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Up-to-the-Minute News on Issues and Activities
USA Rice Federation is the global advocate of all segments of the U.S. rice industry with a mission to promote and protect the interests of producers, millers, merchants and allied businesses.
Thursday, September 11, 2014

Next Generation of Rice Industry Leaders Learn the Ropes on Capitol Hill   

 
From left: Clay Watkins,
Ross Thibodeaux, Kelly Phipps,
 
and Gibson Steele. 
WASHINGTON, DC -- A group of young rice industry leaders, hosted by the USA Rice Federation, were in Washington, DC this week to thank Members of Congress for their work on the 2014 Farm Bill and talk about trade priorities in the next Congress, regulatory issues, and tax extenders.

 

The group also met with officials at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, including Deputy Secretary Krysta Harden who thanked them for traveling here saying, "I know it is hard to leave your farms and families, but we need your voices in Washington."

 

"There is great value in bringing growers to Washington so they can learn more about the importance of fostering strong policy and political relationships here," said Betsy Ward, USA Rice's President and CEO who met with the delegation earlier in the week.  "It's important for folks in the field to see what's going on here, and it's just as important for leaders here to put a face to our issues - especially young and engaged faces."

 

Delegates from the group were:  Kelly Phipps, AR; Ross Thibodeaux, LA; Gibson Steele, MS; and Clay Watkins, MO. 

 

Contact:  Lauren Echols (703) 236-1440

Star Power at the USA Rice Twitter Chat    

 
There's no 'Weird  Science'
to Twitter 
ARLINGTON, VA -- Yesterday, the USA Rice Federation hosted its second Twitter party with partner #Foodiechats to celebrate National Rice Month.  One hundred and sixty people joined the "Reach for Rice" special edition afternoon party and tweeted messages about rice that reached 613,000 unique Twitter followers.  We experienced our first celebrity Twitter sighting when the actress Kelly Le Brock, who is also a food blogger and advocate for food banks, joined the party and brought along her 19,500 followers.

 

"Social media allows us to directly engage consumers and food enthusiasts," said Katie Maher, USA Rice's manager of domestic promotion.  "The dialog during the party was fast paced and spontaneous, and I was pleased with the flow of the discussion.  It was encouraging to see how many rice fans are out there in the 'Twitterverse.'"

 

The Twitter party was part of USA Rice's expanded social media outreach to engage consumers with an interest in food and culinary trends, and to promote U.S.-grown rice.

 

Contact:  Deborah Willenborg (703) 236-1444

WASDE Report Released:  Production Forecast Down    

WASHINGTON, DC -- U.S. 2014/15 rice supplies are lowered 11.5 million cwt because of declines in both beginning stocks and production, while imports are unchanged from a month ago.  U.S. rice production for 2014/15 is forecast at 218.3 million cwt, down 10.5 million from last month due both to a decrease in area harvested and yield.  Harvested area is estimated at 2.91 million acres, down 116,000 from last month. Harvested area estimates are lowered for Arkansas and California; raised in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas; and unchanged in Missouri.  Medium-grain harvested area in California is lowered 65,000 acres to 390,000 acres, down 120,000 acres from last year.  The average all rice yield is estimated at 7,501 pounds per acre, down 59 pounds per acre from last month, with decreases in

Louisiana, Missouri, and Texas, partially offset by an increase in California.  Long-grain rice production is forecast at 158.3 million cwt, down 11.1 million from last month, and combined medium- and short-grain production is forecast at 60 million cwt, up 600,000.  All rice beginning stocks for 2014/15 are 900,000 cwt from last month to 31.8 million (rough equivalent basis) based on USDA's August Rice Stocks report.  All rice 2014/15 domestic consumption and residual is lowered 3 million cwt to 131 million due mainly to lower supplies.  Exports are forecast at 102 million cwt, down 7 million from last month. All rice ending stocks are lowered 1.5 million cwt to 38.1 million.

 

All rice domestic and residual use for 2013/14 is raised 1.9 million cwt to 124.9 million, up 5.3 percent from 2012/13 based mostly on the ending stocks data.  The 2013/14 export projection is lowered 800,000 cwt to 92.7 million based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau for the full marketing year.

