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This season, U.S. rice growers nationwide are expected to plant 3.04 million acres, or 17 percent more than they did in 2015, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s prospective plantings report released March 31.
Growers in each of the six rice states also plan to plant more this year than last year.
Arkansas, the largest rice-producing state, is expecting long-grain acreage to jump by 35 percent. On the other hand, medium- and short-grain acres are expected to decrease by 17 and 16 percent, respectively.
The planting intentions estimates are based on mail, Internet and telephone surveys and personal interviews conducted the first two weeks of March.
| State | 2014 acres | 2015 acres | 2016 (estimated acres) |
| Arkansas | 1,486,000 | 1,306,000 | 1,581,000 |
| California | 445,000 | 423,000 | 427,000 |
| Louisiana | 466,000 | 420,000 | 440,000 |
| Mississippi | 191,000 | 150,000 | 220,000 |
| Missouri | 216,000 | 182,000 | 207,000 |
| Texas | 150,000 | 133,000 | 189.000 |
| Total U.S. | 2,945,000 | 2,614,000 | 3,064,000 |
Read the full report by visiting the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service.