Volume 20, Issue 04

February 3, 2023

In This Issue:

  • Market Update: What Are U.S. New Crop Planting Intentions?
  • Washington, D.C. Update
  • Neal Stoesser Named Rice Farmer of the Year
  • USRPA Well-Represented at National Conservation Systems Cotton & Rice Conference
  • Gayla Rose Awarded Ray Stoesser Memorial Scholarship
  • Final Day to Purchase Denim & Diamonds Tickets
  • 2023 Rice Market & Technology Convention
  • Photos from Rice Country

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Market Update: What Are U.S. New Crop Planting Intentions?

Steady as she goes. Oftentimes, we find ourselves on pins and needles awaiting new information to illuminate the future of the market. Right now, however, there is relative stability with most stones turned over and the market is operating smoothly. Mills are busy with domestic business and small amounts of exports. Paddy sales and prices are firm, without reasons for significant volatility in the short term. The primary question that remains to be answered that could have impacts on the futures market and the current matrix would be planting intentions for the coming year, and we are still too early to make any predictions with confidence. It is the hope, however, that acres will increase significantly and return to a more “normal” number for the coming year.


With our domestic market on relative cruise control, we can turn our attention to our South and Central American markets where drought is impacting the rice supply, and a GAIN Report was published in Brazil. Looking first at Brazil, Post has reduced the expectation for rice planted area for MY 2022/23 because of high input costs and low profitability from 4 million acres down to 3.78 million acres, a reduction of 5.5%. This continues a downward trend that began in 2000, saving a minor blip in 2004/2005, that an increase in yields has not been able to entirely offset. On the export side of the equation, Post forecasts an uptick of 200,000 metric tons, from 900,000 mt to 1.1 million metric tons. This is in part due to the benefit that Brazilian rice exporters experienced from the favorable exchange rate and tax exemption adopted by Mexico, which opened a market of almost 500,000 metric tons of Brazilian rice in 2022, in direct detriment to the United States. Harvest has just begun in only a few regions in Brazil, but is behind schedule because of unusually low spring temperatures in October and November.


Asia is following the same vein in reference to stable pricing, as Vietnamese and Thai prices both held firm at $495pmt and $465pmt respectively; right in line with previous weeks. India, on the other hand, is working through the machinations of reinstating their 20% tariff on milled rice and the ban on brokens. This makes it hard to ascertain exact pricing but will appear more expensive when sorted out.


The weekly USDA Export Sales report shows net sales of 24,400 MT this week, down 43% from the previous week and 21% from the prior 4-week average. Increases were primarily for Haiti (15,100 MT, including decreases of 200 MT), Honduras (5,600 MT), Canada (1,100 MT, including decreases of 100 MT), Guatemala (1,000 MT), and Mexico (500 MT). Exports of 28,200 MT were down 58% from the previous week and 33% from the prior 4-week average. The destinations were primarily Haiti (22,200 MT), Mexico (2,900 MT), Canada (2,200 MT), Belgium (200 MT), and the Netherlands (100 MT).

Mexico Grain and Feed Update
Thailand Grain and Feed Update

Washington, D.C. Update

House Agriculture Republicans announce subcommittee chairs

On Thursday, Rep. GT Thompson (R-PA), Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, announced subcommittee jurisdiction and chairs for the 118th Congress. Rep. Austin Scott (R-GA) will serve as the Vice Chair of the Committee. The subcommittees and subcommittee chairs for this congressional session are as follows:

  • Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities, Risk Management, and Credit – Rep. Austin Scott (R-GA)
  • Subcommittee on Forestry – Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-CA)
  • Subcommittee on Conservation, Research, and Biotechnology – Rep. Jim Baird (R-IN)
  • Subcommittee on Nutrition, Foreign Agriculture, and Horticulture – Rep. Brad Finstad (R-MN)
  • Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry – Rep. Tracey Mann (R-KS)
  • Subcommittee on Commodity Markets, Digital Assets, and Rural Development Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-SD)

 

House Democrats announce additions to Agriculture Committee

On January 26, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-MD) announced the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee had made committee recommendations for new members of the House Democratic Caucus. New Democratic members joining the House Ag Committee include Reps. Yadira Caraveo (D-CO), Andrea Salinas (D-OR), Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA), Don Davis (D-NC), Jill Tokuda (D-HI), Nikki Budzinski (D-IL), Eric Sorensen (D-IL), Gabe Vasquez (D-NM), Jasmine Crockett (D-TX), Jonathan Jackson (D-IL).

