RULEVILLE – Dekoka Davidson mingles easily with the guys in the field.
As general manager for Milburn Growers, a seed company based in the Delta,
it’s her job to make sure farmers have the best quality seed well before
planting time.
Davidson moved to the Delta 20 years ago. After marrying her husband Rudy, a farmer, she stayed at home on the family farm to work with him for the subsequent five years.
“I got very involved in farming and loved it,” she says. “When I went to work at Milburn Growers, I started as a receptionist/secretary and moved into sales. Five years ago, I took the position of general manager and cover a territory that includes Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.”
Davidson also serves as president of Sunflower County Farm Bureau and is the director of the Mississippi Seed Improvement Association and director of the Mississippi Seedsman Association.
“I haven’t encountered a lot of resistance,” she says. “Farmers sometimes ask, ‘Are you really going to walk out in that rice field? You’re not wearing boots, you’re wearing tennis shoes.’ But I just laugh. I love working with people and providing information that will be helpful. It’s my goal to make sure farmers are getting a quality product because I know it
makes a big difference.”
Milburn Growers, owned by three families that are contract growers, provides rice and soybean seed to approximately 200 farmers.
“Once farmers have confidence in you, and they know you’re looking out for them, the trust and reputation is there,” Davidson says. “I have an advantage because I know what farmers are looking for. I’m one of them, also. Education is very important, because farmers need to know what’s available to them and learn to look at the quality of seed that goes into the ground because without the seed, there are no crops.”
If farmers want top-yield, top variety seed, they must prepare early, she says.
“As farmers, we must ask questions about where our seed is coming from and ask questions about the quality of seed,” Davidson continues. “There’s been a lot going on with the pure seed law in the last couple of years. Farmers need to ask questions before planting time.
“I try to encourage my farmers to plan early in order to get top yielding varieties,” says Davidson.
Milburn Growers has grown transgenic soybeans for other companies and will possibly grow transgenic rice in the future.
Milburn Growers also provides private variety seed to area farmers.
“It’s coming and we’re looking into that,” Davidson adds.