Rice: It’s What’s for Dinner
Cole Norris
LSU Ag Leadership Class XVII
And lunch. And breakfast. And a few desserts. To say that rice is a staple of the Costa Rican diet would be an understatement. In fact, most meals Class XVII have enjoyed on our international trip have one commonality… RICE. On average, Costa Ricans per capita consume 125 pounds of rice per year. The per capita rice consumption in the U.S. is a meager 27 pounds. Some rough calculations around the dinner table a few nights ago indicate that our group might be able to meet our annual rice consumption quota by the end of this trip.
Over the past two days we have had the opportunity to tour a rice mill and meet two different rice farmers. In 2022, Costa Rica grew nearly 44,000 acres of rice. By comparison, Louisiana grew 400,000 acres of rice. Due to demand, Costa Rica is a net importer of rice, most of which comes from South America. In addition to consuming a lot of rice, Costa Ricans are also very particular about a key trait of their rice. It MUST be loose, meaning that no rice sticks together once it’s been cooked, which is a trait of rice coming from the United States. The people here prefer that their rice cascades across their plates, much like lava flowing from the Arenal Volcano, which is the backdrop at breakfast this morning.
LSU Ag Leadership Class XVII at the farm of Sr. Israel Araya. The volcanoes of Cossta Rica make a dramatic backdrop for this 300-acre farm near Bebedero. The farmers here are less worried about volcanoes than the recent move by the government to drop the import tariff rate to just 10 percent of what it was. Some Costa Rican ag experts fear this may be the end of the country's domestic rice production.
Rice producers in Costa Rica face some of the same issues as producers in Louisiana. High fertilizer and input costs have put a strain on their bottom line leaving many examining other options. However, most of the land used for rice production here is unsuited for other crops. Adding to the burden that every farmer is facing, the Costa Rican government recently lowered tariffs on rice imports from 35% to 3.5%, further exacerbating an already difficult situation for rice farmers here.
Class XVII examines these rice fields near Bebedero, while taking in the view. Costa Ricans consume 125 lbs of rice per year, while Americans consume about 27. Conversely, Costa Rica grew 44,000 acres of rice last year, while Louisiana alone grew 400,000 acres. Yet, most of the rice imported into the country comes from other countries in Central and South America.
Yesterday afternoon, we met with a local producer, and I had the opportunity to exchange information with him, via a translator, about each other’s operations. I asked him with all the hardships he’s facing, why did he continue farming. He acknowledged the difficulties, but told me he loves getting up early in the morning, putting on his rubber boots, and walking his fields. The passion for his profession was evident in his eyes, and I didn’t need a translator to understand that.
Rice farmer Cole Norris smells some cooked rice from the farm of Israel Araya as Jacob Nugier, left and Marshall Hardwick wait their turn. Norris is smelling the farm's organic rice, and the bowl being pointed to contains conventionally-grown rice.
Growing up on a rice farm in Madison Parish, I have witnessed the hardships of farming rice first hand for decades. My dad will tell you that I started my career as a levee gate. As a kid, he would use me to plug a washout in a rice levee so he could patch it without having to deal with the current washing each shovel full of mud away. It made his job easier, and I seemed enjoy playing in the mud and water. Even at 76 years old, you’ll find dad up early in the mornings, putting on his rubber boots, and walking his fields…. The passion evident in his eyes.
As our trip nears completion, I have been reminded of the dedication, hard work, and optimism it takes to be a farmer, regardless of nationality. I’ve also decided I’m not going to eat any rice until at least March…. maybe longer.