Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai today announced the appointment or reappointment of 55 members to serve on seven agricultural trade advisory committees.
The advisory committee system was created by Congress to ensure that U.S. agricultural stakeholders have input and insight into U.S. trade policy and negotiating objectives.
Read MoreWith August upon us, Congress has adjourned until September, giving Members of Congress the opportunity to return to their home districts and states where they will hold constituent meetings, town halls, and community events. Over the next five weeks, it will be critical for these elected officials to hear from U.S. rice industry stakeholders about important issues before reconvening for the final stretch of the 118th Congress.
Read MoreLouisiana agriculture generates approximately $3 billion in sales each year, but in most years agricultural productivity is negatively affected by hurricane damage. Louisianans are familiar with the devastation and loss of life and property that can accompany a hurricane event as the state experiences, on average, one hurricane every three years. The total economic losses from a single hurricane can reach tens of billions of dollars, while agricultural losses can exceed one billion dollars. Louisiana is a major agricultural producer for the United States, but the structures, livestock, and crops are highly exposed to extreme wind and flooding during hurricane events.
Read MoreFarmers understand the importance of conservation, and as a leading provider of crop inputs and services, Nutrien understands the importance of supporting their growers. Recently, the company announced its collaborative partnership with the USA Rice and Ducks Unlimited Rice Stewardship Program.
Nutrien’s commitment to the Rice Stewardship Program is a $1 million contribution over four years to further encourage the adoption of sustainable practices in all six rice producing states: Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Texas, and California.
Read MoreUSA Rice recently held its inaugural Breeder Workshop at the Louisiana State University (LSU) AgCenter H. Rouse Caffey (HRC) Rice Research Station, fostering a unique exchange between U.S.-based rice researchers and Central American industry professionals. The workshop aimed to identify U.S. rice varieties that align with Latin American consumer preferences, a crucial step in enhancing product appeal and regaining market share in the region.
Read MoreLast week, USA Rice staff participated in the Model Farm Field Day at Armstrong Farms here. This event, hosted in collaboration with the National Black Growers Council and the Morehouse Black Farmers & Landowners Association, provided a unique opportunity for farmers, industry professionals, and community members to come together and learn from one another.
The festivities began the evening before with a welcome dinner where participants gathered to share a meal, enjoy each other's company, and dance the night away, which set the tone for a field day filled with camaraderie and shared learning.
Read MoreLeadership changes are all around us these days, and it’s not just national politics; USA Rice makes leadership changes every two years during the USA Rice Summer Meetings.
Read MoreThe Rice Farmer of the Year, Rice Industry Award, and Rice Lifetime Achievement Award deadline has been extended to August 1, 2024.
Read MoreLate last week, a group of Louisiana’s agricultural leaders sat down for a genuine conversation about the current state of agriculture in Louisiana and across the country with U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and John Boozman (R-AR), ranking member of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee, at the Louisiana Farm Bureau (LFBF) office in Baton Rouge.
Read MoreGravity is a wonderful thing, especially when it helps rice farmers flood their fields using conventional levee systems, a practice also known as cascade irrigation.
Although farmers and researchers have developed new water-saving techniques for irrigating rice, conventional levee-gate systems remain the preferred irrigation practice for many Midsouth rice producers.
Read MoreSupreme Rice recently became a sponsor of the Rice Leadership Development Program, joining the three current, long-term sponsors, American Commodity Company, John Deere, and RiceTec. Supreme is Louisiana’s largest rice milling operation with mills in Crowley and Mermentau, Louisiana, and Crawfordsville, Arkansas.
“We at Supreme strongly believe in this outstanding program and are honored to support the effort to foster a deep reservoir of leaders to ensure the U.S. rice industry remains viable and relevant,” said Supreme Rice CEO Bobby Hanks.
Read MoreThe 2024/25 U.S. corn outlook indicates larger supplies, greater domestic use and exports, and slightly lower ending stocks. Beginning stocks for corn were lowered 145 million bushels largely upon greater use forecasted for 2023/24. Exports were raised by 75 million bushels based on current outstanding sales and shipments to date. Feed and residual use is up 75 million bushels based on indicated disappearance in the Grain Stocks report for June.
Read MoreIt is amazing that no matter how much you know about rice or whom you know in our industry there is always something new to learn and someone new to meet. This was definitely the case during Session II of the Rice Leadership Development Program as we traveled throughout Missouri, Mississippi, and Arkansas, all states with which I am very familiar as my territory with Horizon Ag covers northeast Arkansas and Missouri, and I was raised on a rice farm in the Mississippi Delta.
Read MoreThe Rice Leadership Development Program gives future leaders a comprehensive understanding of the rice industry, with an emphasis on personal development and communication skills. The class attends four one-week sessions over a two-year period that encompasses studies of all aspects of the rice industry through firsthand observations. They also attend seminars and workshops designed to strengthen leadership skills.
Read MoreOn Sunday, fourth-generation rice farmer Richard Fontenot of Ville Platte was elected the 13th president of the Louisiana Farm Bureau.
Fontenot, who in addition to rice farms soybeans and crawfish, succeeds Jim Harper of Cheneyville, in leading the more than 100-year-old organization.
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