Industry’s sustainable practices put it in a good environmental light. By Betsy Ward President and CEO USA Rice Federation The concept of “sustainability” has exploded into the national consciousness over the past 15 years. It is a word that is ubiquitous but a concept that can prove difficult to define. There is no doubt, however, that sustainability is a concept ... Read More »
By Betsy Ward President and CEO USA Rice Federation USA Rice’s vital efforts offer excellent return on investment. USA Rice’s domestic promotion program is supported by check-off dollars from rice states and is spent in three main areas: Nutrition, Foodservice and Retail. Our international programs are supported by the USDA’s Foreign Market Development (FMD), Market Access Program (MAP) and ... Read More »
The contract must be structured to promote convergence. The rice futures contract is not a particularly efficient hedging tool, so four years ago the USA Rice Federation formed the Rice Futures Contract Working Group to study the issue and look for ways to improve the contract’s performance. Our contract struggles with low volume and episodes of wild basis swings (the ... Read More »
Some trading ‘partners’ fail to live up to their agreements. Trade is all about two parties exchanging things the other wants. Competition is when two or more entities vie for a single prize. Fair trade is when all the parties involved agree on rules to govern their competition and then abide by those rules. Unfortunately, today’s global agriculture trade has ... Read More »
Optimism abounds that U.S. rice soon will be en route to the island. The world was sent buzzing recently when President Obama announced a complete overhaul of our nation’s Cuba policy. Some remember the time when Cuba was the No. 1 export market for U.S.-grown rice, might those days return? Things look promising, but the full answer is not quite ... Read More »
USA Rice Federation is the problem solver for the industry. By Betsy Ward President and CEO USA Rice Federation One of the most valuable players any organization can have is a Problem Solver. Whether you are talking about business, sport or philanthropy, people who tackle problems head on and offer up solutions are the ones who can truly impact the ... Read More »
USA Rice works to keep existing markets open and free of barriers as well as find new ones for U.S. rice. All indicators are pointing to a robust rice crop this year despite the devastating drought gripping parts of rice country. According to the National Agricultural Statistic Service (NASS), total planted rice acres are up about 18 percent. Many believe ... Read More »
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 products of that partnership was a study of the biological and economic contributions rice habitats make to waterfowl populations. ... Read More »
USDA allows statement that transgenic rice is out of the supply. The USA Rice Federation is pleased to report that the U.S. rice industry scored a significant, and perhaps ultimate, victory earlier this year when, after eight years of intense work and under great scrutiny, the USDA announced that it had reinstated the following letterhead statement for use by rice ... Read More »
Now that the 2014 Farm Bill is finally law, it’s time to break the legislation down and explain what all the options, implications and consequences are for rice farmers. We spent the better part of the last four years working with allies in Congress to ensure the interests of rice farmers were represented, and while the bill the President signed ... Read More »
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