A Picture and A Post - Worth a Thousand Words
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| Think Rice with the Gerard family
from Cape Girardeau, Missouri |
ARLINGTON, VA -- Fields of gold extending into the horizon, combines rolling across vast acres of farm land, and diverse wildlife drifting in and out of view among swaying stalks of rice -- these characteristic signs of harvest are familiar to rice farmers, but are foreign to most Americans who are far removed from the agricultural industry. Most people don't even realize rice is grown here! During the recent harvest, pictures and videos from farmers in all six rice-producing states flooded social media sites, and with consumers' increasing interest in understanding where and how their food is grown, USA Rice saw an educational opportunity to use these images to provide an exclusive glimpse into the world of rice farming in the United States during National Rice Month.
USA Rice compiled images of harvest submitted by members and shared them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to help consumers visualize the journey of rice from farm to table. This effort was aided by a new initiative that put the spotlight on a different rice farmer each week. The "Meet Your Rice Farmer" posts shared fun facts about the farmer, including a favorite family rice recipe.
"Social media provides the public with a unique opportunity to gain an inside perspective on what life is like on a rice farm just by scrolling through pictures using their smart phone," said Michael Klein, USA Rice vice president of communications and marketing. "A fleeting glance at an image of a family on their farm has the ability to resonate with consumers, who will hopefully make the connection that the people who grow their food are also their friends, family, and neighbors."
During National Rice Month, USA Rice additionally shared graphics highlighting the nutritional benefits of rice and the economic contribution rice farmers make to the agricultural industry. All graphics were accompanied by text reinforcing the many positive attributes of the rice industry and encouraged consumers to continue supporting U.S. rice farmers.
If you have any pictures from this year's rice season that you would like to share on USA Rice's social media platforms, please email cklem@usarice.com.
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#USARiceOutlook Contest: Week One
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Tweeting? Farming? Or both!
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ARLINGTON, VA -- Mark Isbell, a rice farmer from Little Rock, Arkansas, is the first finalist selected in the #USARiceOutlook social media contest. A weekly winner will be announced every Wednesday until November 4, and will be in the running for the grand prize of a free registration to the USA Rice Outlook Conference in New Orleans December 9-11.
For contest eligibility, participants can retweet or share USA Rice's posts about the conference, or they can create their own original content using the hashtag #USARiceOutlook. Members can share what they are looking forward to most at this year's conference, which speaker they are most excited about, their favorite part about New Orleans, etc. Creativity is encouraged!
"I'm really excited to see USA Rice using Twitter to create a stronger community within the rice industry while also reaching out to consumers around the world," said Isbell, a recent graduate of the Rice Leadership Program. "Many may not realize what a strong agricultural community there is on Twitter, and how this simple tool gives us a way to not only hear and see what is going on around the world, but to speak back, even from the seat of a tractor. I encourage everyone to participate in the conversation."
Follow @usaricenews on Twitter for more exciting updates about the 2015 USA Rice Conference and remember to tweet us using #USARiceOutlook!
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CCC Announces Prevailing World Market Prices
| WASHINGTON, DC -- The Department of Agriculture's Commodity Credit Corporation today announced the following prevailing world market prices of milled and rough rice, adjusted for U.S. milling yields and location, and the resulting marketing loan gain (MLG) and loan deficiency payment (LDP) rates applicable to the 2015 crop, which will become effective today at 7:00 a.m., Eastern Time (ET). Prices are unchanged from the previous announcement.
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World Price
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MLG/LDP Rate
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Milled Value ($/cwt)
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Rough ($/cwt)
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Rough ($/cwt)
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Long Grain
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14.92
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9.42
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0.00
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Medium/Short Grain
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14.43
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9.68
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0.00
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Brokens
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9.00
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This week's prevailing world market prices and MLG/LDP rates are based on the following U.S. milling yields and the corresponding loan rates:
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U.S. Milling Yields
Whole/Broken
(lbs/cwt)
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Loan Rate
($/cwt)
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Long Grain
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55.01/13.46
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6.50
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Medium/Short Grain
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61.81/8.43
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6.50
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The next program announcement is scheduled for October 21, 2015. |
| CME Group/Closing Rough Rice Futures | CME Group (Prelim): Closing Rough Rice Futures for October 14
| November 2015 | $12.145 |
- $0.450
| | January 2016 | $12.425 |
- $0.455
| | March 2016 | $12.710 |
- $0.445
| | May 2016 | $12.940 |
- $0.350
| | July 2016 | $13.145 |
- $0.280
| September 2016
| $12.515
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- $0.245
| November 2016
| $12.515
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- $0.245
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In the News
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Around the Country
The grant - worth $555,000 - will help increase organic rice production in the southern regions of the U.S. through the development of economically viable organic practices. The grant, which was officially announced on Tuesday by the USDA, will go to researchers at Texas A&M, University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Department of Agriculture, and The Organic Center.
Rice was one of several field crops in California showing sharp acreage declines because of the drought, according to NASS. Harvested acreage of corn in the Golden State is estimated at 65,000, down 32 percent from a year ago, NASS reported.
Science and Technology
The state has now placed sensors in streams, soil and aqueducts, to monitor water levels. The new analytics system should allow state agencies to collect and analyze that data quickly, to more precisely manage public policy around the drought.
To the uninitiated, dirt may look like grubby generic mush, but actually it has character, individuality, and a taxonomy all its own. Soil scientists recognize twelve major orders of dirt, each divided into suborders, groups, subgroups, families, and series, according to its various allotments of minerals and organic matter.
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| Upcoming Events | Events Calendar
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| Mission Statement | | 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. |
| About Us | Editor: Michael Klein
(703) 236-1458
mklein@usarice.com
Fax (703) 236-2301
2101 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 610
Arlington, VA 22201
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. |
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