In This Issue:

• A Message from the Desk of USRPA President & CEO Marcela Garcia
• USRPA Board Selects New Officers
• Market Update: Market Challenges for Farmers Continue
• Washington, D.C. Update
• USRPA Staff Attend USAEDC Global Attaché Policy Forum
• HorizonAg Field Day Showcases Season Outlook & New Variety Potential
• 77th Beaumont Rice Field Day Held This Week
• Video from Rice Country

A Message from the Desk of USRPA President & CEO Marcela Garcia

Starting September 1, 2025, I’ll be stepping down as President and CEO of the US Rice Producers Association (USRPA) and transitioning into a new role as Strategic Advisor. While this is a big change, I won’t be going far; I’ll still be working closely with the organization, especially on key efforts like the Rice Market & Technology Convention (RMTC) and other international projects.

This move has been thoughtfully planned over the past year, with one clear goal: ensuring USRPA continues to grow stronger with the right leadership in place. I’m incredibly proud and genuinely excited to share that Mollie Buckler will be stepping into the role of President and CEO. She brings not only deep knowledge and experience, but also a true passion for the mission. I couldn’t think of anyone more capable of taking the lead. From the Missouri Bootheel, Mollie has agricultural roots that run deep on both sides of her family, including rice production.

Iris Figueroa will step into the Chief Operating Officer position. Together with our Chief Financial Officer Grace Wang, they’re a powerhouse team, smart, committed, and completely aligned with the values and direction of USRPA. I’ve worked side by side with each of them, and I have full trust in their leadership.

I feel confident and energized about what lies ahead, and above all, I have unwavering trust in the team that will continue leading this work. I’ll remain closely involved with USRPA in a new capacity, with the same dedication and drive as always.

Marcela Garcia

President & CEO

US Rice Producers Association

USRPA Board of Directors Selects New Officers

Left to Right: Galen Franz, Secretary-Treasurer; Mark Pousson, Vice Chairman; and Eric Hover, Chairman.

Earlier this week, the US Rice Producers Association held their annual summer board meeting in Galveston, TX. The USRPA board elected new officers for 2025-2027. Eric Hover of Harviell, MO, will serve as Chairman. Mark Pousson from Welsh, LA, will serve as Vice Chairman, and Galen Franz of Victoria, TX, is the new Secretary-Treasurer. The board thanked Neal Stoesser from Raywood, Texas, for his service as Chairman of the association over the past two years.

Other meeting activities included trade and policy discussions with Cornerstone Government Affairs, a debriefing on the Rice Competitiveness Study with the U.S. International Trade Commission Staff, and market activity planning.

US Rice Producers Association Board of Directors

Left to Right: Mark Pousson, Welsh, LA; Galen Franz, Victoria, TX; Eric Hover, Harviell, MO; Neal Stoesser, Raywood, TX; Tommy Turner, El Campo, TX; Mitchell Thomas, Neelyville, MO; Dennis DeLaughter, Austin, TX; and Alex Clark, Poplar Bluff, MO.

Market Update

Market Challenges for Farmers Continue

Love it or hate it, the Big Beautiful Bill is a solid win for the American rice farmer. With the Title 1 provisions extracted from the Farm Bill and injected into the BBB, it’s a wholesale win on account of loan values, reference price increases, and crop insurance. While this bit of legislation doesn’t have an impact on prices today, it does provide a bright spot in an otherwise gloomy market environment.

It has been no secret in this publication that the undertone has been weak in the western hemisphere, and the FAO Rice Price update has picked it up now, too. Their most recent publication outlines the fact that the bumper crop in the MERCOSUR origins has heightened competition for regional markets, of which U.S. rice is one. They do note, however, that the U.S. acreage lost due to weather (the difference between planted acres and harvested acres) will be significant. After more conversations, a total loss of over 300,000 acres when it’s all said and done isn’t out of the question. In addition, we have learned this week that the current long grain crop, particularly in Northeast Arkansas, is not in an optimum condition. The early rains and 30 days of cloudy weather are causing effects that several farmers are saying will have a negative impact on yields.

Digging deeper in the FAO Rice Price Update shows that their Rice Price Index averaged 105.5 points in June, down 0.8% from May and 22.8% below its value this time last year. To no surprise, long grain indica prices continued to sag on account of India’s enormous stocks and dumping. A bit more surprisingly, however, is that Japonica dipped slightly this month after a small recovery last month. Aromatic varieties strengthened by 0.7%.

