Senator John Kennedy's Staff Visit Rice Industry

By Kane Webb

USA Rice

Members of Senator John Kennedy’s staff from Washington D.C. and local Louisiana offices spent an afternoon here to visit and learn more about the current issues facing the U.S. and Louisiana rice industries.

The group met at Supreme Rice Mill to hear presentations from John Morgan and Danny Nugier, followed by a tour of the mill to see the expansion currently underway at the facility.

The group then spent the afternoon at Alan Lawson’s farm north of Crowley where they heard about the many challenges facing rice farmers in any given year such as weather, and the extraordinary situations growers are dealing with this year, including sky-high input costs and the availability of those very inputs.

The group was also treated to a ride in a crawfish boat, to learn about the relationship between crawfish and rice, how the delicacy is harvested, and the importance of the H2A program that makes the crawfish industry in southwest Louisiana possible.

"We appreciate Senator Kennedy's staff taking the time to visit with us in the field, getting to see firsthand the issues we are facing and the impacts they have on our operations," said Lawson. "You can explain what we deal with on a daily basis, but it has a lasting impact when we can share that experience in person."