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

  • Two men wearing business suits hold framed photo of combines in a rice field; blue curtain background with U.S. flag USDA Trade Champion Bob Spitzer Honored with 2020 USA Rice Industry Award

    Feb 26, 2020

    In a Government Affairs Conference meeting yesterday between rice industry leaders and government trade officials, USA Rice honored Bob Spitzer, career civil servant now at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), with the 2020 USA Rice Industry Award. Full story
  • WASDE Report Released

    Feb 11, 2020

    This month’s outlook for 2019/20 U.S. rice is for increased imports, higher exports, and larger ending stocks. All rice imports are raised 2.4 million cwt to a record 32.5 million on an extremely fast pace so far in the market year. Full story
  • Combine in golden rice field, wide angle shot USDA Announces 2019 MFP Third Tranche

    Feb 04, 2020

    On Monday, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced the third tranche of the 2019 Market Facilitation Program (MFP). The aid payments, designed to assist farmers effected by retaliatory tariffs during the ongoing trade disputes, will be the last round from the 2019 program. Full story