This week, the U.S. Congress is out of session while members enjoy a 4th of July “district work period.” Before leaving last Friday, the House of Representatives approved “cap and trade” legislation to cap and reduce greenhouse gas emissions over the coming decades. The bill passed with 219 yes votes, which is one more than the 218 required to achieve a majority of the 435 House members.

The agriculture sector is exempt from the overall emissions cap, and improvements were made in the bill by an amendment negotiated by House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson. However, the bill is still expected (some would say, is designed) to increase the costs of energy based inputs important to agriculture, including diesel fuel, fertilizers, electricity, herbicides and other inputs. The bill will now be considered by the Senate, where reaching consensus on a bill that can achieve passage is expected to be difficult and time consuming.

In the mean time, the US Rice Producers Association participated in a meeting with Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack this week to discuss if and how, the agriculture community can work together with the USDA, the Environmental Protection Agency, and other interested groups to craft a climate change bill that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions without unduly burdening agriculture.

Amid the frantic bargaining on the climate change bill last week, work also began on a “food safety” bill approved by the House Energy and Commerce Committee (H.R. 2749). Among other broadly drafted regulatory authorities, the bill would give the Food and Drug Administration oversight of many on-farm production activities, most of which fall under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Congressional Agriculture Committees. Some of the problems presented by the bill are detailed in a brief paper, which is available to read by downloading the file below. USRPA is actively participating in a broad coalition of farm and food groups working to ensure this bill does not create costly, burdensome or duplicative regulatory requirements for production agriculture. We sent a letter in this regard to the House Agriculture Committee this week asking the committee to work to improve the legislation. You may read the entire letter by downloading the file below.

These food safety and climate change bills are just two of the initiatives pending in Washington that could be detrimental to rice producers. Fortunately, it does not appear that they will move too quickly, as Congress during July will turn its focus to health care reform. In the mean time, USRPA will continue to work to ensure that this and other legislation does not burden rice producers with extra costs and regulatory threats.

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In this issue:

• Climate Change Bill to Pass in House of Represenatatives; Peterson Champions Cause of Agriculture
• USRPA Women Culinary Workshops Debut in Yemen
• Central American School Nutrition Program: Guatemala and Honduras
• Promotional Campaign to Increase Rice Consumption in Mexico
• Louisiana Crop Update
• General Market Update

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US Rice Producers are very appreciative of the leadership of Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson in negotiating improvements on behalf of the agriculture sector to H.R.2454, the American Clean Energy and Security Act.  These changes include clarifying agriculture's exemption under the greenhouse gas emissions cap, improving the opportunity for some agriculture sectors to participate in a cap and trade program, authorizing the US Department of Agriculture—NOT the Environmental Protection Agency—to develop and administer agricultural offsets under the bill, among other improvements.

In spite of these improvements, US Rice Producers Association remains very concerned regarding the significantly increased costs that will be imposed on rice producers by the bill.  This legislation would threaten the economic viability of individual rice producers and the entire rice industry, threatening the thousands of jobs it creates in rural areas, in transportation, and on the docks of the ports of the United States. 

Rice production is a very energy intensive industry from the field through the processing stages.  With the U.S. proposing to impose climate change provisions on our industries unilaterally, we put ourselves in a competitive disadvantage with much of the world, including countries that are substantial global competitors of the U.S. rice industry.

Reductions in US rice production, or changes in farming practices, driven by the bill will threaten the ability of rice producers to provide millions of acres of wetland habitat for waterfowl and wetland-dependant species.  Such production reductions will also drive rice production overseas, to countries with lower environmental standards and higher greenhouse gas emissions.

Our industry cannot support legislation that would drive up rice producers’ production costs, resulting in a competitive disadvantage while providing little, if any, opportunity to make up for these added costs. 

However, we agree with the Obama Administration on the importance of providing “a robust and effective agriculture and forestry offsets program” under the bill.  Unfortunately, as presented to the House of Representatives today, the bill does not fulfill this promise.

We thank the many Members of Congress who continue to have taken positions on this legislation out of a deep concern for the economic viability of American agriculture.  We look forward to continuing to work with them, and Members of the United States Senate, to substantially improve this legislation over the coming months.

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There is a novel agriculture professional organization that is in the developmental stages for Southern field crops. The proposed name of this group is the Southern Field Crop Alliance (SFCA). The goals of this group are to 1) provide a forum to discuss issues that cut across crops and agricultural disciplines; 2) develop an avenue for all segments of the Southern ag industries to come together and for education and shared learning exercises and 3) a need to organize smaller professional meetings into one event.

