• Agriculture Tops the Trends at Culinary Conference

    Mar 23, 2016

    WASHINGTON, DC -- This weekend, the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) held its annual conference to facilitate an exchange of information, knowledge, and inspiration within the professional food community. In attendance were hundreds of culinary professionals including, chefs, food media, culinary school instructors, food writers, marketers, nutritionists, and academics. Full story
  • GA-Rice-Grading-at-RiceTec-160322 Federal Rice Grading Standards Up for Review

    Mar 22, 2016

    This week USA Rice submitted comments for the five-year review of United States Standards for Rough Rice, Brown Rice for Processing, and Milled Rice. The standards are maintained by the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Grain Inspection, Packers, and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) and facilitate the marketing of rice in foreign and domestic trade, and provide a uniform measure of quality by providing a common language to describe commodity attributes for U.S. producers, exporters, and their customers. Full story
  • ITP-Vilsack-in-Cuba-Rice-Aisle-in-2015-160321 New Agreements for U.S.-Cuba Agriculture Sectors Announced During Historic Visit

    Mar 21, 2016

    Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, who is traveling with President Obama on his historic visit to Cuba this week, announced today that agricultural commodity groups receiving funding from federal check-offs or U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Marketing Orders for research and promotion activities are now able to use their resources in preparing for normalized trade with the country. USA Rice promotion activities were not impacted by today’s announcement because, when conducting promotion activities in Cuba, USA Rice uses state-generated resources that are not subject to federal check-off restrictions. Full story
  • Star-Studded Food Service Seminar

    Mar 21, 2016

    Earlier this month, U.S. rice was the highlight of a foodservice seminar, “Mizrahi and Friends,” at the Colegio Superior de Gastronomia Culinary Institute where distinguished international chefs cooked for an audience of foodservice professionals, press, and special guests. The organizer and star of the event, Chef Aaron Mizrahi, grilled various cuts of U.S. meat served with a delicious rice dish made with U.S.-grown rice and emphasized the importance of selecting U.S. rice for its nutritional value and superior quality. Full story
  • Group of LA farmers & millers meet w/Rep Ralph Abraham USA Rice Advocacy Gets Results in Food Aid Debate

    Mar 18, 2016

    During USA Rice’s 2016 Government Affairs Conference here last month, USA Rice members educated Members of the Agriculture Subcommittee of the House Committee on Appropriations on the importance of maintaining in-kind commodities in the food aid program during emergency response efforts around the world, and asked specifically that U.S.-grown rice, including fortified rice, be prioritized for delivery to those in need. Full story
  • IP-Chile-Trade-Mission,-Jorge-Rodriguez-160318 Tough Competition in Chile’s Rice Market

    Mar 18, 2016

    Agriculture Secretary Vilsack has brought his trade mission to Chile, the wealthiest country in South America and the most prolific negotiator of free trade agreements. Full story
  • In Memory photo of Ralph-Cowan In Memory: Ralph Cowan

    Mar 17, 2016

    USA Rice was saddened to learn of the passing of Ralph Cowan, a giant in the Louisiana and U.S. rice industries. Cowan was one of the original organizers of the Louisiana Rice Council and the Louisiana Rice Promotion Board, and served as the first president and first chairman of each organization, respectively. Full story
  • IP-Swiss-girl,-RISO-Mtg-160317 Food Safety Could Present Key to US Rice’s Return to Switzerland

    Mar 17, 2016

    Hartwig Schmidt, regional director of USA Rice, attended the annual meeting of the Swiss Rice Promotion Board (RISO) here last week and gave a presentation on the world rice outlook for 2016. Full story
  • ip-honduras-market-rice-bags-160314 Honduras Approves Rice from Paraguay

    Mar 14, 2016

    Last month, Honduras approved the phytosanitary protocol to allow milled rice imports from Paraguay. They are the first country in the northern tier of Central America to permit Paraguayan milled rice. Full story
  • Attendees at Foodex Japan USA Rice Features New Products at Foodex Japan

