Monday meeting with USDA
May 10, 2023
WASHINGTON, DC – This week, industry leaders representing rice grower, merchant, and milling sectors traveled here to meet with Washington trade experts and advocate for leveling the global playing field on trade. USA Rice members also shared industry priorities for the 2023 Farm Bill during talks with legislators on Capitol Hill.
The two-day fly-in focused on the Biden Administration’s trade agenda; challenges with domestic rail transportation; the current state of the World Trade Organization (WTO); food aid during a time of war; the geopolitical and rice tendering situation in Iraq; and advocacy for USDA trade promotion and market development programs.
In addition to the trade-focused presentations with the private sector and Administration officials, USA Rice also held several targeted meetings with staff from the Senate Finance and Agriculture Committees, House Agriculture Committees, and a number of Congressional offices with seats on the Finance, Ways and Means, and Agriculture Committees.
“We want to thank all the speakers we had this week who provided unique insights into the situation at the WTO and the prospects of a U.S. dispute settlement case against India,” said Bobby Hanks, rice miller and chair of the USA Rice International Trade Policy Committee. “We are encouraged by our visits with Senate and House trade and agriculture experts that are zeroed in on improving agricultural trade promotion and food aid programs in the Farm Bill and helping to further our efforts to engage India regarding their WTO violating subsidies.”
Monday morning, the USA Rice World Market Price (WMP) Subcommittee held their regular spring meeting for an update on this year’s planting progress, and to share industry feedback on data reporting with representatives from the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Economic Research Service (ERS), and World Agricultural Outlook Board (WAOB). Staff from the USDA Foreign Agriculture Service (FAS) also was in attendance to discuss the global trade situation and report on developments in milled and rough rice export markets, including Japan, Mexico, Haiti, the UK, and India.