2025 Rice Industry Lifetime Achievement
By Scott McClure
When Dr. Ronnie Levy picked up the phone late last summer, he wasn’t expecting news that would leave him speechless. He was called by Dr. Tim Walker, Horizon Ag CEO, to let him know that he was the recipient of the 2025 Rice Industry Lifetime Achievement Award.
“I was shocked. It just blew my mind,” Levy recalled. “This award is such an honor from the rice industry. There are so many great people who have come before me that really set the path for rice to be as important as it is in the U.S. To be recognized among them is humbling.”
Horizon Ag and USA Rice, co-sponsors of the annual rice industry awards, will honor Levy, Louisiana’s State Rice Specialist, at the 2025 Rice Outlook Conference, in recognition of his more than four decades of service to farmers, his leadership in research and extension and his enduring commitment to keeping rice farming both productive and sustainable.
Levy’s career in agriculture began in 1979, when he joined the LSU AgCenter as an assistant county agent. At the time, he worked with a broad range of crops and farm programs.
“I’d been around rice fields before I ever officially started working in them,” Levy said. “Back in those days, you still flagged airplanes for spraying. It was very hands-on, very different from how technology works today.”
Over time, Levy worked his way up the LSU AgCenter ranks. He served farmers directly in Acadia Parish, then broadened his expertise as he earned a PhD in agronomy and weed science with the guidance of respected mentors like Dr. Steven Linscombe, Dr. Eric Webster and Dr. Jim Griffin.
“It was a challenge but also a very special time — finishing my PhD while still working and raising a family,” Levy said. “I was fortunate to have such great support from my wife.”
His career expanded beyond rice for a time. He became the LSU AgCenter’s soybean, corn and grain sorghum specialist, then served as interim regional director for the Central Region of the state. In 2014, after almost 40 years of service, Levy retired briefly, only to quickly return to his first love, rice, as Louisiana’s State Rice Specialist.
“That’s been the highlight of my career,” he said. “Rice was always where my heart was.”
Driving Change Through Research and Extension
Levy points to variety development as the single biggest driver of progress in rice during his career. From blast-resistant varieties to herbicide-tolerant systems, breeding improvements have reshaped how farmers manage pests, diseases and weeds.
“Variety development is probably the most important thing in any crop,” Levy said. “In rice, it’s allowed us to cut back on fungicides and other inputs while boosting yields. That’s been a huge win for both producers and the environment.”
Levy also saw firsthand how technologies like Clearfield® and Provisia® herbicide-tolerant systems transformed U.S. rice farming. His own doctoral work focused
on Clearfield rice in conservation tillage systems, research that dovetailed with one of the industry’s most important innovations.
Just as critical, Levy believes, was the shift toward precision water management and levee design.
“Straight-levee fields changed everything,” he explained. “Instead of wasting water and fuel on uneven fields and contour levees, farmers gained efficiency in planting and harvesting. But as Levy stresses, research only matters if it gets into farmers’ hands. He’s spent much of his career translating science into practical solutions through meetings, farm visits and one-on-one conversations.
“Farmers are busy. They don’t always have time to keep up with the latest studies, so it’s our role to make sure they get that information when they need it,” he said.
“A lot of times, it’s just helping them identify what’s really going on in their field and what’s the most economical solution.”
The Farmer Connection
Ask Levy what’s been the most rewarding part of his work, and he doesn’t hesitate.
“It’s the farmers,” he said. “They’re some of the best people in society — good stewards of the land, people with strong values, producing food that feeds the world. To be able to work with them has been a blessing.”
He recalls countless calls over the years from producers seeking advice or simply a second opinion. “It was always about helping them solve a problem, whether
it was weeds, disease, insects or something else, and doing it in a way that kept them in business,” Levy said. “Their trust meant a lot.”
“We always said if you had a problem, give it to a farmer, and he’d figure out how to fix it,” he laughed. “They’ve driven so many of the practical changes in production.”
“For example, we learned a lot about the impact of herbicide carryover in the Clearfield system when we were called out to look at problems. Those challenges helped us develop recommendations that help other growers avoid issues and keep yield potential high.”
Behind Levy’s long career stands his family. His wife Donna supported him through graduate school and long work hours. Together, they raised two sons, Ronnie Joseph III and Richard Andrew, whose wife is Emily LeBlanc Levy, and now enjoy three grandchildren, Gabriella, Braxton and Avery.
“I told Emily I didn’t care if they got married — I needed some grandchildren,” Levy joked. “They keep us alive and engaged. We spend as much time with them as we can.”
He is quick to credit mentors and colleagues as well, from early leaders like Dr. Steven Linscombe and Dr. Eric Webster, to industry partners at Horizon Ag and USA Rice. “I’ve learned from so many people,” Levy said. “Whatever knowledge I’ve accumulated, it’s because others were generous enough to share theirs with me.
Looking Back and Ahead
Over 45 years, Levy has witnessed enormous changes in rice farming. From weed resistance battles to international trade challenges, the industry has navigated constant pressures. Yet Levy remains optimistic.
“The universities, the industry and the associations all work together to move this industry forward,” he said. “That cooperation has been the key to success.”
He is particularly proud of how U.S. rice maintains unmatched quality. “The quality of American rice is unsurpassed by any other country,” he said. “That’s a testament to our farmers, researchers and leaders.”
“We’re in good hands,” he said, pointing to leaders like LSU AgCenter rice breeder Dr. Adam Famoso and his continued collaboration with colleagues across the country.
Despite receiving the industry’s highest honor, Levy insists his role has been small in the grand scheme.
“I feel like my part is just a little pebble in the bucket,”
he said. “But when you put everybody’s work together — the farmers, the researchers, the extension folks — that’s what makes the industry successful. I’m just grateful to have been a part of it.”
For Levy, the 2025 Rice Industry Lifetime Achievement Award is less a personal accolade than a reflection of the community he’s served.
“This award means a lot, but it’s really about the people, the farmers, my family, my colleagues,” he said. “I’ve just been fortunate to walk alongside them on this journey.”
By Scott McClure