Something that will be garnering more attention in the coming days is the decreasing value of the U.S. Dollar. It is decried as terrible by some, but to an export-driven commodity, this should be music to your ears. The decreased value of the dollar is likely to make U.S. rice exports more competitive in the global market, as a weaker dollar means foreign buyers can purchase more rice for the same amount of their local currency. This could result in significant gains from price-sensitive countries where we already have a foothold, places like the Caribbean, the Middle East, and maybe even West Africa. The downside is that geopolitical risks, freight disruptions, and shifting demand patterns can offset this advantage. It remains to be seen, but we need every edge we can get.

Prices in Asia are ugly, with Thailand registering at $380pmt, Vietnam at $385pmt, and India at $385pmt. U.S. long grain has dropped below $650pmt, with Brazil now at $520pmt, Uruguay at $505pmt, and Argentina at $495pmt. Prices are rough all over the world at the moment.

The weekly USDA Export Sales report shows net sales of 16,400 MT this week, down 4% from the previous week and 17% from the prior 4-week average. Exports of 11,800 MT, a marketing-year low, were down 38% from the previous week and 76% from the prior 4-week average.

Washington, D.C. Update

Senate Appropriations advances FY26 Agriculture-FDA funding bill:

On Thursday, July 10, the full Senate Appropriations Committee convened to markup a series of appropriations bills, including the FY2026 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies bill. The Committee unanimously advanced the Agriculture-FDA bill out of Committee, as amended. Leading up to the markup, Senate Appropriations Agriculture Subcommittee Chair John Hoeven (R-ND) said that the Senate’s version of the agriculture funding bill would scale back some of the larger cuts that the House approved in its plan to reduce USDA's and FDA's budgets by 4%. Both the House and Senate versions of the Agriculture-FDA funding bill have now been passed out of Committee, but neither chamber has indicated a timeline for if/when floor consideration may take place. You can view the Senate’s Agriculture-FDA bill text here, report language here, and the adopted Manager’s Amendment here.

USDA opens producer application period for the Supplemental Disaster Relief Program:

On Wednesday, July 9, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Brooke Rollins announced producers who suffered eligible crop losses in 2023 and 2024 due to natural disasters can now apply for the $16 billion in appropriated assistance through the Supplemental Disaster Relief Program (SDRP). USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) plans to expedite the implementation of SDRP by delivering assistance in two stages. Stage One is open to producers with eligible crop losses that received assistance under crop insurance or the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program during 2023 and 2024. This first stage sign-up will start in person at FSA county offices on July 10, and prefilled applications are being mailed to producers today, July 9. Stage Two signups for eligible shallow or uncovered losses will begin in early fall. For producers to be eligible, crop losses must be the result of natural disasters occurring in calendar years 2023 and/or 2024. These disasters include wildfires, hurricanes, floods, derechos, excessive heat, tornadoes, winter storms, freeze (including a polar vortex), smoke exposure, excessive moisture, qualifying drought (D2 and above), and related conditions. You can apply or find more information at your local FSA office or farmers.gov.

Congress finally clears OBBBA, President Trump signs bill into law: 

Last Friday, July 4, President Trump signed into law H.R. 1 – the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), after clearing several legislative hurdles to meet the Administration’s imposed Independence Day deadline. The reconciliation package passed by narrow margins in both the Senate and House and reflects the Administration’s broader agenda to cut wasteful and unnecessary spending through cuts to Medicaid and food stamps, while also increasing and restoring tax deductions. After the Senate passed their version of the bill on July 1, the House was called back into session, and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) pulled off quite the feat of getting the majority of House Republicans to advance the bill to the President’s desk on July 3. The final version of the OBBBA included $66 billion in additional funding for and improvements to key farm bill priorities such as commodities, crop insurance, conservation, disaster assistance, and trade promotion. More specific to USRPA’s needs, the bill reinvested approximately $53 billion into reforming commodity programs such as ARC, PLC, payment limits, AGI, and nearly $6 billion into crop insurance reforms. Further, from an agricultural-related tax perspective, the bill expands and extends 199A deductions, restores bonus depreciation, increases Section 179 expensing, and raises the estate tax exemption level. While the OBBBA is certainly no substitute for a 5-year farm bill, it certainly provided much-needed assistance to agricultural producers nationwide. You can find a copy of the signed into law bill text here.