 

The 2014/15 long-grain season-average farm price range is projected at $12.50 to $13.50 per cwt, up 50 cents per cwt on both ends of the range from last month compared to $15.40 per cwt for 2013/14.  The combined medium- and short-grain farm price range is projected at $17.25 to $18.25 per cwt, down 25 cents per cwt on both ends of the range from last month compared to a revised $18.50 per cwt for 2013/14.  The all rice season-average farm price is forecast at $13.90 to $14.90 per cwt, up 10 cents per cwt from a month ago compared to $16.10 per cwt for 2013/14.

 

Projected global 2014/15 rice ending stocks are reduced slightly on lower supplies.  Global rice production is projected at a record 477 million tons, down 400,000 from last month, primarily due to smaller crops forecast for North and South Korea and the United States. Global beginning stocks are lowered slightly, due mostly to a reduction in Thailand.  The Thailand 2013/14 export forecast is raised 500,000 tons to 9.5 million.  Global 2014/15 rice consumption is lowered a little from last month.  Global exports are lowered slightly from a month ago on a decrease for the United States, which is partially offset by increases for Australia and Guyana.  Global 2014/15 ending stocks are projected at 105.1 million tons, down 268,000 tons from last month, and a decline of 4.8 million from the previous year. Ending stocks are lowered for Thailand, South Korea, and the United States and raised for Australia, Guyana, and India.

 

Read the full report here.

Weekly Rice Sales, Exports Reported    

WASHINGTON, DC -- Net rice sales of 32,000 MT for 2014/2015were down 43 percent from the previous week and 55 percent from the prior four-week average, according to today's Export Sales Highlights report.  Increases were reported for Mexico (7,800 MT), Ghana (7,000 MT), Honduras (5,300 MT, including 2,000 MT switched from unknown destinations and decreases of 200 MT), Costa Rica (4,000 MT), and Turkey (3,000 MT).  Decreases were reported for unknown destinations (2,000 MT).  Net sales reductions of 3,300 MT for 2015/2016 resulted as increases for Mexico (200 MT), were more than offset by decreases for Honduras (3,500 MT). 

Exports of 19,700 MT were down 53 percent from the previous week and from the prior four-week average.  The primary destinations were to Haiti (7,100 MT), Honduras (4,300 MT), Mexico (2,800 MT), Jordan (1,800 MT), and Canada (1,300 MT).

This summary is based on reports from exporters from the period August 29-September 4.
CME Group/Closing Rough Rice Futures   
CME Group (Prelim):  Closing Rough Rice Futures for September 11.


Month
Price
Net Change
September 2014$12.325
+ $0.105  
November 2014$12.520
+ $0.190
January 2015$12.720
+ $0.200
March 2015$12.915
+ $0.195
May 2015$13.080
+ $0.190
July 2015$13.260
+ $0.190
September 2015$12.960
+ $0.190


In the News 

Around Washington

EPA Should Broaden Sustainability Analysis, NRC Says Agri-Pulse

The National Research Council, the operating arm of the National Academy of Sciences recommends that for every major decision, EPA should include a strategy to assess its environmental, social and economic implications - "the three dimensions of sustainability" -- in an integrated manner.

 

 

Around the Country

Jimmy Hoppe's Farm Truck Now Pulling Camper and Kayaks Delta Farm Press

After 50 years of rice farming, Jimmy Hoppe retired in 2012, but still runs a specialty rice package business.

 

LCRA Delays Revised Water Management Plan Impact News

Downstream agriculture interests did not refute any details within the plan, but they did successfully ask for more time to review details of the proposal.

 

Stuttgart Rice Mill Sets New Daily Record Monday Stuttgart Daily Leader

Producers Rice Mill set a new record on Monday when it unloaded 601,334 bushels of green rice. The previous daily record was set in 2012 with 585,988 bushels.

 

 

Trade and Tariffs

India Notifies WTO of $56 Billion Farm Support in 2010-11 Reuters

The United States and other WTO members have strongly criticized India for being almost a decade behind with notifications on farm support.

 

UN Trade Body Criticizes Free Trade Financial Times

The UN's trade body has joined a chorus of criticism of globalization, warning that developing countries reap little value from taking part in global supply chains and that the costs of joining free-trade agreements may outweigh the gains.

 

 

Health and Nutrition

It's Time to Go Wild for Rice Lillie News

Wild rice, which is the nutritious seed of an aquatic grass, is Minnesota's official state grain. The state's green rice law does not allow the harvesting of unripe rice, so peak harvest dates are estimated to be early to mid-September in 2014.

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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,
[email protected]

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.