Delta Business Journal
(Robbie Riddick)
There was never any question that Drew native Robbie Riddick would not
end up in the farming business.
"I was around farming and everything involved with farming since almost the day the I was born," laughed Riddick. "It was really never any question of "if" I would be involved in agriculture, "but where."
Riddick is the only Mississippi sales representative for the Arkansas-based, Delta King Seed Company, which is owned by Lawhon Farm Services of McCrory, Arkansas. According to Riddick, Lawhon has been in the farming business for over 40 years and in 1990, the company started Delta King Seed - a producer of Group IV and V conventional and Roundup Ready¨ soybeans. Lawhon is a family owned concern that is a retail fertilizer, chemical, and seed distributor.
"About 1990, we saw the need to have another brand of seed out there to give farmers some more choices," said Delta King Seed communications director, Mark Holland. "Now, there are fewer and fewer private seed companies. Most seed companies today seem to all be owned by the same company or group of companies."
According to Holland, the Arkansas based company has been selling their beans to Delta farmers for the past several years, however two years ago they decided to hire Riddick to represent them full time in Mississippi.
"Robbie is doing an excellent job for us in Mississippi and we are delighted to have him with us," said Holland. "Our primary focus is to find the best genetic material out there today for soybeans, we try to choose the best varieties that are available and that adapt to this southern market."
"Delta King Seed started winning trials and just getting stronger and stronger and that's the way things have been going," said Riddick about the company's fast growth.
After graduating from Mississippi State University and working in North Carolina for four years as an entomologist, Riddick returned to the Delta.
"It is hard to leave home," said Riddick. "I wanted to come back to the Delta to live and raise a family. It's just hard to get away from this place and I am happy that I had the opportunity to come back here."
Two years ago, Riddick went to work for Delta King Seed and he says that how he obtained a job with the company is a story in itself.
Riddick's father, Marshall Riddick, owner of Y & L Auction Company, ran into someone in Clarksdale that had a connection with Mr. Lawhon and mentioned that his son was now back in the Delta and was looking for a job.
"That person called my father several days later and told him about Delta King Seed saying that if he were a young man, he'd try to get a job with Delta King Seed because he felt that they were an up and coming company and that it would be a great opportunity. I contacted them and became the first Delta King Seed salesman ever hired."
Riddick's move turned out to be a good one.
"We have really been going like gangbusters," said Riddick. "Our Delta King 5995 has been the number one soybean in the Clarksdale/Stoneville area in irrigated tests over the last three years."
As the only Mississippi sales representative for Delta King, asked if it has been a tough task breaking into the Mississippi Delta soybean market, Riddick says, "If I didn't love people, traveling, talking, and going to all of the conventions and grower meetings, and if I didn't really love farming a lot, it might be tough. However, I love what I do and can't wait to get up in the morning to hit the road."
Delta King Seed also has a wheat line.
Riddick said that being a Delta native has also helped his marketing efforts.
"Being from the Delta no doubt has been a big plus for me and my customers," said Riddick. "I try to work with people in any way that I can. Farmers call me all of the time and I'll go out and look at their fields, ride around with them and discuss what they should be doing, what's the best bean for a particular soil, and other things," said Riddick. "It's all very rewarding to help these guys."
"Mississippi is one of our strongest areas and one in which we have one of the best opportunities for growth," said Holland. "Our varieties do very well there at the tests in Clarksdale and Stoneville. Robbie has done a great job and we have the support of a lot of dealers there. We are really happy to be doing business in Mississippi and look forward to the future."