The idea for SFCA came about recently. “Several entomologists were kicking around the idea at a regional entomology meeting in 2008. We were looking for an outlet to get information out to the stakeholders- information applied in nature and all-inclusive from a commodity and discipline standpoint and which pertains to the Southern-belt due to the unique crop and pest complexes his region shares,” explained Dr. Angus Catchot, Extension Entomologist, Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology Mississippi State. Catchot is
one of the many organizers involved in SFCA.

“It is absolutely critical to be engaged with colleagues of other disciplines and commodities who share the common goal of working on current, pressing grower issues. The ultimate goal is to put the puzzle together” for the benefit of the producer. Every discipline out there is just one piece of the puzzle, when we work together it strengthens relationships and the puzzle becomes complete to the benefit of the producer. This has become even more important to crop consultants. With huge shifts in crop acres, consultants are looking at as
many as four to five different crops on individual farms. Some may not have even been grown in that area before. It is critical that there is an outlet to provide current information to the end user in a time where crop diversity is the norm.”

One meeting is the difference between SFCA and other commodity and research discipline organizations. According to Catchot, “there are several commodity specific organizations, discipline specific organizations or annual meetings out there but, no place where a grower, academic, consultant, or industry representative can go and get up-to-date applied information on a diverse number of topics across commodities and disciplines. The SFCA will bring all this into one meeting where decision makers can get current information on nearly every aspect of their business.”

Dr. B. Rogers Leonard, LSU Agcenter, said, “It is a hope that the agricultural industries will see the opportunity for a one-stop type shopping for information, updates and interactions with clientele and professional associations.” Leonard is on the SFCA organizational team along with other agriculture professionals.

“Name any professional or public stakeholder from Virginia to Texas with a concern involved in all field crops and we want them to be a part of this activity,” added Leonard.

Catchot stated, “whether you are a producer, consultant, academic or industry you have likely witnessed a tremendous amount of change over the last several years. Many in this group are responsible for working a number of crops and across disciplines already. The SFCA will bring together expertise in all these areas. SFCA will provide opportunities to work and network with a large number of people with similar interests. With the number of applied scientists shrinking every year, this will be the one place where we come together as a group with a central theme of “Southern Field Crops” being the driver rather than any particular commodity or discipline.”

“The SFCA will represent Southern states from Texas to Virginia across all field crops,” stated Catchot. “There will be a place for all stakeholders to participate. We hope that some of the struggling commodity organizations will be able to revive their base through the umbrella of the SFCA.”

Corporate America is also involved. Representatives from Monsanto, RiceTec, Dow, Syngenta, Bayer CropScience and Agrithority have been involved in the SFCA development.

“We have ‘pitched’ the idea to many in the industry already and have received extremely positive feedback. Most in the industry work across disciplines and commodities. The SFCA will allow industry the opportunity to be involved in a meeting and organization that touches every side of their business and interact with a wide variety of stakeholders at one meeting,” said Catchot.

The Southern Field Crop Alliance will hold their first annual meeting and conference in conjunction with the 13th Annual National Conservation Systems Cotton and Rice Conference (NCSCRC), Southern Corn and Soybean Conference and the Southern Precision Agriculture Conference. The Southern Field Crop Alliance Conference will begin immediately following the NCSCRC. The conferences will be held in Tunica, Mississippi on January 12-14, 2010.

“NCSCRC sponsors; Cotton Incorporated, Director of Research, Dr. Jeanne Reeves and Dwight Roberts, President and CEO of the US Rice Producers Association, are very supportive and excited about the creation of SFCA and its initial affiliation with NCSCRC,” stated John LaRose, Publisher, MidAmerica Farm Publications and NCSCRC organizer.

“The NCSCRC has a great place to meet in 2010 for a meeting of this type. The model for breakout sessions has been successful with stakeholder involvement. It already involves multiple disciplines and commodities. It is likely that many participants will attend both,” stated Leonard.

“The NCSCRC speakers are the nation’s leading agriculture producers and researchers in cotton, rice, corn, soybeans and precision agriculture. Each year over 90 speakers, half of which are recognized as the nation’s most innovative producers, share their stories of successful production practices. Producers speak at the NCSCRC and present their practical applications and hands-on experiences of crop production. The NCSCRC provides an atmosphere that is conducive to a healthy exchange between growers and researchers. The SFCA will add additional agriculture professionals to the lineup,” said LaRose.

For more information on SFCA contact Dr. Angus Catchot at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or Dr. B. Rogers Leonard at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Details for the four conferences can be viewed at www.mafg.net. Details will be added as they become available.

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