Conservation groups hoping to preserve waterfowl habitat on more than 800,000 acres of land have proposed a $375 million Environmental Quality Incentives Program initiative that would pay farmers to conserve small wetlands and flood rice fields after harvest.

Under the Migratory Bird Resurgence Initiative, the Natural Resources Conservation Service would reserve $250 million in funding for EQIP projects that conserve wetlands smaller than two acres in five prairie pothole states and $125 million for post-harvest flooding in California and four Southern states.

Last week, India’s egregious World Trade Organization (WTO) domestic support violations, particularly those related to rice subsidies, were put front and center for U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Katherine Tai during two Congressional hearings.

Last week, several USA Rice members worked together to deliver a shipment of U.S.-grown rice to help feed the people of Ukraine.

This probably isn’t a secret to most rice producers: Rice markets are different than those for other commodities in that, for openers, they are dominated by two countries – India and the People’s Republic of China.

Last summer, Julie and Christian Richard hosted a video production team from Wild Hive, a strategy and communications firm from Austin, Texas, to take part in a project highlighting U.S. rice and seafood for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS).

The House Agriculture Committee held a hearing Wednesday focused on climate change and the upcoming 2023 Farm Bill. During the hearing, several Members highlighted the formidable economic situation on American farms given ever-increasing input costs.

As the situation on the ground in Ukraine continues to deteriorate, USA Rice has been working to respond and offer assistance. In the first two weeks of the conflict, more than 2.5 million refugees have left their homes seeking safety in neighboring countries and in safer areas within Ukraine.