ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA – Two top U.S. rice export markets are the focus of the latest episode of The Rice Stuff podcast because of the unique challenges facing importers there.
Haiti is the number one market for U.S. milled rice, but an assassinated president and civil unrest have led to the worst violence there in decades, including the theft of hundreds of thousands of dollars of rice and other commodities.
USA Rice’s consultant in Haiti, Christine Coupet Jacques, CEO of DAGMAR and Matrix Media, joins the podcast from Haiti to discuss not only the current situation there, but the promotions USA Rice undertook in the market prior to the recent unrest and what is planned once things settle down.
“It was quite sobering to talk with Christine about all they are enduring in Haiti, but as she said, ‘the Haitian people are strong and don’t grieve for long,’” said Lesley Dixon, the show’s cohost. “USA Rice has excellent programs in Haiti, and we look forward to them resuming because they are designed to not only do a lot for U.S. rice, but also to lift up the people there.”
Sarah Moran, USA Rice vice president of international promotion, also joined the program to weigh in on Haitian infrastructure and to discuss Iraq—a top ten market for U.S. rice that has had its economy hamstrung by the global pandemic.
“We also got into food aid and the five famines now threatening almost 30 million people in hot spots around the globe,” Dixon said. “The show really drives home how important rice is to so many people and how much U.S. rice can help if given the opportunity.”
New episodes of The Rice Stuff are published on the second and fourth Tuesday of every month and can be found wherever you get your podcasts or online at
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