USA Rice Daily
Up-to-the-Minute News on Issues and Activities
Friday, October 2, 2015
No Conclusion Yet in TPP Negotiations 
ATLANTA, GA -- What many hoped would be the final round of negotiations for the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) is being held up by several unresolved issues including market access for U.S. rice.
 
USA Rice Chairman Dow Brantley, who along with Michael Rue, chairman of the USA Rice Asia Trade Policy Subcommittee, attended the trade talks, said, "We have made it clear to U.S. negotiators that an agreement without meaningful improvement in the quantity and quality of market access for U.S. rice in Japan and preservation of existing market access overall is an agreement that we cannot support."
 
Yesterday, seventeen Members of the House Agriculture Committee sent a letter to Ambassador Michael Froman, U.S. Trade Representative, echoing these concerns.  Three rice state legislators, Rick Crawford (R-AR), Doug LaMalfa (R-CA), and Ralph Abraham (R-LA), signed the letter saying, "We...remain deeply concerned over the lack of meaningful market access in key markets for America's rice farmers..."
 
The talks have been extended into tomorrow as TPP countries press for a final agreement.
 
Contact:  Bob Cummings (703) 236-1473
USA Rice-Ducks Unlimited RCPP Project Implementation Rolls Forward   
 
RCPP enrollment -- it's time 
WASHINGTON, DC -- Today, the USA Rice-Ducks Unlimited Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) project, "Sustaining the Future of Rice" takes another step forward in the implementation process.
 
Earlier this year, USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) awarded the project $10 million in funding for the six major rice producing states.  Under the project rice farmers will have two years to enroll in the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP).  NRCS offices in Missouri are now accepting EQIP applications from rice farmers and Louisiana NRCS will follow suit this coming Monday.  Application in Missouri and Louisiana will be accepted through November 20, 2015.
 
Blake Gerard, Missouri rice farmer and chairman of the USA Rice Farmers, said, "I'm really excited at the pace this project is moving, everything seems to be happening right on target with the overall schedule established."  Gerard added that "installing conservation practices on our crop ground is just the right thing to do and so I urge fellow growers to take a look at their conservation plans over the next few weeks and try to find some additional practices they can add under this RCPP project."
 
Rice farmers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Missouri are encouraged to submit EQIP applications as part of the "Sustaining the Future of Rice" RCPP project at their local NRCS offices. Sign-up for CSP is projected to begin in each of the six rice states late in 2016.

To learn more about the USA Rice-Ducks Unlimited RCPP project, visit here.
 
Contact:  Peter Bachmann (703) 236-1475
CME Group/Closing Rough Rice Futures   
CME Group (Prelim):  Closing Rough Rice Futures for October 2

Month
Price
Net Change
November 2015$13.250
- $0.050
January 2016
$13.530
- $0.050
March 2016
$13.800
- $0.040
May 2016$13.940
- $0.040
July 2016$14.075
- $0.030
September 2016$13.180
- $0.005
November 2016
$13.180
- $0.005
In the News 
Around the Country
Net farm income and net cash income are two key measures of farm sector profitability. Following several years of high income, both have trended downward since peaking in 2013.


Tariffs and Trade
Governor Asa Hutchinson recently traveled to Cuba with a delegation of nearly 50 people to promote the state and meet with government officials. He's the first governor to visit Cuba since the U.S. re-opened its embassy there in July.
 
Congressional leaders cautioned that the accord should not be rushed to completion over fears that a subpar deal could lose support among lawmakers.
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USA Rice is the global advocate for all segments of the U.S. rice industry with a mission to promote and protect the interests of producers, millers, merchants and allied businesses.
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Editor:  Michael Klein
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mklein@usarice.com

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This report is time-sensitive, based on information available at press time. Content is derived from facts and sources believed to be reliable. Reprinting and/or distribution may be done with permission of USA Rice.

Copyright © 2015. Please direct comments or questions to the editor or contact name listed for each story.