The 10th Annual Magnolia Beef and Poultry Expo is set for Thursday at the Smith County Agricultural Complex in Raleigh, Miss.

    Some beef producers in Lauderdale County will likely attend the expo, said Nikki Jefcoat, an extension agent with the Ag and Natural Resources division of the Lauderdale County Extension Service.

    “What we have as far as poultry is back-yard flocks,” Jefcoat said.

    Newton County is more active in poultry production, however, and will likely be well represented at the expo.

    In fact, poultry is the premier agriculture industry in  Mississippi. The impact of the poultry industry on the state’s economy is more than $6.5 billion each year and provides employment to 70,000 Mississippians, according to information on the Mississippi State University Extension Service website.

    The expo benefits both the farmers and the exhibitors with advanced research and technology, a press release states.

    “The main focus of the expo is the development of quality farms with wide reaching networking opportunities and includes educational seminars, and trade shows featuring agricultural equipment, such as Southern Tractor in the 2012 expo, for beef and poultry producers,” according to the press release.

    The expo will begin at 9 a.m. and the educational sessions will include ventilation, estate planning, women in agriculture and forage quality/haylage.

    The expo is sponsored by  Mississippi State University Extension Service in Jasper, Newton, Rankin, Scott, Simpson and Smith Counties, and Community Bank.

    Beef and poultry producers from throughout the region are expected to attend the event, which will feature between 55 to 60 vendors, organizers said.