ARLINGTON, VA -- USA Rice is hosting a series of webinars this fall, targeting importers in top U.S. rice export destinations, to talk about the 2020/2021 U.S. rice crop including production and export outlook. Each webinar will address a different industry issue, with sessions highlighting sustainability, food safety, and the nutritional aspects of rice.
“This webinar series is part of the USA Rice outreach to importers and users of U.S. rice abroad, given the restraints on face-to-face meetings,” said Steve Linscombe, director of The Rice Foundation and a former rice breeder. “The first webinar is a result of a listening tour we went on last year, meeting with importers in Latin America and hearing about the quality standards they require. We had them participate in blind taste tests and cooking tests, and determined the criteria they were looking for was based on whiteness, grain uniformity, little chalk, and above all, no stickiness. We’ll be discussing these criteria in the first session next month, and sharing several exciting new U.S. rice varieties.”
The first webinar,
U.S. Rice Quality Symposium – Latin America, will be held on October 20, from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. ET. During this event, rice breeders from RiceTec, Nutrien, Horizon Ag, the University of Arkansas Rice Research & Extension Center, the Louisiana State University AgCenter Rice Research Station, Mississippi State University Delta Research & Extension Center, and Texas A&M University Beaumont Research Center will showcase rice varieties that have recently or are currently being developed specifically for Latin American consumers. Quality parameters including amylose, chalk content, and grain length will be discussed as well as the milling quality, among other criteria.
Simultaneous translation will be provided in English, Spanish, and Portuguese, and the event is free to attend.
Go
here to register and access the complete agenda.
Additional webinars will be held on October 26 (China), November 5 (EU/UK), and November 12 (food aid).