USA Rice News Feed

USA Rice Members Continue to Press for Farm Bill Passage

Stacy Fitzgerald-Redd — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 21:04:21 +0000

WASHINGTON -- (June 18, 2013) -- USA Rice Federation members continue for a second day Capitol Hill visits to press for passage of the House Agriculture Committee's farm bill, H.R. 1947. Growers and other industry members will visit nearly 60 offices, meeting with lawmakers and their staff in support of the farm bill and its provisions for the commodity title, conservation, crop insurance, trade and food-aid programs. The group is also opposing harmful amendments that have been offered as part of the measure, including amendments to reduce funding for the Foreign Market Development and the Market Access programs.

Rice producers and other industry leaders working on the farm bill are Linda and L.G. Raun, Jackie Loewer, John Owen, Dow Brantley, Bill Reed, Gibb Steele, Paul Combs, and Nicole VanVleck.

As the farm bill process moves forward, the House will vote today to adopt rules that will govern floor debate and decide which of the 227 amendments submitted will move forward. Debate on HR 1947 may begin following the rules process. The 227 amendments were sent to the committee by individual representatives. Only those ruled eligible for floor debate (or ruled "in order") will advance. The current expectation is that the House ultimately will cast votes on some 30 to 40 amendments that will have been ruled in order. Debate on the amendments the House votes to rule in order will begin after that rule is adopted, which could occur possibly later today or tomorrow.

A vote on final passage of HR 1947 is expected on June 20 before 3 pm.

USA Rice strongly supports passage of the House Agriculture Committee's farm bill and strongly opposes any harmful amendments, particularly those that would affect the commodity title, crop-insurance, conservation, trade, and food-aid programs.

Photo caption: The USA Rice group meets before visits to lawmakers. Pictured from left are USA Rice Producers' Group Chairman Linda Raun, USA Rice's Reece Langley, Paul Combs, Bill Reed, and Dow Brantley.

USA Rice Daily - 06/18/13

Stacy Fitzgerald-Redd — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 20:58:00 +0000

USA Rice Daily, Tuesday, June 18, 2013 USA Rice Daily

114th RMA Convention

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 00:00:00 +0000

June 19 - 21, 2013

2013 July Business Meetings

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 00:00:00 +0000

July 13 - 15, 2013

Rules Committee to Hold Emergency Farm Bill Meeting Today as USA Rice Members Work on Capitol ...

Stacy Fitzgerald-Redd — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 21:31:56 +0000

WASHINGTON -- (June 17, 2013) -- With the House of Representatives expected to begin farm-bill debate on June 19, USA Rice Producers' Group (USARPG) Chairman and Texas rice producer Linda Raun and other producers and rice-industry leaders are on Capitol Hill for nearly 60 meetings this week to express strong support for the Agriculture Committee's bill, H.R. 1947, the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act (FAARM) of 2013. They also are urging opposition to any amendments that would harm farm-safety-net, crop-insurance, conservation, and trade and food-aid programs.

Floor debate on the bill may begin only after the House Rules Committee issues its policies, procedures and timetable to govern the chamber's deliberations. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) has announced this week's floor schedule, which includes concluding legislative work by adjournment on June 20. The Rules Committee has called an emergency session for 5 p.m. EDT today to consider H.R. 1947. Representatives had until 2 p.m. today to submit potential farm-bill amendments to the Rules Committee for decisions about their germaneness, or applicability, to the legislation. Nearly 125 amendments were posted on the committee's web site earlier today.

USA Rice has been very active in promoting passage of the Agriculture Committee's bill in a June 12 letter sent to rice-district representatives from Mark Denman, USA Rice Federation Chairman, and USARPG Chairman Linda Raun. USA Rice also signed two other letters sent by agricultural and related organizations to House members on June 11.

