USA Rice Daily

Nov 04, 2016

This week, USA Rice exhibited at the 34th annual Havana International Fair (FIHAV). The USA Rice delegation was led by Ernesto Baron and Ana Vettorazzi, USA Rice representatives for the region, and Dr. Michael (MO) Way from Texas A&M. In addition to meeting with several hundred attendees, USA Rice also held meetings with delegates from ALIMPORT (the Cuban Import Company), the National Institute of Agricultural Sciences, and from Grupo Empresarial Agricola-GAD (Agriculture Enterprise Group). Full story

Nov 04, 2016

Last week, USA Rice submitted its comments for the 2017 National Trade Estimate Report on Foreign Trade Barriers (NTE), an annual report issued by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR). The USA Rice submission identified the EU’s tariff regime and biotechnology regulation; phytosanitary issues in Colombia and Turkey; domestic price supports in India and Thailand; and various import policies in Korea, Japan, and Taiwan as significant obstacles for the U.S. rice industry. Full story

Nov 03, 2016

Nov 03, 2016

Last month, USA Rice hosted the 16th annual “Rice Chef of the Year” cooking competition held at the Escuela Superior de Turismo of the Instituto Politécnico Nacional (Superior School of Tourism of the Polytechnic Institution; E.S.T.). Twenty professional chefs representing restaurants across Mexico City and instructors from various culinary institutions cooked diverse and delicious rice dishes. Full story

Nov 03, 2016

Officials in charge of rice purchasing from Taiwan's Agriculture and Food Agency plus the chairman and vice chairman of Taiwan's Rice Millers' Association were in California rice country earlier this week and will be in Arkansas today and tomorrow as they complete a week-long visit to the United States. Full story

Nov 02, 2016

While Members of Congress have spent much of the last three months in their home states in advance of the fall elections, their staff have held down the fort on the agricultural front in Washington and, in some cases, abroad. Several Senate Appropriations Committee staff members recently took rice-centric trips to Africa and Cuba representing the Committee and its chairman, Senator Thad Cochran (R-MS). Full story

Nov 01, 2016

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agriculture Statistics Service (NASS) has published the 2015/2016 Market Year Average (MYA) price for long grain and Southern medium/short grain rice varieties. Full story

Oct 31, 2016

Oct 28, 2016

According to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), global rice production declined by 6.65 million tons in 2015/16, which USDA reports led to reduced consumption of rice in animal feeds and to some extent in food, particularly in India and Thailand. That situation was reversed in the latest USDA forecast with production forecasted to rebound by 11.17 million tons in 2016/17 to a new record of 482.26 million tons. Ending stocks are forecasted to rise 5.1 million tons to 120.7 million tons or a little more than 25 percent of consumption. Full story

Oct 27, 2016

Earlier this month, USA Rice sponsored an event here to commemorate Dia Mundial de la Alimentación (World Food Day), a day of action against hunger where people around the world come together to declare their commitment to eradicate hunger. Full story

Oct 26, 2016

Oct 26, 2016

USA Rice initiated a month long advertising campaign here that will reach 80 percent of the population in this, Saudi Arabia’s second largest city and an important commercial hub and the principal gateway to the Islamic holy cities of Mecca and Medina. Full story

Oct 25, 2016

Last week, at the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics annual Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo (FNCE), USA Rice surveyed 230 health professionals to gain insight on rice attitudes and usage. The good news is that health professionals are huge proponents of rice. In fact, 98 percent of those in a position to make dietary recommendations, said they encourage their patients to include rice and rice products in their diet. But their responses also shed light on education gaps and growth opportunities for the rice industry. Full story

Oct 24, 2016

Oct 21, 2016

Popular opposition to trade agreements and EU protectionism of “sensitive” agricultural products, including rice, are two factors holding back progress on a massive trade deal between the United States and the European Union called the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, or T-TIP. A delegation of USA Rice members and staff traveled here last week to meet with EU officials, private sector agriculture groups, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s office at the U.S. Mission to the EU. Full story

Oct 20, 2016

Oct 19, 2016

A delegation of USA Rice members and staff visited here last week to participate in the Biannual Symposium of the UK Rice Association, where more than 100 members of the UK rice trade, including importers, wholesalers, and retailers servicing the mainstream and ethnic markets gathered. Full story

Oct 19, 2016

Oct 18, 2016

USA Rice conducted a chef seminar in South Korea with one of the largest food manufacturing and foodservice distribution companies in the country. Full story

Oct 17, 2016

The Obama Administration announced a number of new directives that will bolster trade between the United States and Cuba, and while one is particularly welcome, others point to the continued exclusion of rice – a potentially top export to the island if only remaining hurdles can be cleared. Full story