WASHINGTON, DC – The USA Rice World Market Price Subcommittee convened here today for its second session in 2026. To begin the day, the WMP Subcommittee met first to discuss supply and demand, rice stocks, and projected plantings. On review of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) projected plantings, subcommittee members revised total rice acreage estimates downward 8 percent from the agency’s March 2026 numbers. The greatest percentage reduction came from Mississippi with long grain acres down 19 percent, and the greatest actual acre reduction coming in Arkansas, down 131,000 acres total.
The group discussed that exports are slow, stocks are high, and production next year is expected to be down as well on the reduced acreage expectations.
Following the subcommittee meeting, the group met with teams from USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Economic Research Service (ERS), and World Agricultural Outlook Board (WAOB) departments.
Subcommittee Chair Keith Glover provided feedback from the subcommittee regarding NASS statistics and reviewed the areas where members thought downward adjustments could be made, including acreage, production, and exports.
Subcommittee members also shared concern about the way NASS has redesigned some important reports as well as news of pending geographic reorganization of USDA that could pull researchers out of rice country and move them to new agency hubs far from southern rice fields.
To wrap up the day, the subcommittee was joined by staff from USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) who covered developments in key export markets including Mexico, Central America, Haiti, Korea, Japan, Taiwan, west Africa, Iraq, food aid programs, and more. FAS staff also shared thoughts on the impact on global rice trade from competitors such as Brazil, China, India, and Vietnam.
Concerns shared by subcommittee members included the recent rejection by China of Indian rice found to be genetically modified (GMO), the worry that tightening supply could result in foreign customers not being served as completely by U.S. suppliers which could result in market erosion over time, and whether or not President Trump’s ongoing trip to China could result in long-awaited U.S. rice sales to China.
“I appreciate the work and analysis of this subcommittee and the engagement from our government partners,” said Glover, who is also USA Rice chair. “There are a lot of adjectives that come to mind when I think about 2026 and none of them are good, but talking things through with everyone and sharing information and insights benefits the entire U.S. rice industry.”