SANTIAGO, CHILE -- Yesterday, USA Rice staff met with South American rice industry representatives on the sidelines of their semi-annual Mercosur rice industry gathering here to discuss future cooperation around allied policy concerns in global rice production.
USA Rice shared specific concerns regarding competitiveness of Western Hemisphere rice producers amid sky high fertilizer and fuel costs, and over-production and heavy subsidization in Asia. Additionally, a lack of science-based policymaking in the European Union regarding maximum residue levels continues to challenge producers across both continents.
“We are grateful that our colleagues from Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay made time for us this week while they gathered in Chile,” said USA Rice President & CEO Peter Bachmann. “What is happening on the other side of the globe does not occur in a vacuum and it has wide-ranging, long-lasting impacts that hurt the hardworking family rice farmers and processing businesses across North and South America. We look forward to continuing the dialogue we started with these industry representatives over the last year into the future as we try to address some of the existential challenges we’re all battling together.”
In addition to meeting with industry representatives, USA Rice also met with U.S. Department of Agriculture staff at the U.S. Embassy to discuss market opportunities for U.S. rice and ways that Chilean agriculture could benefit from engagement with like-minded countries at the WTO.