"H.R. 1947 saves taxpayers roughly $40 billion while working to meet the important policy objectives of a farm bill, including initiatives on conservation, exports, domestic and international hunger, rural credit and infrastructure, energy, forestry, research, as well as the risk management needs of America's farmers and ranchers," Denman and Raun said. "Absent passage of a farm bill, taxpayer savings and reforms cannot be achieved and those impacted by the farm bill will face continued uncertainty. Passage of the farm bill is the responsible approach."

USA Rice Daily - 06/17/13

Stacy Fitzgerald-Redd — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 21:20:24 +0000

USA Rice Daily, Monday, June 17, 2013 USA Rice DailyUp-to-the-Minute

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Stacy Fitzgerald-Redd — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 21:13:49 +0000

USA Rice Daily, Friday, June 14, 2013

USA Rice Daily - 06/13/13

Deborah Willenborg — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 19:51:51 +0000

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Top 10 Reasons to Add Rice to Your Life

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 00:00:00 +0000

Top 10 Reasons - Web Smaller.pdf

Farm Bill Focus Turns to House Following Senate Passage

Deborah Willenborg — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 20:28:34 +0000

WASHINGTON -- (June 11, 2013) -- USA Rice Producers' Group Chairman and Texas rice producer Linda Raun applauded yesterday's 66-27 Senate vote to pass its 2013 farm bill, S. 954. Raun said U.S. rice producers now are positioned to work for passage soon of the House bill, H.R. 1947, when that chamber's floor deliberations commence, possibly as early as next week. USA Rice Federation strongly supports the House committee bill, is coordinating the bill's floor-vote preparations with House leaders and is communicating its views to rice-district House members. Today, USA Rice joined with 193 other organizations in sending a letter to all House members to express "strong support for a new five-year bill and commend the House Committee on Agriculture for advancing a bill for timely action" by the House.

"The USA Rice Federation congratulates Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Ranking Member Thad Cochran (R-MS) for their successful leadership in achieving passage of the Senate's farm bill," Raun said. "We deeply appreciate those rice-state senators who voted for the bill, as well all other senators who supported passage. Rice producers are well prepared to continue the hard work begun over two years ago by now helping to pass a House farm bill soon, which would enable the House and Senate to begin and finish their conference negotiations before the current farm act expires on September 30."

Rice-state Sens. Mark Pryor (D-AR), John Boozman (R-AR), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Mary Landrieu (D-LA), David Vitter (R-LA), Claire McCaskill (D-MO), Roy Blunt (R-MO), Thad Cochran (R-MS), and Roger Wicker (R-MS) voted for the bill. Sens. John Cornyn (R-TX) and Ted Cruz (R-TX) voted no.

Both bills would authorize programs for five years, from 2014 to 2018, including commodity and risk management policies for the 2014 through 2018 crop years. In total, the House Agriculture Committee bill would cut spending by nearly $40 billion, including termination of direct payments to producers, like the Senate proposes. The Senate's bill would reduce total spending by $24 billion. The House committee's farm safety net would offer producers the choice of either price-loss coverage or revenue-loss coverage. S. 954 would change the farm safety net by providing an Adverse Market Payments policy for producers.

Like the Senate bill, the House committee legislation would consolidate conservation programs and retain export market development and food-aid programs. Both bills would reform the food stamp program, but the House would make more program changes and reduce spending significantly more than the Senate.

Yesterday's adoption of S. 954 marks the second year in a row the Senate has approved a bipartisan, budget-saving, five-year farm bill. Last year's Senate vote was 65-34. In 2012, the House did not take up its committee-passed farm bill. Earlier this year, Congress extended the 2008 farm act to Sept. 30, 2013, in the absence of a final compromise bill from the House and Senate and following expiration of the 2008 statute on Sept. 30, 2012.

Forty-six Democrats, 18 Republicans and two Independents voted for S. 954 yesterday, while two Democrats and 25 Republicans opposed the bill.

The Congressional Research Service has released a report that compares the policies and costs of the House and Senate committee bills.

