Rice Stewardship Partnership Secures $7.85M Project To Increase Irrigation Efficiency

By Emily Woodall

USA Rice

In 2013, forward-thinking member leaders of USA Rice had the foresight to formally establish the Rice Stewardship Partnership (RSP). This partnership, anchored by USA Rice and Ducks Unlimited, was a first-of-its-kind conservation delivery team focused on voluntary working lands conservation led by a farmer advisory committee with representatives in each rice-growing state. 

Shortly thereafter, the 2014 Farm Bill introduced the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP), and in 2015, the RSP secured its first $10 million project. Now, seven years later, RSP has secured its fourteenth RCPP, surpassing the $100 million milestone for working ricelands conservation funding.

“We thank USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service and our supply chain partners for the progress made to date,” said Jeff Durand, Louisiana rice farmer and co-chair of the RSP. “It is exciting to see the momentum continue, as the RSP has proven success with economic and environmental impact. And never forget, what’s good for rice is good for ducks!”

Successful RCPP projects provide innovative conservation solutions, leverage partner contributions, and offer impactful and measurable outcomes. 

“The RSP is honored to have been selected for one of the 41 locally-led conservation projects nationwide,” said Josh Hankins, director of the RSP. “In this project, the participating partners will offer value-added contributions to amplify the impact of the RCPP funding, and we specifically appreciate the involvement of Entergy, a company that powers life for three million customers across our four-state Mid-South rice regions, with roots in the Gulf South for more than a century.”

The Conjunctive Water Use project was awarded $7.85 million to be utilized in Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana, and will assist producers in implementing practices and systems that increase the availability of surface water resources for irrigation while increasing efficiency, intending to reduce dependency on our Mid-South aquifers. This RCPP will offer additional technical and financial assistance to participating producers.

“Water conservation will always be at the heart of rice production,” said Al Montna, California rice producer and co-chair of the RSP. “We see rice as the environmental crop; water conscious, wildlife friendly, and climate smart.”

None of this progress would be possible without the generous financial support of Rice Stewardship funders, including the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Walmart Foundation, the Mosaic Company Foundation, Nestlé Purina PetCare, Chevron U.S.A., RiceTec, Entergy, Anheuser-Busch InBev, Freeport-McMoRan Foundation, Irene W. and C.B. Pennington Foundation, BASF, American Rice, Inc. – Riviana Foods, Inc., Joe W. and Dorothy Dorsett Brown Foundation, Delta Plastics, Riceland Foods, Corteva Agriscience, Valley Irrigation, Cargill, Wells Fargo, Farmers Rice Milling Company, Horizon Ag, Turner’s Creek & Bombay Hook Farms, MacDon Industries, Farm Credit Associations of Arkansas, Ben Link Farms, and Ducks Unlimited major sponsors.