USA Rice Daily Up-to-the-Minute News on Issues and Activities Tuesday November 17, 2015 USA Rice Visits UK Trade with Eye to Returning U.S. Rice to Shelves      Reputation for quality  LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM -- USA Rice President & CEO Betsy Ward and Regional Director Hartwig Schmidt recently conducted trade visits here to update the UK rice trade on the current U.S. rice supply situation.   Approximately 90 percent of U.S. long grain rice sales here service the ethnic sector, but there is increasing competition from European and Thai origins, based on price.   "We're also now seeing basmati prices dropping enough that consumers are sometimes willing to give it a try in place of U.S. long grain," Ward said after meeting with major retailers.  "The good news is that we have an unparalleled reputation for quality, consistency, food safety, and sustainability.  The task at hand will be doing more to promote these facts to consumers."   Ward said USA Rice conducts several promotional activities in the ethnic sector throughout the year here and that importers of U.S. rice she met with offered valuable suggestions on additional promotions that should be considered to increase U.S. rice sales.    Meetings with rice buyers in the industrial sector revealed the potential for reintroducing U.S. rice to this high volume market segment, who remember and appreciate the consistency and high quality of U.S. long grain rice.     It is through regular trade servicing and promotional activities that USA Rice, in cooperation with the UK trade, will get U.S. rice back on the retail shelves beyond just the ethnic markets.  In spite of the tough competition, U.S. long grain rice sales more than doubled as compared to last year, reaching over 18,000 MT in the period January-September 2015.   Contact:  Hartwig Schmidt 011-49-40-4503-8660 CME Group/Closing Rough Rice Futures    CME Group (Prelim):  Closing Rough Rice Futures for November 17 Month Price Net Change January 2016 $12.065 + $0.225 March 2016 $12.325 + $0.225 May 2016 $12.615 + $0.225 July 2016 $12.865 + $0.225 September 2016 $12.430 + $0.225  November 2016 $12.430 + $0.225 January 2017 $12.430  + $0.225 In the News Around the Country Texas Largely Free of Drought My Plain View Only 0.6 percent of Texas currently is experiencing drought conditions, down from 4.3 percent a week ago, 18 percent three months ago and 44 percent a year ago.     Science and Technology The Science of Neurogastronomy or How Our Brains Perceive the Flavor of Food Wall Street Journal What if science could change the way food tastes by manipulating neurological signals inside a subject's body, rather than changing external characteristics such as cooking style, feeding environment or the food itself?     Tariffs and Trade 500,000 Ton Cuban Market Would be Beneficial to U.S. Rice Farmers Delta Farm Press Cubans have a long history of preferring high quality U.S rice over lower priced Asian rice - if they have the income to buy it, says Nathan Childs, senior agricultural economist with the USDA's Economic Research Service. "And the U.S. sells rough, brown and milled rice while Vietnam, the major supplier now to Cuba, exports only milled rice."   Stronger TPP Support Hammered Out for Beef, Pork Farmers Japan Times Other measures include an effective increase in the government's purchases of domestic rice to shore up prices, which are expected to fall due to a planned increase in rice imports under the TPP pact.   USDA Secretary to Lead Trade Mission to Africa Crop Protection News USDA is coordinating a mission to sub-Saharan Africa with hopes to expand export opportunities for the United States. Last year, the top sub-Saharan African markets for the U.S. were Nigeria ($847 million), Angola ($298 million) South Africa ($259 million), Ghana ($129 million), Kenya ($69 million) and Ethiopia ($83 million).  Upcoming Events  Events Calendar   Recent Issues November 16 November 13 November 12 November 10 November 9 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 the USA Rice. Copyright © 2015. Please direct comments or questions to the editor or contact name listed for each story.