USA Rice Daily - 06/11/13

Deborah Willenborg — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 20:23:58 +0000

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USA Rice Daily - 06/10/13

Deborah Willenborg — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 21:27:58 +0000

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USA Rice Daily - 06/07/13

Deborah Willenborg — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 20:21:44 +0000

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U.S. Rice Mill Shipments Reported

Deborah Willenborg — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 21:06:53 +0000

2011-2012 U.S. Rice Domestic Usage Report Now Available

ARLINGTON, VA — (June 6, 2013) -- U.S. Rice mills shipped nearly 11 billion pounds of rice to domestic and international markets from August 2011 to July 2012 according to the annual USA Rice Federation U.S. Rice Domestic Usage Report, which tracks shipments and consumption of U.S. milled rice.

Additional highlights from the report include:

• Fifty-nine percent of total shipments went to the domestic market and forty-one percent were exported.

• Of rice shipments to U.S. segments, 59 percent went to direct food use and 41 percent went to food processors. Thirty percent of direct food use went to retail grocery, 27 percent went to ethnic distributors, 19 percent for foodservice, and 16 percent to repackers.

• Eighty-two percent of all rice consumed in the U.S. is domestically grown, and 18 percent is imported.

A full copy of the report can be obtained at usarice.com/reports.

USA Rice Daily - 06/06/13

Deborah Willenborg — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 20:25:46 +0000

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May 2013 USA Rice Daily Archives

Deborah Willenborg — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 16:41:47 +0000

Spend Summer Vacation the ‘Rice’ Way – Plan a Promotion, Earn Scholarship Money

Deborah Willenborg — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 19:16:49 +0000

ARLINGTON -- (June 5, 2013) -- The USA Rice Federation encourages high school seniors throughout rice country to invest some vacation time in planning an innovative promotion campaign for September, National Rice Month. Three scholarship prizes, sponsored by Dow AgroSciences, totaling $8,500 are available. The grand prize is a $4,000 scholarship and a trip to the 2013 USA Rice Outlook Conference in St. Louis, MO, for the scholarship presentation. The second-place winner will receive $3,000 and third-place, $1,500.

High school seniors in the 2013-14 school year that live in rice-growing counties in Arkansas, California, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and Texas can qualify to enter by conducting a promotion campaign in their local communities during September with U.S.-grown rice as the central theme.

For more information and a scholarship contest entry form, visit www.usarice.com.

2011-12 U.S. Rice Domestic Usage Report

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 00:00:00 +0000

U.S. Rice Domestic Usage Report 2011-12.pdf

House and Senate Assume Next Level of Farm Bill Debate Following Ag Committees’ Passage of ...

Stacy Fitzgerald-Redd — Fri, 17 May 2013 18:55:21 +0000

WASHINGTON -- (May 17, 2013) -- Senate debate of S. 954, the Agriculture Reform, Food and Jobs Act of 2013, will begin on May 20 and House Agriculture Committee approval on May 15 of the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management (FAARM) Act of 2013, H.R. 1947, positions the bill for possible floor consideration in June. The two budget saving measures are now one step closer to voting on a final House-Senate compromise farm bill by the Sept. 30 expiration date of the 2008 farm act, which Congress previously had extended for one year.

Both committee bills would replace direct payments to farmers with different versions of safety-net coverage for price or revenue losses, in particular for those that would be sustained over time. Crop insurance programs would be authorized to help producers manage risk due to weather-related damages or losses. The two bills propose to continue similar versions of conservation, trade and food-aid programs.

On a 36-10 bipartisan final passage vote late Wednesday night, the House committee cleared for chamber action its assembly of commodity, nutrition and rural development policies. The May 15 committee approval of H.R. 1947 occurred swiftly, within about 36 hours of the Senate committee's bipartisan adoption of S. 954, indicative of the urgency in trying to enact a bill by Sept. 30.

“We achieve nearly $40 billion in savings by eliminating outdated government programs and reforming others,” House committee Chairman Frank Lucas (R-OK) said in a joint statement with Ranking Democrat Collin Peterson (D-MN) following the committee’s final passage of H.R. 1947. “No other committee in Congress is voluntarily cutting money, in a bipartisan way,” he said. Peterson said that if the bill deliberations can stay on track, he thinks “we should be able to conference with the Senate in July and have a new five-year farm bill in place before the August recess."

