Rice requires an aquatic environment to grow and as an aquatic grass acts as a natural buffer strip leaving water cleaner when it exits a field than when it enters the field. We support regulations for safe water quality based on sound science that consider all contributing sources of pollution with the implementation of voluntary best management practices in situations where standards are exceeded. 

To conserve a resource crucial to the production of rice, the industry has worked to support the development and voluntary adoption of efficient irrigation techniques.

We support research and development programs and activities by USDA and the land grant university system to develop improved production and management practices to increase the resource use efficiency of rice production and the voluntary adoption of these practices by growers.

Recent News

  • Rep.-Rick-Crawford, headshot SPCC Comes Around Again

    Jul 13, 2016

    EPA’s Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasures (SPCC) Rule for Farms is back in the works again. Originally finalized several years ago, Congress used the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) in 2014 to mandate a higher exemption threshold of 6,000 gallons from the original 1,320 gallons Full story
  • treated seeds Lawsuit Could Put an End to Treated Seeds

    May 04, 2016

    A disturbing lawsuit brought against the U.S. EPA could forever change the nature of seeds and pesticides and threaten the future of treated seeds. 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