August 1 is the new deadline for securing trade deals with the U.S.:

On Wednesday, July 9, marked President Donald Trump’s 90-day tariff pause deadline, which came and went after the Administration sent a whole host of letters to varying countries stating that, now starting August 1, they will be subject to new country-specific reciprocal tariffs. In total, over 23 countries received letters from the President, including countries such as Japan, South Korea, Brazil, Canada, Indonesia, the Philippines, and more. Originally, the Administration said they would be doing 90 deals in 90 days, but so far, there has only been a trade truce with China, a framework outlined with the United Kingdom, and a potential deal made with Vietnam. On Sunday, July 5, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent initially confirmed the President would be sending these letters to U.S. trading partners, asking them to continue to work with the U.S., or they will face either the pre-April 2 tariff levels or higher starting on August 1. He highlighted that progress is being made with the European Union after a slow start, although it was reported that the U.S. would apply a 17% tariff to EU food exports. As trade developments progress, Administration officials have said there could be some flexibility with deadlines as countries continue to negotiate. You can see the list of countries and their adjusted reciprocal tariff rates expected to take effect August 1 here, and the corresponding Executive Order that extends the modification of the reciprocal tariff rates here.

International News

USRPA Staff Attend USAEDC Global Attaché Policy Forum

USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins addresses the USAEDC Global Attache Policy Forum

On Wednesday and Thursday, USRPA's Mollie Buckler and Iris Figueroa represented the organization at the US Agricultural Export Development Council's (USAEDC) Global Attaché Policy Forum in McLean, VA. The event kicked off with an afternoon of "speed dating"-like meetings with USDA-FAS staff from around the globe, meeting with staff covering 10+ countries in just a few hours. Thursday's session included a keynote address from USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins, as well as updates from FAS Administrator Daniel Whitley and Global Programs Director Mark Slupek.

"USAEDC events always serve as an excellent opportunity to connect with not only USDA-FAS staff, but also our fellow cooperator organizations," Buckler said. "As Administrator Whitley noted in his remarks, the partnership between USDA-FAS and cooperator organizations like USRPA is truly the best public-private partnership in the world. We always leave these USAEDC with a fresh perspective and new ideas for our MAP and RAPP-funded programs."

USRPA's Iris Figueroa and Mollie Buckler representing USRPA at the USAEDC Global Attaché Policy Forum in McLean, VA.

Domestic News

Horizon Ag Field Day Showcases Season Outlook and New Variety Potential

77th Beaumont Rice Field Day Showcases Research Advancements

The 77th Beaumont Rice Field Day, held on July 10, brought together rice growers, researchers, and industry leaders to highlight the latest advancements in rice production. The event, hosted by Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension, featured field tours and presentations on cutting-edge work in specialty rice breeding, high amylose, low GI rice varieties, as well as updates on nutrient management, entomology, disease and weed management.

Attendees had the opportunity to see new rice varieties in development and learn about strategies to combat challenges affecting yields and quality. Researchers shared insights on sustainable practices and technological innovations designed to support the long-term success of the rice industry.

The field day continues to serve as an essential platform for collaboration between scientists and producers, fostering the exchange of ideas that keep Texas rice farming competitive in a global market.

Video from Rice Country

Harvest is well underway this week at Watkins Farms in southwest Louisiana.

Send us your field photos or videos on Facebook, Instagram, or via email!

August 6, 2025

Mizzou Fisher Delta Research Center Ag Research Expo

Portageville, MO

More Information

August 7, 2025

Rice Research & Extension Center Field Day

Stuttgart, AR

More Information

August 14, 2025

Missouri Rice Research & Merchandising Council Annual Field Day

Glennonville, MO

More Information

August 21 - 22, 2025

National Black Growers Council Model Farm Field Day

Altheimer, AR

More Information

October 3 - 4, 2025

Texas Rice Festival Education Exhibit

Winnie, TX

More details to come

February 5 - 6, 2026

29^th Annual National Conservation Systems Cotton & Rice Conference

Jonesboro, AR

More details to come

25722 Kingsland Blvd., Suite 102

Katy, TX 77494

p. (713) 974-7423

e. info@usriceproducers.com

usriceproducers.com

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USRPA does not discriminate in its programs on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, or marital/family status. Persons who require alternative means for communication of information (such as Braille, large print, sign language interpreter or translation) should contact USRPA at 713-974-7423.