And the survey says...

BATON ROUGE, LA -- During the first several weeks of June, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will conduct two major mid-year surveys, the June Agricultural Survey and the June Area Survey. The agency will survey farmers across the country to determine crop acreage and grain stocks on farms in 2015.

"Due to the widespread impact of its results, these two surveys provide the first clear indication of the potential production and supply of major commodities in the United States for the 2015 crop year," explained Becky Cross, Director of the NASS Delta Regional Office.

NASS gathers the data for the agriculture survey online, by mail and/or by phone. For the June Area Survey, agency representatives will visit randomly selected tracts of land and interview the operators of any farm or ranch on that land. Growers will provide information on crop acreage - including biotech crops-as well as grain stocks and other items.

"We recognize this is a hectic time for farmers and ranchers, but the information they provide is essential to everyone involved in U.S. agriculture," said Nathan Crisp, State Statistician from the NASS Louisiana field office. "I urge them to respond to these surveys and thank them for their cooperation."

Crisp added, "NASS safeguards the privacy of all responses and publishes only state- and national-level data, ensuring that no individual operation or producer can be identified."

NASS will compile and analyze the survey information and publish the results in a series of USDA reports, including the annual Acreage reportand quarterly Grain Stocks report, both to be released June 30, 2015. The survey data collected are also used in other NASS and USDA reports.

All reports are available on the NASS website: www.nass.usda.gov. For more information on NASS surveys and reports, call the NASS Delta Regional Office at (800) 327-2970.

Contact:  Randy Jemison (337) 738-7009

WASHINGTON, DC -- U.S. 2015/16 all rice supplies are forecast up 3 percent from 2014/15 and total use is up 2 percent. This will lead to an 11 percent increase in 2015/16 ending stocks projected at 47.4 million cwt. Beginning stocks for 2015/16 are forecast at 42.9 million cwt. Projected 2015/16 imports at a record 24.5 million cwt. U.S. rice production for 2015/16 is projected at 219.0 million cwt. Long-grain production is projected at 162 million cwt, and combined medium- and short-grain production at 57million. All rice harvested area is estimated at 2.90 million acres. Long-grain harvested area is 2.19 million acres. Combined medium- and short-grain harvested area is 710,000 acres. The drought-induced drop in California medium- and short-grain area has attracted more acres of medium-grain rice in the Delta where plantings in 2015 are projected up 3 percent. U.S. all rice average yield is projected at 7,562 pounds per acre, nearly the same as last year.

U.S. 2015/16 all rice total use is projected at 239 million cwt with domestic and residual use at 131million and exports at 108 million. Long-grain rice exports are projected at 76 million cwt, and medium- and short-grain rice exports at 32 million. U.S. all rice ending stocks for 2015/16 are projected at 47.4 million cwt with long-grain ending stocks at 34.1 million cwt, and medium- and short-grain rice stocks at 11 million.

The U.S. 2015/16 long-grain rice season-average farm price is projected at $10.00 to $11.00 per cwt,compared to a revised $11.80 to $12.20 for the previous year. The medium- and short-grain price is projected at $17.80 to $18.80 per cwt, compared to a revised $17.80 to $18.20 for the year earlier. The2015/16 all rice price is projected at $12.30 to $13.30 per cwt, compared to a revised $13.20 to $13.60per cwt for 2014/15. The California medium- and short-grain price is expected to strengthen slightly, and the Other States price is unchanged from 2014/15.

Global 2015/16 total rice ending stocks are expected to drop 6.9 million tons to 91.5 million tons with a stocks-to-use ratio of 18.7 percent, the lowest since 2006/07. World rice production is projected at a record 482.1 million tons. Global consumption is projected at a record 489.0 million tons. Global exports in 2015/16 are projected at 42.4 million tons. Exports in 2015/16 will be down from the previous year for India and Pakistan, but up for Burma, Cambodia, and the United States. Thailand's exports are unchanged at 11 million tons. Larger 2015/16 imports are projected for China and the Middle East. Global 2015/16 ending stocks are projected at 91.5 million tons, the lowest stocks since 2007/08. The global stocks-to-use ratio at 18.7 percent is the lowest since 2006/07. The largest year-to-year stocks reductions occur in India, Thailand, Indonesia, and China.

Read the complete report here.

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