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In This Issue:
- USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins Meets with Texas Rice Producers to Discuss Industry Challenges
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Market Update: Current Conditions Shaping U.S. 2027 Crop
- Washington Update
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International News: USRPA Collaborates with ATO China and Craft Brewer to Showcase U.S. Rice in American-Style Lager
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RMTC: Past Exhibitors and Sponsors - Time to Secure Your Spot; Speaker Request Form
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| USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins Meets with Texas Rice Producers to Discuss Industry Challenges | |
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U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins joined the Texas Rice Council (TRC) and the US Rice Producers Association (USRPA) for a meeting focused on the challenges facing Texas rice farmers, providing an opportunity for producers to share their concerns directly with USDA leadership.
With high production costs, low market prices, international competition, and increasing pest pressures affecting the industry, the visit came at an especially important time for Texas rice producers.
Throughout the meeting, Secretary Rollins engaged with producers, listened to their concerns, and discussed the challenges affecting their operations. The conversation emphasized the importance of connecting decision-makers in Washington with the producers directly impacted by agricultural policies.
Following the visit, Secretary Rollins shared her appreciation for Texas rice farmers, stating:
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| "Texas rice feeds families, supports rural communities, and carries forward generations of hard work." | | Secretary Brooke Rollins is addressing attendees at the Texas Rice Council Board meeting. | | |
For Texas Rice Council leadership, the opportunity to have an open conversation with the Secretary was particularly meaningful.
"It meant a lot to our producers to have Secretary Rollins come to Texas and hear directly from us," said Tommy Turner, President of the Texas Rice Council. "We're facing some of the toughest conditions we've seen in years, and it's important that the people making decisions in Washington understand what's happening on our farms. We appreciate her taking the time to listen. At the end of the day, we want to make sure the next generation has the opportunity to continue farming."
Mark Pousson, Chairman of USRPA, emphasized the importance of direct producer engagement and the need to address the industry's economic challenges.
"Rice producers don't expect someone in Washington to solve every problem overnight, but they do need to know that someone is listening and understands what's at stake," said Pousson. "Our producers are dealing with costs that continue to rise while the price they receive for their rice makes it harder to stay in business. Having Secretary Rollins sit down with producers and hear those concerns firsthand is important. Now we need to keep working together to find solutions that give producers a chance to remain profitable and keep farming."
USRPA President and CEO Iris Figueroa emphasized the value of building relationships that keep producers connected with USDA leadership.
"One of the things I appreciated most was seeing our producers speak for themselves," said Figueroa. "Nobody can explain what's happening on the farm better than the people living it every day. Secretary Rollins is very supportive of producers, and you could see her genuine interest in understanding their concerns. These conversations matter, and our responsibility is to make sure they continue and lead to meaningful results."
| | Texas Rice Council President Tommy Turner, USRPA President & CEO Iris Figueroa, and USRPA Chairman and South Louisiana rice farmer Mark Pousson share a valuable moment with USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins ahead of the meeting with Texas rice producers. | | A candid moment with Secretary Brooke Rollins, Texas Rice Council's President Tommy Turner, and USRPA Chairman and South Louisiana farmer, Mark Pousson, highlighting the Secretary's warm, approachable nature and genuine connection with rice producers. | | |
The meeting also provided an opportunity to reinforce the importance of USDA programs supporting rice producers, including the farm safety net, trade initiatives, and international market development. For an industry heavily dependent on export markets, maintaining strong relationships with USDA and expanding opportunities for U.S. rice remains essential.
USRPA extends its sincere appreciation to Secretary Rollins for meeting with Texas rice producers, to USRPA industry member Capital Farm Credit for generously providing meeting space, and to everyone who helped make this visit possible. It was truly a team effort, and we couldn't be prouder of the incredible people and partners we have in this industry. Their dedication and willingness to come together for our rice producers are what make moments like this possible.
As a producer-led, producer-focused organization, USRPA remains committed to working alongside ALL rice producers, strengthening relationships with USDA leadership, and ensuring that rice producers continue to have a voice in decisions affecting their farms, families, and future.
| | Current Conditions Shaping U.S. 2027 Crop | |
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With the crop size and quality beginning to make themselves known, there are a lot of moving parts in the rice industry this week. Perhaps the most significant news from a Producer perspective is that, despite our hopes, the milling quality for this crop is looking even worse than last year. There are pockets of better quality to be sure, but when the market standard has been 55/70 and almost no region is achieving that, the alarm bells are sounding. In much of Arkansas, head yield is struggling to even reach 50 in many cases, and the story is the same in many other states. Louisiana seems to be the outlier with qualities close to the 55/70 benchmark, but if it’s the heat, moisture, changing climate, or too wide varieties overall, the concern is widespread and well known.
The great news here, though, is that we are continuing to experience strong demand from Iraq and Haiti in the milled space, and prices remain firm despite this. There is talk that our exports may tick up in a quantifiable fashion on the simple fact that it will take more paddy to produce the same milled product on account of milling yield. The downside here is that we are likely to see more brokens in the market, but there is surging demand even for brokens right now, particularly in India. Because diesel and other fuels are in such tight supply on account of the Hormuz crisis, brokens are being procured at record prices (over $310pmt in some cases) for ethanol production. There is a bit of an east/west barrier here in the brokens market, but if the Iran war continues, we may see a similar impact in the Western hemisphere. Mercosur countries continue to plant their spring crop with several weeks left to complete. Weather permitting, acreage is going to be higher than was predicted back in July. Profitability has apparently returned to the farm level, and we can expect strong competition in Mexico and Central American markets. High freight rates will also weigh in on their ability to compete. In Asia, prices continue their considerable upward trend this week, particularly in Thailand. Quotes are now at $480pmt for Thai rice, up from $470 last week and $460 60 days ago. Vietnam held steady this week, within the same range as three months ago at $430pmt. And India, where record crops are being offset by up to a 10MMT loss in production due to El Niño patterns, is holding steady at $385pmt. Exorbitant government subsidies continue to drive outsized production in India, which remains the single largest weight on global rice prices.
