LITTLE ROCK, AR -- At their meeting last Friday, the Arkansas Plant Board's (ASPB) Seed Committee considered a request to scale back testing of rice for certain transgenic varieties.  The request was made by the Arkansas Seed Growers' Association and the Arkansas Seed Dealers Association.

Danny Kennedy, president and CEO of Riceland Foods, and Arkansas Rice Executive Director Ben Noble testified in support of the current testing regime.  The USA Rice Federation, USA Rice Merchants' Association, and the Arkansas Rice Federation all weighed in to support continued testing.

The committee voted to maintain current regulations and continue testing at current levels.  

Regulated seed testing in Arkansas and several other rice states began in 2007 in response to the rice industry's "Seed Plan," (formally known as the U.S. Rice Industry Recommendations to Reestablish Supply and Marketability of U.S. Rice).

Contact:  Steve Hensley (703) 236-1445

Advertising in a big way

ACCRA, GHANA -- The USA Rice Federation has added large billboards to the on-going U.S. jasmine campaign in this capital city and in Ghana's second largest city, Kumasi.

U.S. jasmine rice is popular here, but facing stiff competition because of lower priced alternatives.  The current consumer campaign includes supermarket promotions with demonstrations that capitalize on findings of last year's usage and attitude survey conducted by USA Rice.

"Ghanaians have a very strong sense of family, and we've found U.S. jasmine's unique aroma when cooking triggers very positive emotions about the family bond," explained Eszter Somogyi, USA Rice's marketing program director in the region.  "In our outreach we position U.S. jasmine as healthy, nutritious, and delicious, and let the unique aroma speak for itself."

Somogyi said the new billboards have been positioned close to major open air markets and retail malls and that billboards in general remain a very effective and popular means of advertising in Ghana.

Ghana has been a strong market for U.S. rice in the past, but so far this marketing year there have been no U.S. rice sales here, largely because of price disparity with rice from India, Vietnam, and Thailand.  

Contact:  Michael Klein (703) 236-1458

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Around the World

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Trade and Tariffs

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