    Mar 11, 2016

    USA Rice is here this week at Foodex Japan, the largest trade exhibition in Asia, conducting taste tests from the U.S. Embassy Agricultural Trade Office’s (ATO) exhibition booth for the more than 77,000 traders in attendance. Full story
  • In Memory photo Penn-Owen In Memory: Penn Owen

    Mar 10, 2016

    USA Rice was saddened to learn of the passing of Penn Owen, a longtime Mississippi rice leader. Owen was born on August 4, 1935 in Memphis, TN, and graduated from Vanderbilt University. He is survived by his wife, Norma, their three children, and seven grandchildren. Full story
  • GA.w-Jason-Weller-&-Jeff-Durand-160512 New Conservation Stewardship Program Finalized

    Mar 10, 2016

    Earlier today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) published its final Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) rule in the Federal Register. Full story
  • USDA Logo WASDE Report Released

    Mar 09, 2016

    U.S. 2015/16 rice exports are lowered 2 million cwt this month to 100 million on reduced shipments of southern medium grain rough rice, especially to Turkey. Rice ending stocks are raised 2 million cwt to 43.9 million. The all rice price is lowered $0.10 at both ends of the range to $12.40 to $13.20 reflecting lower projected medium and short grain prices. Full story
  • Darts missing the target U.S. Rice Exports to Japan Fall Short; Implications for TPP Unsettles Industry

    Mar 09, 2016

    As Japan’s fiscal year sets to close at the end of this month, the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries (MAFF) will once again increase the amount of rice imported under the so-called ordinary minimum access tenders because of very poor performance under the Simultaneous-Buy-Sell, or SBS, System. Full story
  • Wake Up to School Breakfast logo USA Rice Encourages Kids to ‘Wake Up’ to School Breakfast

    Mar 08, 2016

    USA Rice is helping schools around the country celebrate School Breakfast Week with three great tasting, healthy recipes developed especially for the foodservice K-12 program. The three recipes, Berry Breakfast Brown Rice, Creamy Cinnamon Breakfast Rice Pudding, and Great Day Rice Wrap, feature U.S.-grown rice in the center of the plate. Full story
  • USA Rice Promotions Lead to Increased Sales and Economic Opportunity for Small Business Entrepreneurs

    Mar 07, 2016

    Two years ago, sisters Carmen and Guadalupe Soria participated in USA Rice cooking classes here to learn about the economic benefits of cooking with rice and how to make paellas using U.S. rice. The sisters took those lessons to heart and opened a home-based business selling paellas every Friday. Full story
  • Map displaying global status of rice fortification programs USA Rice Champions Birth Defects Prevention

    Mar 04, 2016

    Yesterday USA Rice joined with more than 60 groups in observing World Birth Defects Day to let consumers know about the importance of folic acid in preventing birth defects and about rice as a source of folic acid. USA Rice used social media posts and the hashtag #WorldBDDay to help spread the word about the importance of folic acid for moms-to-be and that one-cup of enriched white rice delivers 80 of the recommended 400 micrograms of folic acid, which is 20 percent of the Daily Value. Full story
  • World’s Largest Rice Miller Focused on Preferred Varieties

    Mar 03, 2016

    Carl Brothers, senior vice president and COO for Riceland Foods, the largest rice miller in the world, said the cooperative was looking to add a preferred varieties list to its rice marketing programs at the request of its farmer-members to provide guidance on variety selection. Full story
  • Image of billboard in Ghana USA Rice Haiti Promotions Highlight Quality, Good Taste

    Mar 02, 2016

    While being the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, Haiti has consistently been one of the top five export destinations for U.S. rice. Just last year, over 400,000 MT of long grain, milled rice was exported there – an amount that is 12 percent higher from 2014. Full story
  • Rice farmer Ken Danklefs Texas Now Accepting National Rice RCPP EQIP Applications

    Mar 01, 2016

    The USA Rice and Ducks Unlimited (DU) conservation and sustainability project, Sustaining the Future of Rice, takes a big step forward today with the announcement that the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Texas has begun accepting Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) applications for the project. Full story

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