We know two things in this world – that rice is a great grain and that the people of Louisiana know how to throw a party. Both points were proven last week during festivities here surrounding the 84th International Rice Festival (IRF) – the largest and oldest (and free) agricultural festival in the state.

After skipping a year because of the pandemic – the only other time IRF missed a year was during World War II – people were ready to celebrate rice! And celebrate they did, converting downtown Crowley into festival central.

Last week, the 2021 fiscal year wrapped up, and with it another banner year for U.S. rice in international food assistance programs. From October 1, 2020, through September 30, 2021, the U.S. rice industry provided more than 148,000 MT of nutritious, high-quality rice to those in need. This is an increase of 20 percent over FY2020, which was also a big year for rice in food aid, with an increase in tonnage of more than 50 percent over the prior year.

Rice was used in 29 different countries and also well-represented across all three international food assistance programs – the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) McGovern-Dole Food for Education and Food for Progress, as well as the U.S. Agency for International Development’s (USAID) emergency feeding programs.

Every year during the third week of October, the town of Crowley, Louisiana, stops everything they’re doing to celebrate all things R-I-C-E at the International Rice Festival. The festival starts today and runs through the weekend but a group of local elementary students got a jump on the festivities with a rice production tutorial that made a special visit to their school.

Following the cancellation of the 2020 USA Rice Outlook Conference due to the coronavirus pandemic, industry leaders were happy to officially launch the in-person 2021 event today. “Over the last year and a half, we’ve all seen our share of events being canceled, rescheduled, or moving online, and while those approaches have worked, it was time for us to be back in person, gathering together, learning, and reconnecting,” said Bobby Hanks, chair of USA Rice. “The Outlook Conference is the largest rice-specific event in North America and its absence last year was felt. It’s good to be heading back!

While 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.

Last weekend’s National Rice Month (NRM) festivities here had something for everyone as Kids Day kicked off with Mayor Tim Monceaux signing a proclamation declaring September as National Rice Month in Crowley, the Rice Capital of the World. Joining Mayor Monceaux was International Rice Festival Queen Jimi Joubert who reminded everyone that “September is National Rice Month, but every day is Rice Day in Crowley!”

Hundreds of children and their parents made their way through City Hall, where USA Rice teamed up with Acadia Parish Tourism to remind everyone to “Thank a Rice Farmer.”

Part of the NRM celebration included National Rice Krispies Treat Day! All visitors received a sampling of the favorite rice treats along with a chance to watch the comedic Rice Farming TV episode, “How Rice Krispie Treats Are Made,” created by California rice grower Matthew Sligar.

“Matt’s video was a hit, and an easy, relatable way for us to share the importance of the local and national rice industries and the role that rice farmers play in providing the key ingredient to these fun-filled snacks,” said Nancy Loewer with the Acadia Parish Tourism Bureau.

Later in the day, the International Rice Festival held its annual Rice and Gravy Cooking Contest, where teams from the Crowley area prepared rice recipes for judging and samples for all attendees. Falcon Rice Mill and its Cajun Country Rice brand sponsored the event, and Supreme Rice Mill had a team that participated in the contest.

“Cooking events like this are a great way to promote rice,” said Robbie Trahan, an owner of Falcon Rice who also serves as chair of the USA Rice Domestic Promotion Committee. “There are a lot of titles you can earn as a cook, but in south Louisiana, being named the Best Rice and Gravy Cook is a true honor.”

Students in the Port of Lake Charles area geared up for a similar cooking competition on Wednesday sponsored by the Calcasieu-Cameron Rice Growers Association. The event was cancelled last year due to Hurricanes Laura and Delta.

“It felt good to get back to tradition with our Rice Cook-Off,” said Cal Cam Rice Growers President Adam Habetz. “With everything we have been through over the last year, getting back to something familiar goes a long way, and celebrating National Rice Month with the Port of Lake Charles reminds everyone that our industry is strong and here to stay.”

One of the contest judges was Mary Jemison, who retired from USA Rice a few years ago, but jumped at the chance to sample the variety of dishes prepared by the students. Farmers Rice Mill of Lake Charles provided rice cookers for each student who entered the contest.

Throughout the remainder of September, and leading up to the International Rice Festival in Crowley on October 15-18, many more events honoring rice farmers and the rice industry are planned so the celebration continues!

Haiti is on the edge of failure. The recent earthquake and the assassination of President Moise Jovenel has pushed already weak institutions and a dangerous security situation over the edge making normal trade impossible. One U.S. industry has been hit particularly hard: rice farmers. Rice exporters from Louisiana have been trying to navigate the security situation in Port-Au-Prince to get life-saving American food into stores, but have been met with the terror of gangs that will not allow them to trade freely. Continuing to ignore the quickly deteriorating situation in our neighbor’s capital city comes at the expense of U.S. economic and national security.

MID-SOUTH RICE COUNTRY -- Rice harvest is well underway in the northern rice production area of the mid-south where a high percentage of U.S. rice is grown. In general, yields have been good to excellent while head rice milling yields are off-somewhat.

More than 50 percent of Arkansas rice is harvested at this point, according to Dr. Jarrod Hardke, University of Arkansas rice extension specialist, as harvest completion ranges between 30-75 percent for individual producers. “Yields have mostly been exceptional with occasional poor fields as outliers,” said Hardke. “Milling quality has been below average and extremely erratic with some good and above average milling out there but they are the exceptions. Peck levels are notably higher than last year.”

MERIGOLD, MS -- Yesterday Delta Rice Promotions, the rice promotion board representing Mississippi, held its annual National Rice Month (NRM) celebration here. After a downsizing of the event due to COVID-19 in 2020, the historic event returned stronger than ever in a brand-new format transitioning from the traditional Delta Rice Tasting Luncheon to the Delta Rice Festival. The festival format allowed for a larger outdoor celebration of NRM while also increasing the event offerings for the public.