/09/25) BATON ROUGE, La. — For more than four decades, Ronnie Levy has been a steadfast presence in Louisiana agriculture, shaping its growth and guiding its future. Levy joined the LSU AgCenter in 1979, and throughout that time, he worked in various roles including county agent; soybean, corn and grain sorghum specialist; and interim regional director for the Central Region. But it is his work in rice that will crown his career.

Levy, set to retire in February, received the 2025 Rice Industry Lifetime Achievement Award on Dec. 8, at the USA Rice Outlook Conference held in New Orleans.

Levy is wrapping up his career as the LSU AgCenter’s rice specialist and was overwhelmed by the award.

“It’s just such an honor. It’s unbelievable,” Levy said. “It’s really hard to even fathom that type of award from such a large and prestigious industry.”

To Levy, rice is one of the most important industries in Louisiana.

“It encompasses so many different groups of people — from the producers and rice mills to trucking, farm supply, farm equipment dealers, consultants, the whole repertoire of people working and supporting the industry. It’s kind of been the foundation of southwest Louisiana.”

Levy has seen many changes in the rice industry during his 45 years in agriculture — varieties with weed control technology such as Clearfield and Provisia that revolutionized the industry, improvements in controlling pests and new techniques for water management. But the reward of helping farmers has remained the same.

“It’s been rewarding to get people from even non-rice producing states to call about rice production,” he said. “It shows the importance of the rice research and extension that come from Louisiana.”

Levy said he has arrived at this moment because of the LSU AgCenter and individuals within the LSU AgCenter who helped guide his career and advanced Louisiana’s rice industry.

Rice production in Louisiana is valued at $713 million dollars and farmers produce around 3.5 billion pounds of rice on 472,860 acres. Levy is proud to be a part of sustaining the industry and honored to serve rice farmers as a representative of the LSU AgCenter.

“We have the world-renowned rice research station in Crowley, Louisiana, and that is a great calling card for rice information,” he said. "The Rice Research Station has provided leadership to the rice industry over the past 117 years here in Louisiana.”

USA Rice and Horizon Ag cosponsor the Rice Industry Lifetime Achievement Award, which honors an individual with more than 10 years of service whose lifelong contributions have made a lasting impact on the rice industry.

Ronnie Levy, LSU AgCenter rice specialist received the 2025 Rice Industry Lifetime Achievement Award on Dec. 8, at the USA Rice Outlook Conference held in New Orleans. Photo by LuElle Sprout