LAFAYETTE, LA – Last week, USA Rice hosted several scientists from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Pesticide Programs and an agricultural economist from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Office of Pest Management Policy for an in-depth educational tour of the U.S. rice industry based here in southwest Louisiana. The tour’s objective was to provide attendees with a comprehensive overview of the Louisiana Gulf Coast rice producing and processing region to educate and build relationships in a friendly and comfortable environment.
The visit began on Monday, August 5, with a comprehensive overview of the Louisiana rice industry by Dr. Ronnie Levy, state rice specialist for the LSU Ag Center, and continued with a discussion of pesticide enforcement and compliance by Lyndon Leonards and Ashley Laborde from the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry. The day concluded with a tour of the research plots and a drone demonstration at the H. Rouse Caffey Rice Research Station in Crowley.
On Tuesday, participants discussed aerial pesticide application and were provided an opportunity to review application technologies and examine equipment at Lejeune Flying Service. The group was then hosted by Michael Fruge for a discussion about sustainable rice production where they were joined by Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation (LFBF) President and Evangeline Parish rice farmer Richard Fontenot and LFBF staff, as well as special guest, Adele Borne, from the staff of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Agriculture. During the final stop of the day, the group was able to learn more about precision agriculture and examine various pieces of agricultural equipment at Sunshine Equipment in Jennings, before being treated to dinner and music complements of Bertrand Rice.
On Wednesday, LSU Ag Center faculty gave a demonstration on the beneficial role levees play in minimizing spray drift. This is an issue USA Rice is studying along with the USDA Agricultural Research Service and the National Agricultural Aviation Association to quantify as part of EPA’s various strategies for Endangered Species Act compliance. The tour then moved on to Live Oak Farm for discussions about black bird pressures with Vermilion Parish rice farmer and USA Rice Regulatory Affairs and Food Safety Vice Chair Allen McLain, followed by a stop at Crowley Grain Drier, Inc. to examine rice seed treatment.
The last stop of the day included a discussion of conservation practices utilized by rice farmers at Richard Farms where each participant rode in a combine with Christian Richard to view harvest operations, and eat some spectacular etouffee prepared by Christian’s father, Jude Richard.
Thursday was the final day of the visit and included a tour of Supreme Rice with host John Morgan, the rice milling company’s vice president, where the group heard about the importance of fumigation and saw rice bulk loading as well as retail packaging firsthand.
The final stop included a tour of Zaunbrecher Farms near Rayne where various pest pressures were highlighted and a discussion of the need for additional fumigants took center stage.
“I want to thank our EPA and USDA guests for taking time away from their families and regular job duties to take a deep dive into U.S. rice production to gain a better understanding of EPA’s regulations on our industry,” said USA Rice President & CEO Peter Bachmann. “While only so much can be covered in four days, we’re hopeful the knowledge and experience gained, and the relationships that were built during this tour, dramatically improve the understanding among these individuals of the challenges we face, and create a basis for communicating our support or opposition to current and future regulatory proposals. We look forward to building on the success of this tour annually for years to come.”
Bachmann continued: “I would also like to thank the numerous USA Rice members, staff, and industry partners who took the time last week to host or visit with the group, share in a meal, or provide authentic Cajun experiences for our guests as they explored the breadth and depth of this area's rice production.”