|
USA Rice Meets with Mexican Authorities on Pallet Regulations
|
 | |
Arturo Calderon (l)
and Marvin Lehrer
|
PUERTO VALLARTA, MEXICO -- Last month, USA Rice Federation's Marvin Lehrer met with Arturo Calderon, Director of Port Inspection of the Ministry of Agriculture to discuss possible new regulations concerning the requirement that bagged rice entering Mexico from all origins be palletized (see "USA Rice Intervenes to Curb Mexico's Proposed Palletizing Rule," USA Rice Daily August 5, 2014).
"We are taking improved operational steps to allow for a speedier, less costly inspection at our ports of entry, and this may require the use of palletization on bagged commodities where we can work with fork lifts," said Calderon. "We will soon publish regulations in our Federal Register on a country by country and commodity by commodity basis. The regulations will allow for public comment periods. Input from groups like the USA Rice Federation gives us invaluable input into logistical issues concerning any change in the inspection procedures. We will take these comments into consideration prior to final notice."
Lehrer was in Puerto Vallarta attending the annual Mexican Association of Grain & Oilseed Merchants forum on grain trade issues between the United States, Canada, and Mexico. U.S. grain shippers, commodity groups, freight companies, and U.S. and Canadian government officials attended to discuss a range of topics including grain trading, futures markets, and trucking issues and logistics.
Lehrer said USA Rice believes palletization will unnecessarily increase shipping costs which are unlikely to be able to be passed along to importers and could make U.S. origin milled rice less competitive in the Mexican market. He said USA Rice will continue to monitor any changes in Mexico's import procedures that could affect the flow of U.S. origin rice into Mexico and provide comments as necessary.
Contact: Sarah Moran (703) 236-1457
|
|
Rice Bowl Recipe Contest Helps Launch National Rice Month
| |
ARLINGTON, VA -- In honor of National Rice Month, USA Rice launched the Reach for Rice - Rice Bowl Contest to find the best rice bowl recipes in the nation. The contest encourages consumers to create delicious and uniquely different rice bowls by combining U.S.-grown rice with six ingredients or less.
"The rice bowl contest inspires participants to celebrate NRM by purchasing and preparing U.S.-grown rice and submitting their creations for a chance to win prizes," said Fred Zaunbrecher, chairman of the Domestic Promotion Committee. "It helps us stay connected with our customers, and by sharing recipes, it helps spread the word about delicious, safe, GMO-free, and gluten free U.S. grown rice!"
Submissions will be judged for taste, creative usage of rice, presentation and appearance, and originality. The first-place winner will be awarded a $300 American Express gift card and Aroma rice cooker. The contest deadline is September 30 and winners will be announced mid-October.
The contest was announced in a consumer e-newsletter today and will be promoted on social media outlets throughout September.
Contact: Katie Maher (703) 236-1453
|
|
Crop Progress: 2014 Crop 17 Percent Harvested
| WASHINGTON, DC -- Seventeen percent of the nation's 2014 rice acreage has been harvested, according to today's U.S. Department of Agriculture's Crop Progress Report. Seventy-four percent of this year's crop is rated good to excellent.
|
|
Rice Harvested, Selected States
| | Week Ending | |
State
|
August 31, 2013
|
August 24, 2014
|
August 31, 2014
|
2009-2013 average
| |
Percent
| |
Arkansas
|
4
|
1
|
5
|
18
| |
California
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
| |
Louisiana
|
76
|
46
|
69
|
74
| |
Mississippi
|
4
|
2
|
5
|
25
| |
Missouri
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
6
| |
Texas
|
80
|
48
|
67
|
80
| |
Six States
|
17
|
11
|
17
|
26
|
|
| CME Group/Closing Rough Rice Futures | CME Group (Preliminary): Closing Rough Rice Futures for September 2
| September 2014 | $12.525 |
- $0.060
| | November 2014 | $12.610 |
- $0.055
| | January 2015 | $12.805 |
- $0.055
| | March 2015 | $12.990 |
- $0.050
| | May 2015 | $13.145 |
- $0.040
| | July 2015 | $13.325 |
- $0.040
| | September 2015 | $13.025 |
- $0.040
|
|
|
In the News
| |
Around the Country
AR Crop Value Losses to Floods Top $35M, Soybeans Suffer Most Arkansas Matters
Economists with the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture examined damage done by flooding that began in June in Craighead, Crittenden, Cross, Jackson, Lee, Monroe, Poinsett, Prairie, St. Francis, and Woodruff counties. In that 10-county area, floods affected 210,400 farm acres.
Companies Seek to Boost Agricultural Productivity KCRG-ABC
A new generation of plant-friendly microscopic bacteria and fungi is increasing crop yields as much as 10 percent in test plots, according to Monsanto and Novozymes executives.
Five Myths About California's Drought Washington Post
California is experiencing its third-worst drought in 106 years, resulting in idled cropland and higher food prices. Will conservation and new water-saving technologies be enough to weather this dry period?
Morning Agriculture Politico
The Arkansas State Plant Board's seed committee has rejected, by a nearly unanimous voice vote, a proposal by the Arkansas Seed Dealers Association to curtail the number of times they are required to test rice seeds for genetically modified organisms. The ruling affects only rice production in Arkansas.
Rice Farmers Learn Latest on Disease News Star
LSU AgCenter scientists held a field tour at the Rice Research Station recently to discuss their work on controlling the major diseases that afflict rice.
Around the World
The Fight for China's 'Sorrow' Financial Times
"China is bumping up against scarcity on a national scale," says environmental economist Leo Horn-Phathanothai, co-author of Climate Change and Development. "The Yellow River is a microcosm of this."
|
|
|
|
|
| Upcoming Events | Events Calendar
|
|
Mission Statement | | USA Rice Federation is the global advocate for all segments of the U.S.
rice industry with a mission to promote and protect the interests of
producers, millers, merchants and allied businesses. |
| About Us | Editor: Michael Klein,
(703) 236-1458,
mklein@usarice.com
Fax (703) 236-2301
2101 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 610
Arlington, VA 22201
This report is time-sensitive, based on information available at press time. Content is derived from facts and sources believed to be reliable. Reprinting and/or distribution may be done with permission of the USA Rice Federation
Copyright © 2014. Please direct comments or questions to the editor or contact name listed for each story. |
|
|
