Feb 17, 2015
STONEVILLE, MS -- The USA Rice Federation gave an overview of key priorities for the organization at the Mississippi Rice Council meeting on Friday.
Government Affairs Vice President Ben Mosely reminded Mississippi growers that the deadline to make yield updates and base acre allocation under the 2014 Farm Bill is fast approaching, and that growers need to go into their local Farm Service Agency (FSA) offices and fill out the paperwork.
"We know sign-ups are progressing slowly all around the country, but if people wait until the last minute, the FSA offices are going to be overwhelmed, not to mention the fact that soon enough, rice farmers are going to be back out in the fields -- please don't delay any longer," he said.
Communications Vice President Michael Klein provided communications and domestic promotion updates to the crowd, including the details of ongoing outreach with supermarket retail dietitians.
"This is a growing and influential group and they are very receptive to rice messages," he said. "We provide them with information on rice's sustainability, nutritional benefits, and the fact that U.S.-grown rice is GMO and gluten free and they pass this along enthusiastically to their customers in a variety of ways, benefiting the entire U.S. industry."
USA Rice President & CEO Betsy Ward spoke about the task of having to educate so many new Members of Congress on important rice issues including trade with Iraq, Cuba, and Mexico, and the ongoing Trans Pacific Partnership and Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership negotiations.
Ward pointed to the Colombia FTA as an example of how powerful and beneficial good, common-sense trade agreements can be. "Not only did we create a new market for our rice, but the benefits are spread throughout the rice industry, funding important industry research that helps us improve the quality, sustainability, and marketability of our rice," she said. Mississippi rice research has received more than $1 million dollars since the agreement was signed.
Ward also shared her view that once legal and legislative hurdles have been cleared, the U.S. rice industry should quickly recapture some of the Cuban rice market. She said, "We need normal commercial relations to secure this market and we are working hard in Washington to support Congressional efforts to achieve this goal."
"The meeting was a total success with informative reports from the top leadership of our USA Federation regarding the future of the rice industry," said Curtis Berry, Mississippi Rice Council President.
Contact: Chuck Wilson (870) 673-7541