USA Rice's Ben Mosely
Jul 22, 2015
RAYVILLE, LA -- The Northeast Louisiana Rice Growers' Association hosted its annual rice and soybean field day yesterday at the Louisiana State University (LSU) AgCenter's off-station research plots on the Woodsland Plantation. The field day was coordinated by LSU AgCenter agricultural agents in the region.
Farmers and allied rice industry personnel heard reports from researchers on production recommendations including varietal development, insect and disease control, and fertilizer management. Growers also received an update on production issues observed by AgCenter researchers during the current growing season and the outlook for issues they may face in upcoming seasons.
"Field days like this are one of the best ways for the LSU rice research team to showcase their hard work," said Dr. Steve Linscombe, long-time rice breeder and director of the LSU AgCenter Rice Research Station. "We're always excited to share with growers some of the new varieties on the horizon and how we think they may impact the rice industry."
Following the research demonstrations, attendees assembled at the Rayville Civic Center for soybean-related pest and disease updates.
The day's program concluded with a policy update from USA Rice's Vice President of Government Affairs Ben Mosely, with an emphasis on 2014 Farm Bill provisions that USA Rice aggressively advocated for such as Supplemental Coverage Option, Price Loss Coverage, and Margin Protection.
"As these new farm bill programs are rolled out, farmers want to know the direct effect on their operations," said Mosely. "We're working closely with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and their Farm Service Agency and Risk Management Agency to ensure that these programs work to the best benefit of rice farmers."
Mosely also gave an update on U.S. rice export market conditions, including the Trans Pacific Partnership negotiations with Japan, irregular market access in Iraq, and the potential reopening of the Cuban market.