Rice Quality Matters

“Horizon Ag continues to be committed to improving rice quality, working with our public breeding partners as well as rice buyers to develop better-quality varieties that bring value not only to the end buyers and end users, but to...

Dr. Steve Linscombe, LSU AgCenter Dr. Karen Moldenhauer, University of Arkansas Dr. Ed Redona, Mississippi State University, DREC Dr. Xueyan Sha, University of Arkansas In 2010, rice quality came to the forefront of the industry when the northern part of the Southern rice-production...

  John Oakes Vice President, Rice Farmers Grain Terminal, Inc. The role of Farmers Grain Terminal (FGT) in the U.S. rice industry is unique in that we are a large farmer-owned grain cooperative that also handles rice. FGT is headquartered in Greenville, Miss.,...

George Graham Vice President – Research & Development Mars Food North America Mars Food has five core principles, and quality is No. 1. We are very proud of our reputation and are actively involved in the rice supply chain from science...

U.S . rice has improved in terms of whole grain, but we are still having problems with the quantity of chalk and cooking. The United States had very good quality rice in the past , so we expect that...

In the case where the rice customer is the beholder, then as the old Ford slogan once proclaimed – "Quality is Job One." An emphasis must be placed on quality by every segment of the marketing chain. The world market is not static, and dramatic changes are affecting markets at our doorstep. The best example is our top market – Mexico. The U.S. share of the Mexican market was 99 percent as late as 2010, but we have fallen to just 78 percent in the first nine months of 2014. Thankfully, the U.S. industry is addressing the problem to find and implement solutions. We've taken a long-term approach, establishing a protocol to evaluate potential new U.S. rice varieties, looking at parameters such as bran streaks, chalk, kernel color, uniformity of length and overall appearance. The parameters are graded by mills on a number scale that will prevent substandard varieties from making it to market. While the program is voluntary, I would encourage all plant breeders developing new rice varieties to participate in the protocol for maximum impact. And, of course, we're putting great emphasis on rice research to provide growers with high yield varieties that meet the quality demands of the customers.

Russell Marine Group is uniquely positioned in the rice and grain industries to where we have forged relationships at nearly every level, from seed manufacturers to foreign, importing rice millers. We recognize that the position creates a duty to the industry to help support and promote U.S. agricultural products whenever possible. Oftentimes, this requires stepping into roles regarding hot-topic quality issues of the year, logistics and operations in the export sector of the industry and maintaining an expertise on ever-changing government and trade regulations. Despite having the resources and logistical advantages over many rice-producing countries, the United States is vulnerable to losing export market share by not addressing quality issues brought up by our foreign buyers. The issues permeate the rice industry on all levels, from seed manufacturers and rice producers to rice exporters and foreign buyers. Many Central American rice millers have always advertised U.S. rice as their premium rice brand. Over the past two decades, they built a brand name and, therefore, justifiably charged a premium for a high-quality product. However, the prior three years’ quality issues have severely tarnished that reputation and branding; and our once loyal foreign importing rice miller base is now actively seeking alternative sources.

By John Anderson - Farmers Storage, Inc., Essex, Mo. Rice quality, specifically chalk, has been the buzz phrase lately with buyers and farmers both. In recent years, the quality of U.S. rice has not been as attractive to buyers in...

My father, Cesar Corrales Ines, founded Arrocera Los Corrales S.A. (ALCSA) in 1972 as a white and parboiled rice milling operation. I’m the second generation in the business and have been involved since 1989. We have been importing rice...

“In all of the commodities, when a new issue presents itself, resolving it starts at the farmer level. This is what we are facing today regarding the quality of U.S. rice.” – Ronnie Berry Ronnie and Chris Berry Rice producers Bootheel Missouri Father-and-son team, Ronnie and...

JOE MENCER RICE PRODUCER LAKE VILLAGE, ARK. U.S. rice used to be known as the best quality rice in the world. Today, we are losing that reputation. If we are going to keep this industry alive, we’ve got to address the quality...

Ideas For Central America To Remain A Key Market CARLOS GONZÁLEZ ARGÜELLO BUSINESS MANAGER OF THE DEMASA RICE GROUP PRESIDENT OF FECARROZ SAN JOSE, COSTA RICA Because rice is an excellent basic food in Costa Rica and for many poor countries in the region,...

DAN BIGELOW QUALITY INGREDIENT MANAGER KELLOGG COMPANY Kellogg’s® Rice Krispies® launched in 1928 as a puffed rice cereal with a unique feature – it “talked” in milk! Today, Rice Krispies are still made with the same simple process and continue to Snap!...

John Morgan Vice President Louisiana Rice Mill LLC Crowley, La. Today, quality has got to come back into the discussion across all segments of the U.S. rice industry. We are seeing a higher demand for quality rice from our customers and have to...