|
|
Article: Rural areas face challenges
- Article from:
- The Mississippi Business Journal
- Article date:
- February 19, 2001
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright Mississippi Business Journal Feb 19, 2001. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
|
STARKVILLE - Times are tough down on the farm and the small towns that surround them. Rural areas of Mississippi that traditionally are very heavily dependent on agriculture haven't fared well in recent years due to low farm commodity prices combined with increased agricultural mechanization that has meant fewer farm workers are needed. Low-skill manufacturing jobs in those areas have also been lost.
A major transformation of the state's economy is underway as the population of Mississippi shifts from being predominantly rural to urban.
"There are certain areas of rural Mississippi that are doing okay," said Bo Beaulieu, director of the Southern Rural Development Center in Starkville. "But ...