Feb 16, 2022
WASHINGTON, DC -- The USA Rice World Market Price (WMP) Subcommittee met yesterday for its first meeting of 2022. To start the day, the subcommittee held its regular discussion of final production numbers, yield, stocks, and March planting intentions.
With the exception of a few discrepancies in the areas of yield and exports, committee members found that figures reported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) were generally quite accurate. In surveying planting intentions, most states expect similar acreage numbers to the 2021 crop year, with possible decreases in Arkansas, California, and Mississippi.
Following the subcommittee meeting, Keith Glover, chair of the WMP Subcommittee, and USA Rice staff met with teams from USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Economic Research Service (ERS), and World Agricultural Outlook Board (WAOB) departments. Glover provided feedback from subcommittee members regarding USDA statistics, and reviewed the areas where members thought changes could be made. USDA also clarified their data analysis methods and offered suggestions to better utilize the data in the future.
To round out the day, the WMP Subcommittee and USRPA membership met with staff from the USDA Foreign Agriculture Service (FAS) to discuss the global trade situation. USA Rice members provided insight on several topics requested by USDA, including fertilizer costs, container delays, and water supply, while USDA covered developments in more than a dozen countries and regions that are milled and rough rice export destinations.
“As always, we are grateful for the opportunity to hold this exchange with our USDA colleagues,” said Glover. “These meetings are a valuable resource for both government and industry to share their questions, concerns, and plans for the upcoming year.”