As we approach Rice Festival weekend in Crowley, let's take a trip back in time courtesy of some really slick photo editing and colorization.
Read More
Dr. Ronnie Levy, the rice specialist at the Louisiana State University (LSU) AgCenter, has been chosen as the 85th International Rice Festival Honoree. Dr. Levy was honored at the festival’s Queen’s Ball and Honoree Social on Saturday, October 8. The festival kicks off here starting tomorrow, October 20, through Sunday, October 23. The International Rice Festival is the largest community-based festival in Louisiana and celebrates the entire Louisiana rice industry.
Read More
This month’s 2022/23 U.S. corn outlook is for reduced supplies, greater feed and residual use, lower exports and corn used for ethanol, and smaller ending stocks. Corn production is forecast at 13.895 billion bushels, down 49 million on a reduction in yield to 171.9 bushels per acre. Corn supplies are forecast at 15.322 billion bushels, a decline of 172 million bushels from last month, as lower production and beginning stocks are partially offset by higher imports.
Read More
It’s “Monday’s favorite meal.”
A Louisiana tradition that dates back to the 19th century is still alive and Governor John Bel Edwards has officially declared October 24 as “Red Beans & Rice Day.”
Read More
This year’s rice harvest in southwest Louisiana could be the costliest and possibly one of the more frustrating ones for many farmers in what could have been a banner year in the industry.
Read More
Since Prime Minister Ariel Henry’s September announcement that he was ending subsidies for fuel, violent protests and an uptick in gang violence has ravaged the country. This is an escalation of the violence, kidnappings, and theft of food, fuel, and other goods that have been a part of everyday life here since last year’s assassination of Haitian President Moise. U.S. rice exports have been, taken by gangs directly off ships, off trucks after discharging at port, and even taken from humanitarian warehouses.
Read More
Elton Kennedy came from a family of ministers in rural northeast Louisiana, but he always wanted to be a farmer. When given the chance to lease land with an option to buy in the town of Mer Rouge, he turned to the plow. He farmed his first rice crop in 1969, and over the years, his bulk-rice companies, Kennedy Rice Dryers and Kennedy Rice Mill, grew to include an average of 60 growers per year working over 15,000 acres. But to him, it was a family business all along. "I always thought that I would have a son to take over one day," Elton says. "As it turned out, having four daughters worked out just the same."
Read More
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.
Read More
Last month USA Rice received funding from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Cochran Fellowship Program (CFP) to host Central American rice industry professionals on a tour through rice growing regions in the mid-south. The primary goals of the CFP, named after the late U.S. Senator William Thad Cochran from Mississippi, are to aid in developing agricultural systems in the Fellows’ home countries and to strengthen and enhance agriculture trade linkages with the United States.
Read More
In a low-slung conference room in the West Monroe Convention Center, Mer Rouge native Meryl Kennedy had questions.
The 34-year old CEO of a Morehouse Parish-based rice mill, Kennedy had come to the meeting on a sunny September morning to hear from state officials charged helping revive the state's flagging rural communities.
Read More
We all know farming isn’t easy every year is a gamble. This year being no different, some farmers in Acadiana say inflation and heavy rains everyday are hurting their bottom line.
Read More
Harvest across the southern region has wrapped up. The second crop harvest in Louisiana and west of Houston should kick off soon.
Read More
The 2022 USA Rice Outlook Conference is less than three months away and the scheduled programming is shaping up to be one of the most beneficial events of the year for the rice industry. This year’s conference is December 7-9 in Austin, Texas, and if rice is any part of your business, you should plan to attend for the sessions, trade show, and networking.
Read More
A cooperative research project between the LSU AgCenter and the University of Malaya in Malaysia to develop “climate-smart” rice has received a $50,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service.
Read More
National Rice Month on the award-winning The Rice Stuff podcast began with celebrations and charitable donations that showcase all the promise and community that is integral to the rice community, so it seemed fitting to end the month with a grave challenge facing growers: feral hogs.
Read More