Bill Hawks’ passion for agriculture and ability to connect with people led him from his DeSoto County farm to the Mississippi State Legislature and eventually to the U.S. Department of Agriculture where he serves as Undersecretary of Marketing and Regulatory Programs.

While Undersecretary Bill Hawks’ position in the U.S. government obviously makes him an advocate for every facet of agriculture, his Mississippi farming background would seem to place him well outside the issues of the Corn Belt. In fact, he is one of a growing number of corn producers in the southern United States.

At the time of his federal appointment, his farm just south of Memphis, Tenn., included 8,000 acres with 2,800 acres devoted to corn. His interest in corn led him to found the Mississippi Corn Growers Association to serve the interests of all southern corn producers.

“Mississippi is obviously a corn [production] deficit area but consumption is growing with poultry and catfish farming,” Hawks says.

Hawks served in the Mississippi State Senate prior to the call from the Bush administration to join the Department of Agriculture in Washington, D.C., where he heads up marketing and regulatory policy and oversight programs.

Hawks’ view of agriculture in 2003 tracks closely with the views held by NCGA. First, he wants to see corn growers and all farmers increase their competitive advantage. After passage of the 2002 Farm Bill, he believes the next major issue facing USDA is the question of how we compete in the 21st century.

“The whole administration is focused on trade,” he says. “We want to make sure our farmers are treated fairly. Part of my assignment is to protect American agriculture – not just from pests and diseases – but from unfair trade practices.”

Hawks is also strongly committed to market-driven agriculture. “Farmers want to produce for a market, not for government programs,” he says. He views the development of what he calls “opportunity markets” as a means of stimulating demand.
“Niche markets develop into very robust markets,” he says. “Ethanol is a great example. It started as a niche but now it’s mainstream.”

Hawks encourages farmers to constantly watch their business practices and actively market their crops. “You have to stay engaged,” he observes. “The people who continue doing what they do best will succeed.”