The 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 MoreThe 89th annual International Rice Festival in Crowley, Louisiana, is scheduled for October 15-18, 2026, and organizers have released this year's entertainment lineup.
Read MoreThe International Rice Festival has named Jarrod Breaux its 2026 Farmer of the Year, an honor recognizing his contributions to one of Acadiana's most important industries.
Breaux describes farming as something that's always been there. Though he comes from a family with roots in agriculture, he built his operation independently after his father and grandparents left the industry.
Read MoreEarlier this week, ADM Rice confirmed the sale to Al Awees of two additional vessels of U.S. long grain milled rice totaling 88,000 metric tons. The shipments are scheduled to be loaded in September and November, providing a critical boost for U.S. long grain rice exports and bringing additional certainty to the market as the industry begins the 2026 harvest.
Read MoreMore than 100 USA Rice volunteer leaders gathered here last week for annual membership meetings, budget and policy discussions, and program reviews. During the two packed days, ten committees, seven boards of directors, one working group, and all six major rice producing state delegations met to set the industry’s course ahead.
Read MoreThe RICE Awards recognize individuals who embrace the values of Resilience, Innovation, Contribution and Excellence (RICE) in their work throughout the rice industry. If you know someone who exemplifies these characteristics, help us honor their incredible achievements by nominating them for a 2026 RICE Award.
Read MoreThis month’s 2026/27 U.S. corn outlook is for smaller supplies, greater exports, and reduced ending stocks. Corn beginning stocks are cut 125 million bushels to 2.0 billion, reflecting an increase in feed and residual use that is partly offset by a reduction in corn used for ethanol for 2025/26. Feed and residual use is raised 150 million bushels based on indicated disappearance in the June 30 Grain Stocks report.
Read MoreThe LSU AgCenter Rice Research Station’s latest newsletter highlights current research, industry trends, and upcoming events in rice production.
Read MoreOn June 30, Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, Glenn “GT” Thompson (PA-15), introduced the bipartisan Securing Agriculture’s Workforce Act of 2026 (SAWA or H.R. 9535), which would expand access to the H-2A agricultural guest worker program. The H-2A visa program, established under the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, allows U.S. agricultural employers to hire temporary non-immigrant foreign workers when domestic labor is unavailable.
Read MoreRice feeds more people than any other crop on Earth, supplying roughly one-fifth of all calories consumed globally and serving as a staple food for more than half the world’s population.
Yet breeding better rice varieties is becoming increasingly complicated.
Read MoreEarlier this week, a group of central Louisiana farmers met with state officials to discuss the recent flooding caused by Tropical Storm Arthur, which set a new record for 24 hours of rainfall in the state with just over 29 inches. The impacts of the storm are still being felt as water slowly recedes downstream, causing issues for low lying areas of cropland south of central Louisiana.
Read MoreUSDA’s much-anticipated Acreage Report was released on June 30th. Corn acreage stayed large, but lower-than-expected corn and wheat stocks gave traders enough demand support to trigger relief buying and short-covering after a sharp June selloff.
Grain markets treated the Acreage and Grain Stocks reports as less bearish than the headline corn acreage number first suggested. USDA pegged corn planted area at 95.343 million acres, above the average pre-report trade estimate near 94.99 million acres, with harvested area for grain forecast at 87.434 million acres.
Read MoreAfter spring planting is complete, agricultural producers in Louisiana should make an appointment with their local Farm Service Agency (FSA) parish office to complete crop acreage reports before the applicable deadline.
Read MoreLast week, Louisiana rice farmer Fred Zaunbrecher, who serves as chair of the USA Rice Farmers Board of Directors, joined Arkansas rice farmers Tim and Robin Ralston and other agricultural leaders from across the country for dinner at the White House Rose Garden Club hosted by President Trump.
Read MoreThe recent announcement from Riceland Foods that they were temporarily shuttering nine of 23 rice dryers was shocking. The fact that Producers’ Rice Mill has indicated they may pause operations at two of their dryers as well is confirmation that this is not a headline to skim past. Nor is it a sign of poor leadership – in fact, it’s the exact opposite. These are sound management decisions in a brutal year – and that should be a wake-up call for policymakers and legislators.
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