USA Rice Producer Group Chairman Linda Raun praised Lucas, Peterson and the House and Senate committees for their quick work to get the bills to the floor. Raun also thanked rice-district and state committee members -- Reps. Rick Crawford (R-AR), Doug LaMalfa (R-CA), Stephen Fincher (R-TN) and John Garamendi (D-CA) -- who worked closely with the USA Rice Federation to address farm policy needs. “I hope we keep advancing the two bills so we can have workable commodity and risk management programs passed and signed into law by the September deadline,” she said.

USA Rice is prepared for the Senate debate next week and is continuing to inform key Senate offices about commodity, risk management, conservation and trade provisions that are important to the rice industry.

USA Rice Federation Ready For May 15 House Agriculture Committee Markup Following Final Senate ...

Stacy Fitzgerald-Redd — Tue, 14 May 2013 20:53:19 +0000

WASHINGTON -- (May 14, 2013) -- The Senate Agriculture Committee today passed an amended version of Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow’s (D-MI) proposed farm bill, the Agriculture Reform, Food and Jobs Act of 2013. The amended version of the committee-passed farm bill includes provisions for both revenue policy, Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and price policy, Adverse Market Program (AMP) for growers of all crops, except cotton, which is provided with a STAX crop insurance policy. The target price level for rice is set at $13.30/cwt and includes an option to update rice yields. The ARC policy would apply on planted acres and the AMP policy would apply on base acres. Ranking Member Thad Cochran (R-MS) and Sens. John Boozman (R-AR) and Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) voted for committee passage. Sens. Pat Roberts (R-KS), Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Mike Johanns (R-NE), John Thune (R-SD), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) voted no.

With the 15-5 Senate Agriculture Committee passage of its five-year 2013 farm bill, USA Rice is prepared for tomorrow’s 2013 farm-policy debate by the House Agriculture Committee when it considers a separate five-year measure.

“We are grateful to Sens. Stabenow, Cochran, Boozman and Chambliss for their tireless efforts and support on our issues,” USA Rice Producers’ Group Chairman and Texas rice producer Linda Raun said. “We look forward to debate tomorrow in the House committee and, we hope, the committee’s passage of a five-year farm bill.”

USA Rice Federation will continue its efforts to have a workable and equitable safety net approved for rice producers as part of a 2013 farm bill.

Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Stabenow said she drafted a "strong farm bill again this year." With farming being "the riskiest business in the country," the committee's job is "to make sure farmers have a policy that works for them," Stabenow said.

Farmers and ranchers need the certainty of a five-year farm bill and “we have tried to be fair to those affected by this bill, as well as to those who pay the bill,” Ranking Member Cochran said.

Sen. Boozman highlighted the need for a five-year farm bill, but said an amendment accepted that sets reference prices for all crops, except rice and peanuts at 55 percent of moving price average "is discouraging" because it "sets them apart from other commodities." He said that "finding common ground and achieving greater equity for crops in all regions of the country" is needed.

The Senate Agriculture Committee five-year package would authorize commodity, risk management, conservation, nutrition, energy, rural development and research programs. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) had scored the Senate version as saving over $24 billion over a decade. The House Agriculture Committee will debate a CBO-projected $40 billion savings proposal tomorrow to authorize its version of the farm bill.

The full Senate is expected to consider the farm bill next week.

USA Rice Welcomes Administration’s Support for Japan’s Entry into the TPP

Stacy Fitzgerald-Redd — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 15:14:09 +0000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – April 12, 2013

Contact: Bob Cummings, (703) 236-1473

USA Rice Welcomes Administration’s Support for Japan’s Entry into the TPP

The USA Rice Federation welcomes today’s announcement by the Obama administration to support the entry of Japan as a negotiating partner in the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP). Japan’s entry dramatically increases the value of a TPP agreement for U.S. rice producers and exporters, and for U.S. agriculture as a whole.

“Japan is the second-largest export market by value for U.S. rice and a broad-based negotiation like the TPP offers the best opportunity for better market access since the Uruguay Round Agreement of 1994. We are seeking a significant improvement in the quantity and quality of access for U.S. rice in Japan as an outcome of TPP,” said Mark Denman, USA Rice Chairman and a Texas rice miller.

“We appreciate and understand the political sensitivity of rice in Japan,” said Michael Rue, a California rice producer and Vice Chairman of USA Rice’s International Trade Policy Committee. “Japan is a leader in the global economy and commercially meaningful improvements in access for U.S. rice must be a result of Japan’s entry into the TPP negotiations,” continued Rue.

“Negotiations will likely be difficult, and the rice industry stands ready to support U.S. negotiators in the weeks and months ahead,” concluded Denman.

Steady U.S. rice exports to Japan began in the mid-1990s as a result of the Uruguay Round’s Agreement on Agriculture and have averaged almost 330,000 metric tons annually. Under Japan’s obligations to members of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Japan imports 682,200 MT of rice (milled equivalent basis) annually during Japan’s April/March fiscal year. Imports above this level face a prohibitive tariff of approximately $3,400 per ton at today’s exchange rate. The government of Japan is the sole importer of rice within the quota for WTO members.

USA Rice and its members have a longstanding commitment to the Japan market, both in policy efforts to obtain access and through promotion activities in Japan so that high quality U.S. rice is available to this important market.

USA Rice Response to Media Reports on Lead Levels in Imported Rice

Stacy Fitzgerald-Redd — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 19:29:40 +0000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – April 11, 2013

Contact: Stacy Fitzgerald-Redd, (703) 236-1458

ARLINGTON, VA -- USA Rice Federation is aware of a university report concerning high levels of lead in imported rice and would support FDA’s investigation into this issue.

The university study presented at a scientific meeting this week does not include U.S.-grown rice, and tests by FDA confirm that lead levels in U.S.-grown rice are not a concern. FDA’s Total Diet Study, which has monitored foods for decades, shows the level of detection for lead in U.S.-grown rice at 0.007 mg/kg, which equals 7 parts per billion, in contrast to levels of 6 to 12 mg/kg as carried in news reports about the university study. The FDA is responsible for testing and removing from the food supply any foods that are found to have unacceptably high levels of contaminants.

The FDA findings about lead in the domestic rice supply are consistent with information from university rice researchers and scientists who follow the issue.

Consumers can be assured of the safety and wholesomeness of U.S.-grown rice and can look for the “Grown in the USA” logo on packages of 100 percent domestically grown rice.

The top 5 sources of U.S. rice imports in 2012 were Thailand, India, Vietnam, Pakistan and Brazil.

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The USA Rice Federation is the global advocate for all segments of the U.S. rice industry with a mission to promote and protect the interests of producers, millers, merchants and allied businesses.

RiceTec Renews Its Commitment to the Future of U.S. Rice Industry

Stacy Fitzgerald-Redd — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 13:55:16 +0000

HOUSTON, Texas (April 8, 2013) – RiceTec is proud to announce that it has renewed its agreement to sponsor the Rice Leadership Development Program in 2014.

Funded by industry grants to The Rice Foundation and managed by the USA Rice Federation, the Rice Leadership Development Program is designed to educate rice producers and industry-related personnel on all the facets of the rice industry.

During the two-year program, selectees travel to the major rice- producing areas of the US and observe all aspects of rice production, processing, marketing, and logistics. On the final stop, class members visit Washington D.C. and visit key lawmakers and regulators.

“As an alumnus of the program, I’m very excited that RiceTec is once again able to support this program. It has had a tremendous impact on my life and career and I’ve seen firsthand the benefits of the program to the industry,” says Brian Ottis, Marketing and Client Support Manager at RiceTec.