ARLINGTON, VA -- Yesterday, USA Rice held the third session in the new international trade webinar series with the U.S. Rice Supply and Outlook targeting the EU/UK and Swiss trade audience.
"We had great participation with more than 75 people logging in from all over Europe including the UK, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Spain, Poland, and Belgium, as well as several USA Rice members and Foreign Agricultural Service post representatives from the U.S. Department of Agriculture stationed across Europe and the U.S.” said Eszter Somogyi, USA Rice director of Europe, Middle East, and Africa, the webinar’s host.
USA Rice President & CEO Betsy Ward welcomed participants and emphasized that “the reason we are here today is because Europe remains an important market for the U.S., but also one we hope to expand by strengthening existing relationships and building new ones.”
On the agenda were presentations by rice experts from the USDA Economic Research Service, the University of Arkansas Rice Research & Extension Center, the California Cooperative Rice Research Foundation, and the Normandy Group, USA Rice’s regulatory consultant.
The webinar concluded with a Q&A session in which all six panelists gave expert opinions on a wide range of topics, including the effect of the global pandemic on demand for U.S. rice in international markets, how the EU’s regulatory regime could impact U.S. rice sales, and whether there is new confidence in China’s reporting on stock sizes.
“The U.S rice crop is grown and milled under stringent regulations for food safety and quality, and the highest standards of environmental preservation and sustainability,” Somogyi reminded participants. “As an industry, we are committed to providing the highest quality product and we look forward to partnering with you in the future.”
Following the seminar, several attendees expressed appreciation for the informative event as well as strong interest in future trade talk sessions.
All resources including a recording of the webinar and copies of all presentations are available on the
USA Rice website.
Registration is open for the final webinar in the series on November 12, focused on
food aid.