Bobby Coats
Extension Economist and Professor, University of Arkansas Division of AgricultureAgricultural Economics and Agribusiness
2301 S University Ave
Little Rock, AR 72204
Phone: 501/671-2195
Fax: 501/671-2279
rcoats@uaex.edu
Background
Robert specializes in agricultural policy, outlook, resource development, farm firm analysis, and the Bioeconomy.
Robert’s educational and research program places primary emphasis on the following:
- Agricultural situation and outlook with a focus on rice situation and outlook and commodity price trends. From a big picture perspective he looks at today's economic setting and outlook and the policy issues affecting production agriculture and rural America.
- Farm government program provisions and the consequences of public policy alternatives on Arkansas farms and infrastructure with primary focus on rice and cotton farms.
- Identifying economic and public policy problems limiting profitability and economic viability of Arkansas Delta farm firm systems and infrastructure.
- Consequences of technology and the new global economy on Arkansas production systems and infrastructure.
- Given U.S. monetary and fiscal policy the emerging Bioeconomy, technological innovation, and the new global economy he proposes alternative business strategies that will enhance profitability and economic viability of Arkansas farms and infrastructure.
Robert has extensive economic and agronomic knowledge of the Mississippi River Valley Delta agriculture, including its land and water resources. He works with Arkansas’ Agricultural leadership on public policy issues. He’s a student of the new global economy and how globalization will change Arkansas and American agriculture and infrastructure.
Robert has extensive knowledge of domestic and foreign rice situation and outlook. He participates annually in the planning and speaks at the National Rice Industry Outlook Conference on Arkansas’ Rice Situation and Outlook.
Robert grew up working with agricultural scientists in the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station System (MAFES) where his dad was an Agronomist, Branch Station Superintendent and Assistant Director of the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station (MAFES) at Mississippi State University. Within MAFES he was associated with the growth and operation of the Black Belt Branch Experiment Station at Brooksville, Prairie Research Unit at Prairie, and the North and South Farm at Mississippi State.
Robert has been an Agricultural Economist with the Division of Agriculture since 1982. He received his Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics from Mississippi State University in 1982. Robert and his wife, Eleanor have a daughter Julie who is working on her Ph.D. in Molecular Biophysics at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia.