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While there is always a chance of a few surprises, it appears that 2014 was a good production year with aboveaverage yields and good to very good quality being reported. Now the focus will be on finding enough demand for rice supplies that are estimated at nearly 10 percent higher than the previous year. Based on USDA's October 2014 supply and demand estimates, demand is expected to increase by seven percent for the 2014/15 marketing year. While positive, this increase isn't expected to be enough to keep ending stocks from experiencing a sharp increase – nearly nine million hundredweights (cwts), a 27 percent increase from last year and five percent above the five-year average. While domestic rice usage and total rice exports are expected to increase during the 2014/15 marketing year, the slow start to export sales has placed a cloud over the market. The reported good quality of the 2014 crop and the current lower prices should help continue to support domestic demand. The struggle with demand has been in the export market. To this point, total rice exports are down 13 percent from a year ago. With exports for the 2014/15 marketing year expected to be up by 10 percent, this market will need to see a significant improvement in export business moving forward to meet those expectations. And while it is still very early in the marketing year, the slow start is concerning. This is especially true for longgrain milled rice exports, which are currently running 27 percent behind last year's pace. Without some improvement in export business, there seems little to entice mills from moving from current price levels.

America's rice farms are a good bet for conservation Last year, the USA Rice Federation and Ducks Unlimited (DU) formed a groundbreaking stewardship partnership to promote the conservation and enhancement of working rice lands and waterfowl habitat. One of the hallmark...

Dr. John Saichuck Louisiana Extension Rice Specialst [email protected] In 2012, we dealt with the worst episode of blast in rice that many of us have seen in our careers. The researchers took advantage of it to eliminate many of the susceptible lines in...

2014 Arkansas Rice Expo Recipe Contest Ingenious with ingredients? The 2014 Arkansas Rice Expo Recipe Contest is your chance to show off your culinary cunning. "Sweet or savory, sticky or fragrant, rice is the perfect canvas to showcase your kitchen...

According to the US Army Corps of Engineers, Memphis District, "The Grand Prairie Area Demonstration Project (GPADP) is a comprehensive water management plan designed to protect and preserve the Alluvial and Sparta Aquifers. This project also allows the continued irrigation of current agricultural crops and reduces further depletion of ground water aquifers, while continuing to provide critical benefits for the millions of waterfowl, which annually migrate through the region. The reservoir for this farm will provide about eight inches of water for the producer. The other foot of water that he will need will come from the pump station. "For all practical purposes, the farmer is using his existing irrigation system," Carman says. "We are adding to the normal availability of the water. We do not put any water into natural ditches. The water from the pump station will come directly into the farmer's tailwater recovery system." The other foot of water that he will need will come from the pump station. “For all practical purposes, the farmer is using his existing irrigation system,” Carman says. “We are adding to the normal availability of the water. We do not put any water into natural ditches. The water from the pump station will come directly into the farmer’s tailwater recovery system.”

Warren G. Bennis says, "Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality" and describes a leader as having a "long-range perspective." Bennis is known as an American scholar, organizational consultant, an author and an expert in the field of...

Mississippi Delta growers keep rice in the mix After graduating from Mississippi State University (MSU), Chico and Pete Williams returned to the family farming operation near Hollandale, Miss. Their grandfather, Leo Williams established the farm in the early 1940s and...

By Paul Squires Squires Ag Consulting, Inc. Yuba City, CA I worked on several rice farms while in college and as a field scout for John Taylor Fertilizers. During my last year of college, I acquired my PCA license and started to...

Management techniques differ from commercial drying By Dennis Gardisser and Johnny Saichuck Drying and storing rice on the farm can be an excellent marketing strategy. The way that rice is handled during the drying and storage process will determine its quality...

When is a hammer not a hammer, but still a hammer? Most of us would agree that our government has a unique way of couching its rules and regulations, sometimes in a manner that many of us might find a...

By Linus Regan GreenPoint Ag Morse, LA After graduating from Louisiana State University in 1979, I farmed rice, soybeans, crawfish and raised cattle for 28 years. In 2006, I went to work for a southwest Louisiana agricultural retail business, which later became...

2014 conditions may influence acreage, production practices By Carroll Smith, Editor Leonardo da Vinci once said, “Water is the driving force of all nature.” Even today, this statement holds true, especially for rice production in the United States. The presence of...

Tiffany Dowell, Texas A&M Agri-Life Extension Service economist and agricultural law specialist in College Station, has seen her Texas Agriculture Law Blog gain popularity due to timely topics addressing issues affecting landowners across the Lone Star State. “I continue to...

By Bruce Schultz, LSU AgCenter Dustin Harrell, LSU AgCenter agronomist at the Rice Research Station near Crowley, is participating in a multi-state study on arsenic in rice to determine if levels of the element are higher in different varieties and...

Tools, technology and training in real time on the turnrow Most rice farmers are familiar with the high-profile items used in producing a crop and regulations related to managing their employees. However, Rice Farming has compiled a short list pertaining...