WASHINGTON, DC -- The 2019/21 USA Rice Leadership Class concluded their fourth and final session here this week where they got an insiders’ look at the federal legislative process attending hearings with Congressional committees, meetings with federal agencies, such as the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and having face-to-face interactions with their home-state senators and representatives.
The five class members that made the trip to Washington were Austin Davis, from Shaw, Mississippi; Michael Durand, St. Martinville, Louisiana; Austin Littleton, Parma, Missouri; Matthew Morris, Carlisle, Arkansas; and Justin Nix, Maurice, Louisiana.
The class also had a tour of the Canadian Embassy, located on Pennsylvania Avenue, the only embassy located between Congress and the White House, where they met with Agriculture and Fisheries Counselor Gizem Eras, who is responsible for trade policy issues related to meat and livestock, fisheries, the environment, and climate change.
Eras gave a
presentation about her role in the Canadian Embassy and the importance of bilateral trade between the U.S. and Canada focusing on collaboration, supporting shared common values, and overcoming current challenges effecting trade. Discussion topics included implementation of the U.S–Mexico Canada Agreement (USMCA), supply chain disruptions, cyber security, and labor shortages among others.
“The leadership class visit to the embassy was excellent,” said Dr. Steve Linscombe, director of The Rice Foundation who accompanied the class throughout their time in Washington. “Not only did the group learn about U.S. rice exports to Canada, but also obtained a much greater understanding of Canadian agriculture, culture, government, and issues in common with those currently affecting the United States. The visit reinforced the great bond between these two neighboring countries.”
In 2020, bilateral agricultural trade between the U.S. and Canada accounted for $50.9 billion worth of goods and services. More than $2 billion worth of trade crosses the border every day, Canada is consistently a top 10 export market for U.S.-origin rice. In 2021 the United Stated exported more than 233,000 MT of all types of rice to Canada, valued at $198.5 million.