USA Rice Continues Dialog with Customers in Key Central American Markets

MIAMI, FL – A USA Rice delegation met with leaders of Fecarroz, the Central America Rice Federation, here this week for wide-ranging discussions on the current rice market situation and export opportunities, as well as concerns Fecarroz members wanted to raise with their U.S. counterparts that vary by country.
 
Fecarroz is the leading organization representing millers and importers from the five Central American countries of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua, which together make up the second largest export market for U.S. grown rice.  
 
“This was a great opportunity to meet with some of the most important buyers of U.S. rice in the region,” said Todd Burich, chairman of the USA Rice Latin American Trade Policy Subcommittee.  “We listened carefully to the concerns raised by the Fecarroz delegation concerning quality, which is a longstanding issue, and something that must be examined by our industry if we want to maintain a stable and growing U.S. rice market in Central America.”   

To that end, USA Rice’s Rice Marketability and Competitiveness Task Force created an elite line evaluation protocol.  New rice varieties that are slated for commercial release within the next year or two are submitted to USA Rice and then anonymously sent to various mills for evaluation.  Criteria such as chalk and uniformity of length (two traits that Central American customers have specifically mentioned) are collected and relayed back to the rice breeder.  
 
USA Rice members in attendance felt the frank dialog was a resounding success and would lay the groundwork for future discussions and for stronger ties between the Fecarroz and USA Rice organizations.
 
“While we have our challenges in Central America, they are far outweighed by the opportunity that this region represents as a market for U.S. grown rice,” said Hugh Maginnis, USA Rice vice president international.  “This meeting allowed USA Rice members to tell our Central American partners directly how much we value their business and how much we appreciate them as customers.  Listening carefully so that we can do an even better job to service our customers in the future is a part of this effort.”