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USA Rice Daily
Up-to-the-Minute News on Issues and Activities
Thursday, January 29, 2015

Jimmy Hoppe Selected for 2015 LA Agriculture Hall of Distinction 

 
Jimmy Hoppe 
BATON ROUGE, LA -- Louisiana Farm Bureau Agri-News Network announced the 2015 inductees to the Louisiana Agriculture Hall of Distinction today, including Jimmy Hoppe, a rice farmer from Iowa, Louisiana.  The Louisiana Agriculture Hall of Distinction honors those who have made extraordinary contributions to the state's agriculture community and Jimmy Hoppe definitely fits the bill.

 

Hoppe's nomination read in part, "Mention the name Jimmy Hoppe anywhere in the U.S. rice world or in Louisiana agriculture circles and people will instantly recognize him as a long-time, effective and selfless leader who has impacted agriculture since he was a young FFA member at Fenton High School -- and he continues to do so today."

 

Hoppe's service and leadership have benefited the USA Rice Federation, the Louisiana and USA Rice Producers' Group, the Louisiana and USA Rice Council, the American Rice Growers Association, the Jeff Davis and Louisiana Rice Growers Association, the Louisiana Soybean Association, and Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation.  He also has received multiple gubernatorial appointments to the Louisiana Rice Promotion Board and the Louisiana Agriculture Commodities Commission.

 

"Among his many outstanding qualities, Jimmy is a great steward of the land," said Jeff Durand, a fellow Louisiana rice farmer and co-chairman of the USA Rice-DU Stewardship Partnership Committee.  "He is a strong advocate for sustainable practices and known for his work with the LSU AgCenter Rice Research Station on cutting-edge research."

 

Ceremonies honoring the 2015 inductees will take place at 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 5, at White Oak Plantation in Baton Rouge.  For ticket information, contact the Louisiana Radio Network at (225) 291-2727, ext. 230.

 

Contact:  Randy Jemison (337) 738-7009

Deadline Approaches for Farm Bill Sign Ups 

WASHINGTON, DC -- The 2014 Farm Bill program sign up is well underway across the country, and with deadlines fast approaching, the USA Rice Federation wants to remind producers and landowners of the timeline they face. 

 

"The sign up dates are upon us, so it is imperative for decision makers to evaluate their specific operation and all of the options available to them," said Ben Mosely, USA Rice vice president of government affairs.  "These decisions can't be reversed.  The choice lasts for the duration of this Farm Bill, so make the most informed decision you can."

 

The Texas A&M Farm Bill Decision Aid tool was designed to help growers evaluate their options in the 2014 Farm Bill.  Visit the Decision Aid page here, and be sure to make an appointment with your local Farm Service Agency (FSA) office well before the deadline.  

 

Producers and land owners have varying responsibilities regarding Farm Bill participation and the staggered sign up timeline is designed to help all parties navigate the process as easily as possible:

  • February 27 - One-time Base Acre Reallocation and Yield Update
  • March 31 - Elect ARC (Agricultural Risk Coverage) or PLC (Price Loss Coverage) for all crops
  • Mid-April through June - ARC and PLC enrollment

If a landowner chooses not to reallocate base acres or update yields before February 27, there will be no opportunity to do so in future and existing base acres and yields will apply moving forward.  ARC or PLC election will require agreement between all producers sharing a farm number.  If no election occurs, the farm will be placed in the PLC program and will forgo one year of payment eligibility.  After the producer elects ARC or PLC for all crops, the producer must return to the FSA and enroll in the program each year to be eligible for payments.

 

Contact:  Evan Spencer (703) 236-1476

Weekly Rice Sales, Exports Reported        

WASHINGTON, DC -- Net rice sales of 32,600 MT for 2014/2015 were down 67 percent from the previous week and 39 percent from the prior four-week average, according to today's Export Sales Highlights report.  Increases were reported for Colombia (33,200 MT), Haiti (18,600 MT), Jordan (6,200 MT), Canada (4,900 MT), and South Korea (1,400 MT).  Decreases were reported for Mexico (35,600 MT). 

Exports of 74,300 MT were down 50 percent from the previous week and 11 percent from the prior four-week average.  The primary destinations were Mexico (33,900 MT), Haiti (14,200 MT), Japan (12,100 MT), Colombia (7,200 MT), and Canada (3,000 MT).

This summary is based on reports from exporters from the period January 16-22.
CME Group/Closing Rough Rice Futures   
CME Group (Prelim):  Closing Rough Rice Futures for January 29

Month
Price
Net Change
March 2015$10.860
+ $0.125
May 2015$11.130
+ $0.145
July 2015$11.355
+ $0.155
September 2015$11.055
+ $0.175
November 2015$11.155
+ $0.175
January 2016$11.245
+ $0.175
March 2016$11.245
+ $0.175

In the News 

Around the Country

2015 Rice Farmer of the Year is Ray Stoesser Liberty Vindicator

Stoesser has been rice farming in Dayton, Texas since 1966, as his father and grandfather did before him.

 

Satellite Mission Poised to Help Farmers and Water Managers, NASA Says  

Sacramento Bee

A NASA satellite being launched into space Thursday will measure moisture in the top layer of soil in California farm fields far below. The Soil Moisture Active Passive project is expected to provide crucial information to Central Valley farmers and water resource managers dealing with the multiyear drought.

 

Soybean Association, Farm Groups Push for End to West Coast Port dispute Agri-Pulse

More than 90 farm and commodity organizations are calling for a quick resolution of a labor dispute that has disrupted operations at West Coast ports, costing the agricultural industry millions of dollars a week.

 

What Do Farmers think About Climate Change? Scientific American

Whether or not farmers agree about the causes or even existence of climate change, researchers agree that farmers still have to prepare their farms for the consequences of rising temperatures, increased atmospheric CO2 and more extreme weather events.

 

 

Trade and Tariffs

Raul Castro: US Must Return Guantanamo for Normal Relations Yahoo

Cuban President Raul Castro demanded on Wednesday that the United States return the U.S. base at Guantanamo Bay, lift the half-century trade embargo on Cuba and compensate his country for damages before the two nations re-establish normal relations.

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