The weekly USDA Export Sales report shows net sales of 69,000 MT this week, up 58% from the previous week and 4% from the prior 4-week average. Exports of 63,300 MT were up noticeably from the previous week and up 14% from the prior 4-week average. The destinations were primarily Haiti (29,400 MT), Mexico (25,100 MT), the Dominican Republic (3,100 MT), Canada (2,600 MT), and Jordan (1,000 MT).
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USDA Announces $8 billion Harvest Fuel Relief Program: On Monday, October 19, President Trump and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) intent to make available $8 billion in one-time payments for American farmers to help offset temporary market disruptions and rising input costs.
These payments will be provided through the Harvest Fuel Relief (HFR) program and authorized under the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) Charter Act and will be administered by the Farm Service Agency. Like that of the recent Farmer Bridge Assistance program, HFR will provide supplemental support to producers using a uniform formula to cover a portion of modeled losses during the 2026 crop year. This national loss average will be based on FSA-reported planted acres, Economic Research Service cost of production estimates, and World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates yields and prices. Crop insurance linkage will not be required for participation. Commodity-specific rates for Title I commodities will be released in November, although applications for assistance will not be available until January. Payment rates for other eligible commodities will be announced at a later date.
Non-Title I commodities, including specialty crop growers and fishermen, are encouraged to provide data related to fuel costs to HarvestFuel@usda.gov for USDA’s consideration when determining payment rates. At this time, only on-farm fuel will be considered for the applications, excluding general transportation fuel costs. More information is expected to be released in the coming weeks. You can refer to the official press release here.
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The US Rice Producers Association (USRPA) thanks President Donald Trump and Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins for the announced $8 billion Harvest Fuel Relief Program and actions to provide temporary diesel relief as farmers face mounting financial pressure.
“Our rice farmers have invested their money, time, and an entire season of hard work into a crop without knowing whether they will recover their costs,” said Iris Figueroa, President & CEO of USRPA. “Diesel is essential to growing, irrigating, harvesting, and hauling rice. When those costs rise, farmers cannot simply pass them along. They absorb the loss, and that pressure reaches their families and communities.”
As an organization led by producers, USRPA welcomes assistance that puts resources directly into farmers’ hands and urges timely implementation that reflects the costs rice producers face.
“We appreciate President Trump and Secretary Rollins recognizing that farm families need support now,” Figueroa added. “Our farmers want to earn their living from the crops they grow. This relief matters, and so does the work ahead to lower production costs, strengthen markets, and ensure the next generation has a future in rice farming. Keeping farmers on the land must remain the priority.”
| | USRPA Collaborates with ATO China and Craft Brewer to Showcase U.S. Rice in American-Style Lager | | |
USRPA is expanding opportunities to showcase U.S. rice in new and innovative ways through a collaboration with the USDA Agricultural Trade Office (ATO) in China and RolyPoly Brewing to develop an American-style rice lager made with U.S. rice.
Branded “Open Road — American Rice Lager,” the 5.4% ABV beer highlights the versatility of U.S. rice as an ingredient in the beer industry. The product combines American brewing ingredients with a distinctive lager style, creating a new platform to introduce U.S. rice to China’s craft beer community and broader trade audience.
The collaboration demonstrates how U.S. rice can extend beyond traditional food applications and serve as a valuable ingredient in innovative, value-added products. By partnering with a local craft brewer, USRPA and ATO China are helping build awareness of U.S. rice among beverage industry professionals while creating opportunities to engage new audiences.
The rice lager will be featured at receptions, craft beer industry events, and other promotional occasions, providing opportunities for industry representatives and guests to experience an American-style beer made with U.S. rice firsthand. These activities will also help facilitate conversations with brewers, beverage industry stakeholders, and potential commercial partners about the quality, versatility, and potential applications of U.S. rice.
| | Rice Market & Technology Convention | | The Ray Stoesser Memorial Scholarship | | Applications are now open for the Ray Stoesser Memorial Scholarship. The $5,000 scholarship supports U.S. high school seniors, college students, and graduate students pursuing careers in agriculture. Applications are due December 4, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. CT. | | From the fields to the harvest and everything in between, we want to see what rice country looks like to you! Share your favorite rice country photos or videos and help us celebrate the people, places, and stories that make our industry special. | Picture from Rice Country | | |
Stuart Hoetger, representing the US Rice Producers Association (USRPA) at II EXPOARROZ 2026 in Peru, pictured with Francisco Xavier Portilla Romero of PORTIARROZ and Subra and Huong Phan (Sue) of SSResource Media.
Send us your rice country photos by email, or via Facebook or Instagram!
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January 20, 2027: Western Rice Belt Conference, El Campo, TX
More details to come
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February 10, 2027: Arkansas State University Agribusiness Conference, Jonesboro, AR
More details in January
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February 18 & 19, 2027: 30th Annual Cotton & Rice Conference, Jonesboro, AR
More Information
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February 23 -26, 2027: 41st Rice Technical Working Group (RTWG) Meeting, Galveston, TX
More Information
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March 1 - 5, 2027: 9th International Temperate Rice Conference, Uruguay
More Information
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June 8 - 10, 2027: Rice Market & Technology Convention, Sheraton Puerto Rico Resort & Casino, San Juan, PR
More details to come
| | Industry Resources & Updates | | Connect Internationally with USRPA | | | |  | | | Mexico, Central America, and South America: | | |
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