ARLINGTON, VA -- The USA Rice Federation moved one step closer to securing a vital conservation program for the industry with the news that their pre-proposal had been selected by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to advance to the next stage.

NRCS received nearly 600 pre-proposals under the new Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) that is intended to promote coordination between the agency and its partners to deliver conservation assistance to producers and landowners.

USA Rice partnered with Ducks Unlimited (DU) on their application that capitalizes on the unique link between rice production and wildlife habitat.  The pre-proposal's three priority-resource concerns in order are: water quantity, water quality, and wildlife habitat. 

"Rice and waterfowl are intrinsically linked," said Jeff Durand, a Louisiana rice farmer and co-chairman of the USA Rice-DU Stewardship Partnership Committee.  "We've shown that nationally, waterfowl depend on rice fields for almost 50% of their food energy, and that the habitat we provide as rice farmers is critical to many species - and not just birds."

"Ducks Unlimited recently completed a study that showed the cost of replacing rice fields with managed wetland habitat would exceed $3.5 billion," said USA Rice President and CEO Betsy Ward.  "Rice farmers also provide about $70 million in annual maintenance costs to provide this habitat, and the RCPP may be a means of recognizing that sacrifice in some small way."

Created by the Farm Bill, the RCPPs will make $394 million available this year to conservation partners who can increase the restoration and sustainable use of soil, water, wildlife, and related natural resources on regional or watershed scales.  NRCS says there are 230 proposals advancing to the next round and that the total requested is almost $2.8 billion.

"We're going to make our case as best we can that rice farmers are providing an excellent and important resource that benefits everyone," said Durand.  "The next phase for us is to  come up with industry funds in support of the proposal." 

Full proposals are due to the agency in October.

Contact:  Michael Klein (703) 236-1458

The In Crowd

STUTTGART, AR -- More than 1,000 people came out for Friday's fourth annual Arkansas Rice Expo to celebrate the rice industry and the fact that, for the first time, Arkansas is expected to produce more than fifty percent of the rice grown in the United States. Attendees toured research plots, heard various agriculture promotion board reports, observed cooking demonstrations, tasted rice samples, and participated in a myriad of family-friendly activities. 

In addition to attending the Rice Expo, USA Rice Federation President and CEO Betsy Ward gave an update on domestic and international promotion activities at Friday's meeting of the Arkansas Rice Research and Promotion Board.  Domestic promotion highlights included efforts to increase rice use in school meals, boosting use of social media, making sure rice is featured as a food choice in the government's Dietary Guidelines for Americans, and working with supermarket retail dietitians during the upcoming National Rice Month and beyond.

Ward also reviewed marketing activities in Mexico, Haiti, and Iraq, and discussed the International Trade Commission's study on the global rice industry which is just getting underway.

"I commend the University of Arkansas's Division of Agriculture for organizing this excellent event," said Ward.  "Our job is to make sure there is demand both here and abroad for this new crop and I am excited about the new initiatives we are working on to help promote U.S.-grown rice, expand existing markets, and open new ones."

Contact:  Chuck Wilson (870) 673-7541

Around the Country

Arkansas Rice Expo Draws 1K People for Farming, Family, and Food Agfax

For the first time, Arkansas' rice production will represent more than half the nation's output of the grain, attendees at the fourth Arkansas Rice Expo heard last Friday.

John Owen - A Southern Farmer's Perspective on the New Farm Bill Delta Farm Press

According to Owen, "I don't think people realize how close to the brink we were of having a farm bill that provided very little support for the Delta. At one time, among the House Ag Committee leadership, Reps. Frank Lucas and Collin Peterson were the only advocates for a choice in farm policy options that were appropriate for all crops in all regions."

New USDA Conservation Partnership Program Receives Nearly 600 Initial Proposals USDA

USDA's new Regional Conservation Partnership Program has drawn an overwhelming response from partners across the nation. Nearly 5,000 organizations partnered together to submit nearly 600 pre-proposals by the July deadline.

People You Should Know: Dale Bumpers National Rice Research Scientists 

Stuttgart Daily Leader

According to Dr. Anna McClung, research leader/center director at the DBNRCC, "We want the community to know that we are very cognizant that we work for the taxpayer, and that your tax dollars are well spent. We have some really great people here doing really great work and we will continue to be a resource for teachers and farmers alike.

Rice Field Day This Month Gridley Herald

Annual event sponsored by the California Cooperative Rice research Foundation and University of California; the general session begins at 8:30 a.m., followed by field tours of rice research and lunch.

Around the World

Japanese Abandoning Farm Lands Boston Globe

Like most provincial towns in Japan, the twin forces of emigration and a falling birth rate have hollowed out the community. By 2060, the government estimates, four out of 10 people in Japan will be 65 or older, up from a quarter now.

Trade and Tariffs

Global Trade Talks Suffer Another Setback New York Times

Under W.T.O. rules, agreements must be adopted unanimously before they can be sent to the legislature of each country for ratification; two-thirds of the countries have to ratify trade deals for them to become effective.