Tim Walker may not be from Louisiana, but he certainly has some vested interests in the Pelican State’s rice industry. As general manager of HorizonAg, his company has championed the Clearfield, then, subsequently, the Provisia systems that have proven to be vital to Louisiana’s rice industry. He touted these offerings from the HorizonAg display booth at the 2022 U.S.A. Rice Outlook Conference held Dec. 7-9.
Read More5th generation Louisiana rice farmers, JT Meleck, are truly farm-to-glass as they create a distinctly American Rice Whiskey.
Read MoreBAGHDAD, IRAQ – Just prior to the end of 2022, Al Awees from Iraq followed up on their initial purchase of 44,000 tons of U.S. rice with another purchase for the same amount, bringing the sales total for the 2022-23 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to 88,000 tons in the past month.
Commencing in June 2021, Al Awees was officially appointed to handle rice tenders for the Iraqi government. Eventual purchase of an additional 112,000 tons will satisfy the 2022-23 MOU total of 200,000 tons.
Iraq, which typically relies on imports for 90 percent of its rice consumption needs, has recently increased its consumption levels and hence its imports. Iraq’s rice imports averaged 1.1 – 1.2 million tons a few years ago but have now surged to nearly 2 million tons. Local production has moderately increased, from about 120,000 tons to 250,000 tons this past year, and domestic consumption increased from 1.3 million tons to 1.7 million tons in 2022.
Iraq operates a public distribution system where the government provides certain essential food products, such as rice, oil, wheat flour, sugar, and milk. Nearly 90 percent of Iraqi households receive ration cards for subsidized food commodities. The amount of rice in these ration cards has increased from 12kg per person annually in 2017 to 33kg per person in 2022.
“As we enter the New Year, we’re thankful for these sales to Iraq and their two-fold success of bolstering the U.S. industry and providing healthy, nutritious U.S. rice to the Iraqi population,” said USA Rice President & CEO Betsy Ward.
Read MoreTim Walker may not be from Louisiana, but he certainly has some vested interests in the Pelican State’s rice industry. As general manager of HorizonAg, his company has championed the Clearfield, then, subsequently, the Provisia systems that have proven to be vital to Louisiana’s rice industry. He touted these offerings from the HorizonAg display booth at the 2022 U.S.A. Rice Outlook Conference held Dec. 7-9.
Read More“Sustainable is the buzzword,” said Jeff Durand, holding out a single stalk of rice—roots splayed out and covered in dirt. “But our main goal is to be efficient.”
When Jeff and I met in October, the fields were being flooded for the crawfish season. Dozens of traps were piled high in the trails cleared out between fields.
Read MoreThe apple snail, Pomacea maculata, is a global invasive rice pest. Within the past decade, the apple snail has established itself in Louisiana but has only recently begun infesting rice farms in the southwestern region. Adult snails have large brown-green or gold shells and lay large pink egg masses. Their fast-reproductive rate and voracious appetite allow the snails to reach high population densities in natural bodies of water as well as in rice and crawfish ponds.
Read MoreThe U.S. Senate has passed a $1.7 trillion year-end spending package, referred to as an omnibus bill, that funds the Federal government for the remainder of the 2023 fiscal year. In addition to keeping the government funded, the bill also includes a number of other legislative initiatives, including $250 million for U.S. rice farmers to help offset major losses in a year with flat prices and record high input costs.
Read MoreThe 26th Annual National Conservation Systems Cotton & Rice Conference, the Southern Soybean & Corn Conference, the Delta States Irrigation Conference and the Southern Precision Ag Conference are headed to Baton Rouge, LA. The conferences are sponsored by Cotton Incorporated and US Rice Producers Association.
Read MoreMembers of the 2023/25 Rice Leadership Development Program class were announced last Thursday during the annual Rice Awards Luncheon at the 2022 USA Rice Outlook Conference. The class is comprised of seven rice industry professionals selected by a committee of agribusiness leaders.
Read MoreThe U.S. rice industry bolsters our longstanding commitment to conservation and sustainability each year by recognizing industry leaders to showcase their stewardship efforts in preserving wildlife habitat and efficient use of natural resources.
Read MoreEvery year at the Annual Rice Awards Luncheon Rice Farming bestows three awards: Rice Farmer of the Year, the Rice Industry Award, and the Rice Lifetime Achievement Award. These annual recognitions, co-sponsored by Horizon Ag and USA Rice, highlight some of the most positive achievements associated with the U.S. rice industry.
Read MoreWith the Provisia Rice System threatened by weedy rice outcrosses in some areas of Louisiana, industry leaders and farmers in the state have formed a working group to implement strategies to steward and keep this important technology viable for years to come.
Read MoreSix journalists from the United Kingdom (UK) and the European Union (EU) spent last week touring southwest Louisiana rice country for an in-depth look at U.S. rice production with a special emphasis on sustainable production practices.
Read MoreA letter is now in the hands of the chairs of U.S. Senate and House Appropriations Subcommittees on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies and the Ranking Republican Members on those subcommittees seeking aid for farmers and ranchers who suffered losses due to weather disasters in 2022.
Read MoreDecisions on variety selection are some of the earliest and most critical you will make. This information will help you decide which rice varieties are best suited to your particular growing conditions.
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