Rice Industry Concerned over House Agriculture Committee Farm Bill Commodity Title

WASHINGTON, June 18, 2007 — Contacts: Reece Langley, (703) 236-1471, rlangley@usarice.com

Dwight Roberts, (713) 974-7423, Dwight@usriceproducers.com

The USA Rice Federation and the U.S. Rice Producers Association are reviewing the provisions of the House Agriculture Committee’s draft farm bill commodity title that will be used as the basis for the General Farm Commodities Subcommittee markup scheduled for June 19 and are concerned with its direction.

The rice industry has consistently communicated to the House Agriculture Committee that the commodity programs of the 2002 Farm Bill have provided a sound safety net for U.S. rice producers while proving to be a fiscally responsible approach to farm policy and should be maintained in the next farm bill.

The structure of the current safety net is maintained in the subcommittee’s discussion draft, and the rice loan rate is actually increased slightly. However, the rice industry is concerned with provisions that would weaken the farm safety net by significantly reducing the limitations on program benefits.

USA Rice and USRPA continues to work with Chairman Colin Peterson (D-MN) and the members of the committee as the farm bill development process advances and will continue to advocate the priorities for U.S. rice producers and the entire rice industry.

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