Kids, tell your parents,   there's more where that came from

ACCRA, GHANA -- Ghana made its first purchase of U.S. rice this calendar year, buying 14,000 MT earlier this month.  The welcome news comes on the heels of promotion efforts by the USA Rice Federation that helped importers clear stocks of U.S. long grain and jasmine rice that had been in the market for a prolonged period. 

"Without the market clearing promotions, there would have not been this opportunity to purchase more U.S. rice that is now more competitive in the market,"  said Hartwig Schmidt, the USA Rice regional director for Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. 

Ghana imported 103,000 MT of U.S. rice in 2013 and has averaged just over 101,000 MT in each of the last four years. 

"Seeing Ghana back in the market likely portends more purchases from them in the coming months," Schmidt noted.

Contact:  Jim Guinn (703) 236-1474

Open for business

ISTANBUL, TURKEY -- Last week, the USA Rice Federation exhibited at the 22nd World Food Trade Show here which attracted more than 33,000 food industry professionals and 500 local and foreign exhibitors. 

The USA Rice booth showcased and distributed information and samples of U.S.-grown rice, including southern medium grain, Calrose, and wild rice.  Chefs, foodservice professionals, and traders from Turkey, Iraq, Syria, and the Balkans, were in attendance and showed considerable interest in importing U.S. rice.

"Turkey is a growing market for both medium grain rice and wild rice," said Jim Guinn, USA Rice's vice president of international promotion.  "People there have a strong preference for U.S.-grown rice and exports have more than doubled since last year.  Our work among the foodservice sector is focused on capitalizing and building on that popularity." (See USA Rice Daily stories June 24, July 14, and August 15.)

Contact:  Hartwig Schmidt (011-49-40-4503-8660)

Around Washington

Washington Week Ahead: Government Funding Tops To Do List Agri-Pulse

With time running out, Congress will attempt this week to pass a continuing resolution that would keep the government, including the Department of Agriculture, running beyond the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30.

Around the Country

24^th Annual Rice Luncheon to be Friday Bolivar Commercial

The rice luncheon is slated for Sept. 19 at the Walter Sillers Colliseum on Delta State's campus, from 11 a.m. -1 p.m.

Video interview with Steve Orlicek of the Arkansas Rice Council.

Drones May Provide Big Lift for Agriculture Los Angeles Times

Drone advocates say wider use depends on the complex process of integrating unmanned aircraft into national airspace, which will start to be outlined in forthcoming FAA rules.

In Drought, 'Pop-Up' Wetlands Provide Bird Habitat Washington Post

With severe drought covering 95 percent of California, pop-up wetlands are one of the few tools that conservationists and others have to help stave off what wildlife refuge managers are warning could be major bird die-offs this fall and spring as waterfowl and shorebirds crowd too few acres of wetlands.

Science and Technology

Fighting Poisons with Bacteria New York Times

The hope is to find bacteria that will somehow block arsenic in its path from soil to roots to stem to edible grain.

Reality Check for Young Farmers: It's an Expensive 'Habit' NPR

Audio interview with Rebecca Thistlethwaite about her new book, Farms With A Future: Creating and Growing A Sustainable Farm Business, where she paints a picture of what success for a small farm can look like.

Health and Nutrition

What Big Food Does with 'Organic' and 'Natural' Fortune

Big food companies that acquire organic and natural brands must walk a fine line to maintain that image while extracting the maximum value from it.