The rice industry prides itself on its commitment to the conservation of natural resources and the institution of practices that provide habitat to wetland dependent wildlife and waterfowl. Working lands programs are good for the environment and for rice farmers. The voluntary-incentive based conservation model used by the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) has worked well. 

Rice farmers have been able to significantly improve their environmental footprint through practices implemented through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). This program has provided rice farmers funds to better manage water resources through irrigation efficiency, water quality, and erosion control. For more information on our work through this program click here.

Recent News

  • USA Rice Outlines Commodity Title Priorities Before House Ag Subcommittee

    Apr 04, 2017

    Blake Gerard, a rice farmer from Cape Girardeau, MO and chairman of the USA Rice Farmers Board of Directors and USA Rice Government Affairs Committee testified before a Subcommittee of the House Agriculture Committee on behalf of the U.S. rice industry. Full story
  • Farm Bill Opinions a Mixed Bag at Event

    Apr 03, 2017

    While most of Washington’s agriculture organizations and their memberships throughout rural America are optimistic about farm policy, the future of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the outlook of a strong safety net in the 2018 Farm Bill, recent gatherings here indicate that a resistance effort is brewing. Full story
  • Female fortune teller with her hands over a crystal ball USDA Estimates Rice Acreage Down 17 Percent

    Mar 31, 2017

    Area planted for rice in 2017 is expected to total 2.62 million acres, 524,000 less than in 2016, and back at the level planted in 2015, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service. Full story