It's a time filled with live bands, carnival rides and of course, festival food. It's also a time to remember the struggles that rice farmers faced this year with the drought and high temperatures effecting rice crops and the industry.
KATC spoke with one family who has been rice farming for 6 generations and hopes to pass on the love of rice and stress the importance of it for the future generations to come.
Read MoreThis past weekend, the International Rice Festival held its 86th Annual Queen and Honoree’s Ball to kick off the week of the festival and honor those in the local rice industry presiding over this year’s festivities.
Audrey Spencer, a lifelong educator and resident of Crowley, will serve as the Children’s Parade Grand Marshall on Friday afternoon, and Christine and Dwayne Fulton, with Falcon Rice Mill of Crowley, will serve as the Grand Parade Marshalls for Saturday’s Parade.
Read MoreThis month’s 2023/24 U.S. corn outlook is for reduced supplies, lower feed and residual use and exports, and smaller ending stocks. Corn production is forecast at 15.064 billion bushels, down 70 million on a cut in yield to 173.0 bushels per acre. Corn supplies are forecast at 16.451 billion bushels, a decline of 160 million bushels from last month, with lower production and beginning stocks.
Read MoreIn less than two months, the rice industry will descend on Indian Wells, California, for the 2023 USA Rice Outlook Conference at the family-friendly and beautiful Hyatt Regency Indian Wells Resort & Spa. The Early Bird registration deadline has been extended to Friday, October 20. The USA Rice room block at the Hyatt Regency Indian Wells Resort and Spa is full, but a nearby overflow hotel is being added. Please check the website for more information.
Read MoreStep into the lush landscapes of Louisiana, where agriculture is the backbone of the community. This state is teeming with a variety of crops, from towering sugarcane to sprawling rice fields. This article focuses on the top crops that add serious value to Louisiana’s economy and fill our dinner plates with Southern goodness.
Read MoreThe U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives have officially recognized the 10th anniversary of the USA Rice-Ducks Unlimited Rice Stewardship Partnership, a trailblazing conservation program that offers aid to rice producers addressing water quantity, water quality, and wildlife habitat on their land.
Since its inception, the Rice Stewardship Partnership has impacted more than 800,000 acres of rice on over 1,000 farms.
Read MoreLast week, USA Rice Vice President Of Policy & Government Affairs Peter Bachmann and Ana LeFort, a rice trader for Supreme Rice Mill in Crowley, Louisiana, participated in a “first of its kind” conference here for private sector businesses from Cuba.
Nearly 100 business owners and entrepreneurs from Cuba representing the country’s burgeoning private sector participated in Expeditio USA No 1 to learn about opportunities to facilitate more trade with U.S. businesses.
Read MoreLate last week, the Prioritizing Offensive Agricultural Disputes and Enforcement Act was introduced in both the House and Senate establishing a joint task force on agricultural trade enforcement between the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and signaling more engagement with Congress and the private sector on the development of agricultural dispute priorities.
Read MoreCongressman Clay Higgins (R-LA), a staunch advocate for Louisiana's agricultural community, and Congressman Rick Crawford (R-AR) introduced the Prioritizing Offensive Agriculture Disputes and Enforcement Act. The bill identifies trade barriers to the United States agriculture exports and develops strategies to enforce violations of trade agreements.
The initiative enhances Congressman Higgins' ongoing efforts to support Louisiana's unique agricultural needs in the Farm Bill.
Read MoreU.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) introduced two bills to protect Louisiana rice and shrimp against China and India’s dumping of cheap shrimp and produce into U.S. markets. The Prioritizing Offensive Agricultural Disputes and Enforcement Act and the India Shrimp Tariff Act will both protect the Louisiana agricultural industry while ensuring that food that appears on U.S. store shelves meets U.S. health standards.
Read MoreThe Louisiana rice industry celebrates National Rice Month doing what they do best – cooking and sharing the region’s homegrown rice!
Throughout the month, annual cooking competitions from the Port of Lake Charles to Jennings to Crowley reward rice chefs with prizes, recognition, and bragging rights.
Read MoreLouisiana rice farmers will get a little extra help from the federal government this year.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced that rice producers will receive an additional payment through the Farm Service Agency’s Rice Production Program, which provides up to $250 million in assistance to rice farmers.
Read MoreFriday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency announced that final payments for rice farmers through the Rice Production Program (RPP) payment will soon be made.
The RPP is $250 million in assistance specifically for U.S. rice farmers who in 2022 experienced stagnant rice market prices and record high input costs. The funding was provided for in the 2023 Consolidated Appropriations Act at the request of USA Rice.
Read MoreA historic building in Crowley is getting a bit of a makeover.
The Rice Theatre, situated in downtown Crowley, has remained untouched by renovations for over 20 years.
Read MoreLouisiana is known the world over for its love of revelry and food and the two came together last week for the inaugural Louisiana Food & Wine Festival where U.S. rice was served, sampled, and distributed throughout the weekend. Thanks to generous donations and support from four local USA Rice members – Falcon Rice Mill, Farmers Rice Mill, Kennedy Rice, and Supreme Rice – USA Rice signage and “Grown in the USA” messaging was everywhere.
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