Panama Reopens Market for U.S. Milled Rice
Following meetings with Representative Rick Crawford (R-AR), Panama has reopened its market for U.S. milled rice under the U.S.-Panama Trade Promotion Agreement (TPA). This milestone marks a renewed opportunity for U.S. rice while reinforcing trade ties after a protectionist trade agenda under the previous Panamanian administration. Since 2021, Panama has unilaterally converted the milled rice portion of the TPA’s tariff rate quota to rough rice and have only allowed rough rice to enter duty free.
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Latest U.S. Rice Domestic Usage Report Now Available
USA Rice released the annual U.S. Rice Domestic Usage Report today, tracking domestic shipments and consumption of U.S. milled rice from August 2022 through July 2023. This year’s report has added rice flour as a new category under rice delivered to industrial food processors. Additionally, this year’s report continues to include consumer research data that gives a clearer picture of who is eating rice, where they are consuming it, and where they are buying it. These changes have provided better representation of the industry, and a more accurate picture of which types and how much rice is consumed in the U.S.
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Rain Didn't Stop The Yellow Rails
As the first rain event in nearly two months came into South West Louisiana, so did “Birders” from all over the US. The hope of all is to catch a glimpse of the elusive Yellow Rail in Thornwell, LA, also known as “The Yellow Rail Capital of the World,” for the 16th Annual Yellow Rails and Rice Festival this weekend.
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Manipulating Postharvest Rice Field For Maximizing Season Long Food Supply For Crawfish
Crawfish aquaculture is the most profitable aquaculture endeavor in Louisiana, representing roughly 69% of the total gross farm value generated across all commercial aquaculture enterprises in 2022, according to the Louisiana Summary Agriculture and Natural Resources 2022. Crawfish producers in south Louisiana create a suitable wetland habitat for crawfish to survive, reproduce and grow to harvest size in shallow water impoundments used for both crawfish and rice.
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2024 Midsouth Crop Progress: End of Season Recap
In south Louisiana, Paul Johnson was amidst rice harvest of his ratoon crop, and yields were stronger than expected. “I am pleased with what we are seeing so far. They are not the yields we had last year, but I think last year was an anomaly. I don’t think we will ever see that again,” Johnson said. “The second crop yields are strong.”
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Rice Gets the Royal Treatment at 87th International Rice Festival
The 87th Annual International Rice Festival (IRF) took place this past weekend, bringing together an estimated 100,000 attendees to celebrate the state's deeply rooted connection to rice under the theme “Rice: a Louisiana Cuisine.”
The festival is Louisiana’s longest-running free agricultural event, as well as one of its largest; Festival President Joshua Spell, a Crowley native and executive chef at the popular local eatery Fezzo’s, emphasized the importance of keeping the festival free for the community.
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What's It Like To Mill Louisiana Rice By the Barrell?
When I was young, broke and first started doing my grocery shopping, I fell in love with rice.
It was cheap. It tasted good. It went with almost anything — and I could cook it 100 different ways.
I still love rice, which is why I was excited to visit Crowley to see rice in its natural habitat.
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More Rice Sales To Cuba Could Help Both Countries
U.S. merchants shipped 1,125 metric tons of rice to Cuba in 2023. Considering that Cuba imports around 600,000 to 700,000 metric tons of rice per year, that may not seem like much of an accomplishment.
But it’s a 500% increase from the total of U.S. rice shipped to Cuba in 2022.
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Louisiana Crop Market Update: October 2024
The 2024/25 U.S. corn outlook calls for smaller supplies, larger exports, and reduced ending stocks. Projected beginning stocks for 2024/25 are 52 million bushels lower based on the Grain Stocks report. Corn production is forecast at 15.2 billion bushels, up 17 million from last month on a 0.2-bushel increase in yield to 183.8 bushels per acre. Harvested area for grain is unchanged at 82.7 million acres. Total use is raised slightly to 15.0 billion bushels reflecting greater exports.
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Louisiana Crop Production: October 11, 2024
Louisiana corn for grain production is forecast at 84.1 million bushels, down 1 percent from September 1 forecast and down 29 percent from 2023. Based on conditions as of October 1, yield is expected to average 189 bushels per acre, down 2 bushels from last month but up 14 bushels from last year. Harvested acreage for grain is estimated at 445,000 acres, down 235,000 acres from 2023.
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National Rice Month Video Contest Deadline Approaches
The clock is ticking for the annual National Rice Month (NRM) Scholarship video contest! The deadline for entries is Tuesday, October 15.
Less than two weeks away but more than enough time for eligible students, graduating high school seniors from Arkansas, California, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, or Texas, to create a short video – three minutes or less – that educates, entertains, and tells why rice is special to you, to your state, or to the world.
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Yellow Rails and Rice Festival: Birders and Farmers Go in Search of Elusive Marsh Bird
The heart of Cajun Country in Louisiana’s southwest prairie region is bracing for an influx of visitors for a unique agritourism event.
The 16th annual Yellow Rails and Rice Festival has birders from 30 states and Washington, D.C., flocking to Thornwell for a three-day event beginning Oct. 30.
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Southwest Louisiana Farmers Urge Congress To Act As Key Farm Bill Expires
The future of American farming is at a critical crossroads as a key piece of legislation, the 2018 Farm Bill, expired on September 30, 2024, leaving farmers across the country anxious about their financial survival.
Allen McLain, a second-generation rice farmer in Vermilion Parish, said the current farm bill—originally passed six years ago—is no longer adequate to address the economic challenges facing today’s farmers.
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Richard Farms In Kaplan Hosts Model Rice Farm Field Day
This past week, the Louisiana State University (LSU) AgCenter held a Model Farm Rice Field Day as part of the Patrick F. Taylor Foundation Grant, designed to provide up-to-date information on rice production and how it relates to conservation, sustainability, and best management practices (BMP). The gathering took place at Richard Farms, north of Kaplan.
Julie and Christian Richard’s farm is a familiar site for field days in southwest Louisiana, as they host several events throughout the year, opening their operation whenever asked to welcome guests from both the rice industry and those outside the agriculture world.
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National Rice Month Video Contest Deadline Approaches
The clock is ticking for the annual National Rice Month (NRM) Scholarship video contest! The deadline for entries is Tuesday, October 15.
Less than two weeks away but more than enough time for eligible students, graduating high school seniors from Arkansas, California, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, or Texas, to create a short video – three minutes or less – that educates, entertains, and tells why rice is special to you, to your state, or to the world.
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