 

Senate Republicans announce committee assignments

On Wednesday, Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) announced the Senate Republican Conference had made committee recommendations for the 118th Congress. Republican membership in the Agriculture Committee will remain the same from the previous Congress. Last week, Democrats announced freshmen Sens. John Fetterman (D-PA) and Peter Welch (D-VT) would be joining the Agriculture Committee for the 118th Congress.

 

House and Senate Republicans challenge EPA’s WOTUS rule

On Thursday, Republican members of both chambers introduced identical resolutions of disapproval under the Congressional Review Act to challenge the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) recently released rule regulating waters of the United States (WOTUS). If enacted, the resolution would terminate the rulemaking. In the Senate, the resolution was introduced by Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and cosponsored by all 48 other members of the Senate Republican Conference. In the House, the resolution was introduced by Reps. Sam Graves (R-MO) and David Rouzer (R-NC) and was cosponsored by 152 other members of the House Republican Caucus. The text of the resolution can be found here. Last week, 194 members of the House Republican Caucus signed a letter calling on the EPA and the USACE to rescind the WOTUS regulations.

 

Senate Agriculture Committee holds a hearing on trade and horticulture

On Wednesday, the Senate Agriculture Committee held a hearing on the trade and horticulture titles of the farm bill. During the hearing, Sen. John Boozman (R-AR) asked the Department of Agriculture (USDA) Undersecretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Alexis Taylor what the Department was doing for rice farmers impacted by India’s World Trade Organization violations. Undersecretary Taylor responded USDA was engaging with India in multilateral forums and taking multiple approaches to rectify the problem. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) asked Undersecretary Taylor about the Market Access and Foreign Market Development Programs and the Undersecretary responded both programs have shown success and USDA is satisfied with how the programs are running.

Neal Stoesser Named Rice Farmer of the Year

Neal Stoesser, Raywood, Texas, has been named the 2023 Rice Farmer of the Year at the 26th Annual National Conservation Systems Cotton & Rice Conference, Southern Precision Ag Conference, Southern Soybean & Corn Conference, and the Delta States Irrigation Conference.



Stoesser is a fourth-generation farmer, growing rice, soybeans, milo, and hay and raising cattle along the Texas gulf coast. He had the pleasure of growing up watching his father, the late Ray Stoesser, advocate for the rice industry and now proudly follow in his footsteps. Stoesser’s love of farming began very early in his life and at the age of 8 when he started actively helping his father’s farm by driving the cart and has not stopped since. He farmed his first solo crop at the age of 18 and now farms a minimum of 6,000 acres of rice per year. He has continuously adapted and innovated to meet the current demands of farming.


Stoesser serves as the Vice-Chair of the US Rice Producers Association (USRPA) and a board member of the Texas Rice Council. He also serves on the Texas Rice Research Foundation and the Liberty County Farm Bureau board and consults on different local agricultural advisory committees. He has participated in USRPA’s trade missions and reverse trade missions to increase rice exports in the U.S. He has traveled internationally to help promote high-quality U.S.-grown rice and has hosted international buyers at his farm and facilities to continue to grow rice export markets. 


Stoesser is always looking into the future and the betterment of the rice industry. He became a founding member of the South Louisiana Rail Facility, a rail loading facility that was able to export directly to buyers in Mexico. The South Louisiana Rail Facility has now evolved into loading vessels in the Port of Lake Charles and continues to expand.


Stoesser and his family partnered with USRPA to create the Ray Stoesser Memorial Scholarship which offers a $5,000 scholarship each year to a deserving student who is interested in or is currently pursuing a career in an agriculture-related field.


