From left:  Sarah Moran, Rick Rhody, Betsy Ward, and Jeff Milinovich with California Central Packing Company

ARLINGTON, VA -- Class 45 of the California Agricultural Leadership Program visited USA Rice Federation headquarters today to learn about the work of the national rice organization. 

The 17-month program provides advanced leadership development for emerging agricultural leaders and exposes participants to a wide array of ag business and technical interests.  The current class members represent a broad spectrum of California crops and agribusiness, and include Rick Rhody with The Sun Valley Rice Company, and rice grower Correen Davis from Gorrill Ranch in Durham, CA. 

The program includes an international session, so much of today's meeting with USA Rice President & CEO Betsy Ward, COO Bob Cummings, and International Promotion Director Sarah Moran focused on trade issues facing the rice industry and U.S. ag interests in general.

"The group was very engaged and asked excellent questions," said Ward.  "As with our industry's Rice Leadership Program, the investment in California's future ag leaders will pay enormous dividends going forward and we were happy to share our knowledge and experience with the group."

Contact:  Trish Alderson (703) 236-1472

Announcement:          10 March 2015

Tender:                        13 March 2015

Offer details:               64,368 mt

Shipping period:          (U.S.A.) from 20 September 2015 to 20 October 2015

                                    (Thailand) from 10 July 2015 to 20 August 2015

                                                      from 20 July 2015 to 31 August 2015

                                                      from 10 August 2015 to 20 September 2015

Around the Country

Californian Water Crisis Set to Maintain Global Rice Prices ABC.net

Rob Gordon, CEO of Australian rice processor SunRice, said reservoirs in some of California's key rice growing areas were extremely low and to grow a rice crop you have to have a very high price to make sense of that, versus selling your water for town use.

Short Water Shifting California Crops, Farming Locations Western Farm Press

Much of what was presented at the BlueTechValley Water Summit echoed the theme of the need to be adaptable to a new world of less water availability. And companies presented "how-to" information on new technology, precision agriculture and variable irrigation.

Around the World

Bureaucratic Infighting Hampers Action on Droughts Reuters

Infighting between competing government departments has weakened the world's ability to tackle droughts, a U.N. official said as scientists meet at an international conference in Mexico this week to discuss desertification.