Ward provided the board with a financial report and results of the audits for all five organizations overseen by USA Rice, and then focused her presentation on international market challenges the U.S. rice industry is facing in Cuba, Iraq, China, Central America, and our number one market, Mexico.

 

"With 64 totally new Members of Congress we need to educate on rice issues, several delicate trade deals possibly coming to their conclusion, and our regular challenges, it sometimes feels like we're working in a three ring circus," Ward remarked.  "We know things out in the countryside are tough right now, and we are constantly looking for ways to improve the viability of rice farming."

 

Ward took several questions on the situation in Iraq, Cuba, and food safety concerns, and in both cases the message was keeping the pressure on.

 

"We've applied a great deal of pressure on Iraq and we've seen results, but clearly we need to keep pushing," she said.  "This will be a top priority issue at our Government Affairs Conference in Washington in a few weeks."

 

Klein and Ward discuss rice issues with the board

Klein then shared results from last year's consumer focus groups and explained how what USA Rice learned is being implemented.

 

"We know we have a great opportunity to educate folks, because they don't know a lot about rice - but they respond very positively to our conservation messages, and would like us to tell them more," he said.

 

Klein said the desire people show to eat local and support U.S. farmers factors into the group's retail outreach through supermarket dieticians and elementary school programs

 

The ARRPB is made up of nine rice producers who are nominated by industry organizations and appointed to two-year terms by the governor.  The board is responsible for allocating Arkansas rice promotion and research check-off funds annually.  For the past 29 years, the ARRPB has awarded promotion funds to the USA Rice Council. 

 

"We always appreciate the opportunity to meet with this board and report on work made possible by the financial resources entrusted to us by Arkansas," Ward said.  "I also want to thank the Arkansas rice farmers and industry members who serve on the USA Rice Council board and on USA Rice domestic and international promotion committees.  Their participation is vital to USA Rice's member-driven process for program development and implementation."

 

After the presentations on promotion results and USA Rice financials, the ARRPB approved the USA Rice Council's request for funding in the fiscal year August 1, 2015 to July 31, 2016.

 

Contact:  Chuck Wilson (870) 673-7541

 

The meeting, organized by the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture and sponsored by the Arkansas Rice Federation and the Poultry Federation, was attended by members of both the Senate and House agriculture committees who heard several presentations on this emerging market.

 

University of Arkansas's Dr. Eric Wailes discussed historical ag trade trends between the U.S. and Cuba; Marvin Childers of the Poultry Federation presented the poultry perspective on trade; and Riceland Foods' Bill Reed and Terry Harris shared the outlook for rice, including several personal anecdotes about travel they've undertaken to the Island.  Arkansas Farm Bureau's Warren Carter added an overall farmer's perspective as well. 

 

Riceland Food's Terry Harris knows the Cuban rice market inside and out

"It was important for the state legislators to hear the enormous potential this market has for U.S. agriculture, particularly in Arkansas when it comes to chicken and rice, but also for them to hear the many challenges that remain," Ward said.  "Ideally we'd like Congress and the Administration to hear from the state legislators and governors about how important the Cuban market is."

 

Contact:  Michael Klein (703) 236-1458

Announcement:            6 February 2015

Tender:                         10 February 2015

Offer details:               50,000 mt

 

Country Specified or Global	Non-glutinous milled rice (medium grain)	Non-glutinous milled rice (long grain)	TOTAL
U.S.A.	24,000		24,000
Global Tender	12,000	14,000	26,000
	36,000	14,000	50,000

 

Shipping period:          (U.S.A.) from 10 July 2015 to 10 August 2015

                                                    from 1 August 2015 to 31 August 2015

                                    (GT: Medium) from 20 August 2015 to 20 September 2015

                                    (GT: Long) from 10 June 2015 to 20 July 2015