Stoesser, continuing the long-established custom that has been passed on from one generation to another, is joined on his farming operation by his wife, Meredith, and two sons; Nate, age 13, and Wes, age 9. According to Stoesser, the rice industry feeds a bunch of the world, we are just trying to do our part to help.

USRPA Well Represented at National Conservation Systems Cotton & Rice Conference

This week the National Conservation Systems held its 26th Annual Cotton & Rice Conference at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Baton Rouge, LA. US Rice Producers Association is proud to be a primary sponsor of the conference every year along with Cotton, Inc. The cutting edge of research, real life experiences and examples from successful farmers are always a highlight of this unique conference. USRPA has been the major sponsor on behalf of the U.S. rice farming industry for over 20 years.

 

Amongst the 100+ speakers, USRPA was well-represented. In addition to USRPA Board Member Neal Stoesser's Rice Farmer of the Year honors, USRPA Chairman Alex Clark was part of the Opening General Session, giving a great overview of the organization's current priorities and programs. USRPA Board Member Mark Pousson introduced Governor John Bel Edwards as the luncheon keynote speaker Dennis DeLaughter, USRPA Board Member from Texas, led a Rice Market Outlook Session. Finally, Vernie Hubert, Principal at Cornerstone Government Affairs in Washington, D.C., gave a presentation entitled "The New Congress and the 2023 Farm Bill."

 

Attendees visited with USRPA staff at the USRPA and Missouri Rice Council booths and were glad to have a chance to visit with their fellow producers and ag industry representatives during the social reception sponsored by the US Rice Producers Association on Tuesday evening. Mitch Landry & the Cajun Ramblers played in the background while attendees networked and watched as the door prizes were awarded. A special thanks to the Mid-America Farmer Grower team for another great conference.

USRPA Chairman Alex Clark (MO) helped kick off

the conference on Tuesday morning.

USRPA Board Member Mark Pousson (LA) with Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards

Dennis DeLaughter's Rice Market Outlook sessions were well attended.

Gayla Rose Awarded 2023 Ray Stoesser Memorial Scholarship

At the Texas Rice Council meeting on Thursday in Katy, the Stoesser family presented the 2023 Ray Stoesser Memorial Scholarship Recipient Gayla Rose with a scholarship check for $5000. Gayla, a high school senior at Liberty High School in Liberty, TX, plans to attend Texas A&M in the fall to study Agribusiness.


"The Stoesser scholarship has gifted me with the opportunity to continue my education, a key factor in reaching my goal to advocate for the future of agriculture," Rose said. "My degree in agribusiness will help educate the public on the importance of agriculture, specifically the significance of the rice industry."


In addition to the monetary award, Gayla will serve as a USRPA ambassador for the upcoming year. Congratulations, Gayla!

Join us for Denim & Diamonds on February 11

Don't miss out on this great event! It will be a great night out with a social hour, a three-course meal, an open bar, great music with a live band, a silent auction, and a live auction.


TODAY is the last day to purchase your tickets! Don't miss out and purchase your tickets ASAP!

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Rice Market & Technology Convention

It's time to register for the rice industry's premier event! Featuring the strongest and most relevant agenda designed by rice industry members from throughout the world, coupled with an outstanding trade show, it is known as one of the most important and widely attended international events in the Western Hemisphere. Click here to register.

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Photos from Rice Country

Texas Rice Council met at Midway BBQ in Katy on Thursday. The agenda included presentations from Tyler Hull, Director of Strategy at AgriCapture, and John Hofmann, Executive Vice President of Water for the Lower Colorado River Authority.

The Louisiana Independent Rice Producers Association held its annual meeting last night in Welsh, LA. President Dustin Watkins thanked members for their support. A meal and several door prizes were enjoyed.


Send us your rice country photos on FacebookInstagram, or via email!

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Upcoming Events

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2023 A-State Agribusiness Conference 

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University of Missouri Extension Rice Meeting

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February 28, 2023

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