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Up-to-the-Minute News on Issues and Activities
Friday, April 17, 2015

American Food Aid:  Flexibility and Food Security             

 
Food security 
WASHINGTON, DC -- The United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations met Wednesday to discuss "American Food Aid: Why Reform Matters."  Witnesses at the hearing, including USAID's Director of the Office of Food for Peace Dina Esposito, all emphasized their support for in-kind food aid, but requested increased use of local and regional purchases and cash vouchers, and a need for greater flexibility in using the right tools at the right time.

 

"USA Rice doesn't oppose a food assistance policy that provides varied solutions to hunger, but we do not support the elimination of in-kind food aid," said Jim Guinn, USA Rice's vice president of international promotion. "We support flexibility in food aid responses but believe it is more than sufficient in the 2014 Farm Bill.  In fact, food aid has more than 50 percent flexibility in the current Farm Bill, up from about 20 percent in the 2008 Farm Bill." 

 

Food aid may be distributed directly to target populations, especially in the case of emergencies, or may be sold in the targeted country with the proceeds used to support programs and activities of Private Voluntary Organizations. The sale and use of proceeds for these purposes is called "monetization."

 

"Monetization can be a highly effective means of investing in food security, and we believe USAID already has full flexibility through their International Disaster Assistance account to use cash as needed," says Rebecca Bratter, USA Rice's food aid advisor.  "The American food aid system works, and there is no need for additional reform." 

 

The legislative battle to keep food in food assistance is likely to continue for the long term, and USA Rice, working in conjunction with other commodity groups and on Capitol Hill, will continue to prove that in-kind food aid is an essential piece of U.S. foreign policy.

 

Guinn added, "Our farmers take great pride in providing decades-long assistance to vulnerable populations throughout the world. The use of U.S. commodities in food aid guarantees that a safe, high quality, and nutritious product is being provided to recipients, given that the U.S. food safety system is one of the strongest in the world."

 

Contact:  Sarah Moran (703) 236-1457

USA Rice Staff Visits The Russell Marine Group, Eurofins              

NEW ORLEANS, LA -- USA Rice President & CEO Betsy Ward and Member Services staff visited The Russell Marine Group and Eurofins new facilities this week.

 

Ward said, "I want to thank Pat Russell from The Russell Marine Group and Frank Spiegelhalter from Eurofins and their teams for their hospitality. We appreciated the opportunity to talk about activities at the upcoming USA Rice Outlook Conference."

 

 
From left:  Betsy Ward, The Russell Marine Group's Larry Vanderbrook, and USA Rice's Randy Jemison.
 
 
USA Rice's Trish Alderson (l) and Jeanette Davis enjoy the boat ride.
Loaded up and ready to ride the Mississippi River.
Betsy Ward and Amy Doane discuss nutrition and heavy metal testing with Vickie Siegel and Randy Roebuck from Eurofins.
CME Group/Closing Rough Rice Futures   
CME Group (Prelim):  Closing Rough Rice Futures for April 17.

Month
Price
Net Change
May 2015
$9.905
- $0.060
July 2015
$10.160
- $0.050
September 2015
$10.420
- $0.045  
November 2015
$10.650
- $0.040  
January 2016
$10.880
- $0.040
March 2016
$10.930
- $0.040
May 2016
$10.930
- $0.040

In the News 

Around Washington

Fast-Track Agreement Sets Stage for Congressional Trade Battle Agri-Pulse

The TPA bill is headed for an especially tough fight in the House, which will challenge President Obama's ability to woo Democratic support.

 

Around the Country

USA Rice: Think Rice Consumer Marketing Campaign Delta Farm Press

Think Rice is the new face of domestic promotion programs and USA Rice consumer marketing initiatives.

 

Science and Technology

Arsenic in Your Food? Scared? Shouldn't Be, But if so There's A GMO Fix Genetic Literacy Project

Scientists in Japan and Korea have identified a protein in some varieties of rice that helps the plant sequester arsenic away from the grain - the part we eat. They are hoping to genetically engineer the mutation responsible for this protein into all cultivated rice plants to reduce our intake of arsenic.

 

Tariffs and Trade

Trade Talks in Tokyo Get Push from 'Fast-Track' Deal in US The New York Times

Top Japan and U.S. trade officials plan to meet this weekend, seeking to close gaps over autos and farm trade before Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visits Washington later this month. Japanese media reports Friday suggested that Japan would likely agree to increase its imports of American grown rice, while keeping costly price supports to protect local farmers.

 

 

From PoliticoPro

By Bill Tomson

 

U.S. WAITS ON CHINA RESPONSE TO RICE TRADE PROPOSAL: China is now reviewing the USDA's latest proposal for a phytosanitary agreement that would allow the two countries to sell rice to each other, a development that the U.S. rice sector believes would open up a new and lucrative market in one of the world's largest importers.

 

U.S. industry and government officials told POLITICO they hope the latest protocol sent to China placates all of the country's concerns, including the latest fear that U.S. shipments might be infested with the Khapra beetle, a bug that's considered one of the world's most damaging pests when it comes to grain. The U.S. does not have a Khapra infestation problem and U.S. government and industry sources say they hope the latest submission to China will convince the country.

 

The U.S. rice industry and USDA have been working for years to open up the Chinese market to U.S. rice since China joined the World Trade Organization in 2001 and promised to eventually buy U.S. rice. China bought about 4 million tons of rice last year, according to USDA data, up from about 3 million tons the year before.


USA Rice Daily Index of Articles, April 13-16

Thursday, April 16  

New Trade Promotion Authority Bill Could Jump Start Trade Negotiations 

 

Wednesday, April 15
RCPP Meeting Sets the Stage for Sustainability Talks

Tuesday, April 14
Market Watch:  South Korea -- A Changing Market?

Monday, April 13
USA Rice Joins 24 Farm and Ag Organizations for 2015 Commodity Summit
Crop Progress:  2015 Crop 26 Percent Planted
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