The U.S. rice industry has made impressive gains in sustainability over the last 40 years. Yet the crop is still at risk due to climate change, disease outbreaks, pests and human activity that can cause disturbances in production. The LSU AgCenter is continuing its research on rice sustainability, in large part thanks to a $10 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Read MoreThis month’s 2025/26 U.S. corn outlook indicates greater supplies, larger exports, and a slight reduction in ending stocks. Projected beginning stocks for 2025/26 are 20 million bushels higher based on a lower use forecast for 2024/25, with reductions in imports and corn used for ethanol partially offset by an increase in exports. Corn production for 2025/26 is forecast at 16.8 billion bushels, up 72 million from last month as a 2.1-bushel reduction in yield to 186.7 bushels per acre is more than offset by a 1.3 million acre increase in harvested area to 90.0 million acres.
Read MoreFor those who remember taking part in the football game day tailgating cooking competition between Arkansas and Louisiana known as the “Rice Bowl,” mark your calendars because: it’s back! Plan to be on the campus of the University of Louisiana Monroe (ULM) on September 27 when the ULM Warhawks host the Arkansas State University (ARST) Red Wolves in Malone Stadium in a Sun Belt Conference showdown that promises to be delicious, no matter which team wins.
Read MoreThe rice delphacid is wreaking havoc across rice fields in Texas and has recently been spotted in Arkansas and Louisiana. The pest is also a vector of rice hojo blanca virus, which can damage rice plants above and beyond that caused by the insect directly.
Read MoreWhile insiders know U.S.-grown rice is one of the most sustainable and responsibly grown crops in the world, telling that story to those who are unaware is increasingly important. To help recognize the crop’s unique environmental qualities and the women and men who improve rice’s sustainability every day, USA Rice launched a Sustainability Award in 2018 to identify and promote prime examples.
Read MoreEarlier this week, USA Rice hosted a supply chain seminar here for 60 importers and millers from Benin, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Liberia, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal, and Tunisia.
Read MoreHorizon Ag is further extending its portfolio with two new Provisia rice varieties and expects a limited launch of PVL05 and PVL06 in 2026. Tim Walker, Horizon Ag CEO, recently discussed the development of the new varieties along with what farmers can expect in terms of production and potential.
Read MoreThe Rice Delphacid (RD) is an invasive insect that has been a serious pest in rice in Central and South America and in the Caribbean. It was discovered in Texas in 2015 and has caused damage sporadically since that time. However, in 2025, the level of infestations and damage has increased significantly. The insect is also a vector of a disease called Rice Hojo Blanca Virus (RHBV).
Read MoreThe application period for the 2026 Rice Leadership Development Class ends today, September 5.
The Rice Leadership Development Program gives future leaders a comprehensive understanding of the rice industry, with an emphasis on personal development and communication skills. The class attends four one-week sessions over a two-year period that encompasses studies of all aspects of the rice industry through firsthand observations. They also attend seminars and workshops designed to strengthen leadership skills.
Read MoreSeptember is a time of many beginnings: the start of the new school year, football season kickoff, the return of pumpkin spice and cooler weather, and in the rice industry it is the beginning of National Rice Month (NRM). This year marks the 35th anniversary of the month-long national celebration.
Read MoreThis report projects corn, soybeans, wheat, and rice futures prices for the United States for the third quarter (Q3) of 2025. Our analysis utilizes historical data on both cash prices (the price for immediate delivery) and futures prices (the price agreed upon for delivery at a future date).
We aggregate the daily futures prices into quarterly averages to simplify our analysis. Using this dataset, we train several machine learning models to predict futures prices for all four commodities.
Read MoreAs the U.S. rice harvest hits full speed in late August and early September, growers are facing the stark reality that U.S. rice prices are 37% lower than they were at the beginning of the 2024 season.
When Keith Glover, the president and CEO of Arkansas-based Producers Rice Mill, cited that number in a speech to the Little Rock Rotary Club in early August, some analysts questioned it. Glover stands by the percentage.
Read MoreAn invasive insect pest of rice, the rice Delphacid (Tagosodes orizicolus), has been detected in Louisiana. No adverse impacts on rice have been observed in Louisiana as yet, but the detection is certainly a concern. The inset is a major pest of rice in Texas, particularly late-planted and second crop rice.
Specimens were first detected in July in Tensas Parish. Subsequent surveys detected an infestation in western Calcasieu Parish, but its distribution in the State remains largely unknown. It was not detected during initial observations in other areas of northeast or southwest Louisiana, but its occurrence in those are still being investigated. Producers in Calcasieu and Tensas Parishes should exercise caution to avoid additional spread. Rice straw or hay should not be moved out of these Parishes. Producers in other Parishes that detect possible Delphacid infestations should report the sites to LSU AgCenter extension agents.
More information on rice delphacid biology and management can be found on the LSU AgCenter website.
Read MoreBryce Trahan is no stranger to agriculture. He grew up on a rice, crawfish and cattle farm in Forked Island and participated in 4-H and FFA. But the recent Kaplan High School graduate still found plenty to learn at an internship this summer at the LSU AgCenter H. Rouse Caffey Rice Research Station.
Read MoreToday the USA Rice Outlook Conference, coming to New Orleans in December 2025, is widely acknowledged as the preeminent rice event in North America, but where did it come from?
In the late 20th Century, the Cooperative Extension Services in the primary rice growing states assembled annually to update each other about rice research being conducted and their outlook for the coming crop year.
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