MAUI, HI – The USA Rice Millers’ Association (RMA), one of the oldest agribusiness organizations in the U.S., gathered here last week for their 124th convention for strategic planning, a Board of Directors meeting, networking events, and enlightening and provocative presentations on important topics.

As in recent years, shortcomings with Class 1 railroad service and needed ocean shipping reform was a burning topic; as was export competitiveness, hampered by bad actors and trade cheats such as India and others. U.S. grain quality and supporting research dominated many conversations, and of course, the status of the 2024 Farm Bill and food safety and labeling regulations also factored heavily in meetings.

When it comes to rice stinkbug, Midsouth rice farmers have few insecticide options and experience widespread failures with pyrethroid products like Lambda-Cy. Through university trials in Arkansas, research confirmed the quality and economic net return of all the available products, with two standing out above the rest. 

Nominate an outstanding consultant for the Rice Consultant of the Year Award. It is helpful to include background information about the consultant and support letters from people who know him or her.

More than 250 people from more than 25 countries across six continents attended the 2024 International Temperate Rice Conference (ITRC) held here last week. USA Rice and the Louisiana State University AgCenter co-hosted the four-day event, and USA Rice President & CEO Peter Bachmann was on hand to welcome attendees.

“Research within the industry over the last half of a century has led to monumental breakthroughs and growth in yields and production efficiency, and when you combine this impressive group of professionals from all corners of the globe with modern technology and turn them loose, our opportunities for advancement of the world’s rice industry are limitless,” said Bachmann. 

Nutrien, a leading crop inputs and services provider, recently committed $1 million over four years to support sustainable agriculture practices for rice growers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Texas and California.

Through the USA Rice and Ducks Unlimited decade-long Rice Stewardship Program (Rice Stewardship), we have built a field team of partners who have worked on more than 1,000 rice farms spanning nearly one million acres, improving agricultural and environmental performances.

Ahead of the International Temperate Rice Conference (ITRC) hosted by USA Rice and the Louisiana State University Ag Center, members of the Australian rice industry including the Australian Rice Growers Association and university researchers, took a preconference detour to experience the U.S. rice industry firsthand. The group of 19 arrived in Houston last Wednesday and met up with USA Rice’s Dr. Steve Linscombe, Kane Webb, and Shelby Young for two days of touring south Texas.

Developing rice varieties that are heat and saltwater tolerant and can withstand disease and insect pests is a primary goal of the CRISP rice project. LSU AgCenter correspondent Craig Gautreaux gives us some insight into the project.

On Thursday, the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Agriculture convened to consider its version of the 2024 Farm Bill, formally known as H.R. 8467, The Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2024, ultimately passing the measure by a bipartisan vote of 33 to 21.

This “markup” process allows Committee members to vote to accept or reject amendments offered to the bill by other members of the Committee. The session lasted approximately 11 hours, with the Committee approving a handful of amendments that aren’t directly impactful to the U.S. rice industry.