USRPA Showcases U.S. Rice Through Weekly Cooking Classes in Guatemala

Each Thursday morning, kitchens across Guatemala come alive with the aroma of U.S. rice thanks to the "Clase de Cocina en Vivo," a live cooking class supported by the US Rice Producers Association. This engaging and interactive series is designed to inspire home cooks of all skill levels to explore delicious recipes using high-quality U.S. rice. Participants cook along in real-time, ask questions, and connect with others while learning new ways to incorporate U.S. rice into their everyday meals. This grassroots approach helps boost familiarity and appreciation for U.S. rice, making it a staple in Guatemalan households. With strong local engagement and growing interest, this program is a shining example of how USRPA promotes U.S. rice through culturally relevant, community-driven activities in key markets.¡Pon tu granito de ARROZ y acompáñanos cada jueves! 🌾❤️

Trump Announces New Global Tariff Rates: Last night, July 31, President Donald Trump announced a set of executive orders imposing new reciprocal tariffs on more than 67 countries that are expected to go into effect starting August 7. In this Executive Order, Annex I outlines all the newly adjusted reciprocal tariff rates. Countries not listed in Annex I will be subject to a baseline 10% tariff, as before. Additionally, Trump outlined several different caveats regarding tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and Brazil. The White House announced that the U.S. will be increasing the tariff on Canadian goods from 25% to 35% in response to Canada’s lack of engagement in negotiation efforts. Although goods qualifying for preferential tariff treatment under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) still continue to remain not subject to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) Canada tariffs. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and Trump reached an agreement to extend the reciprocal tariff deadline for another 90 days, in conjunction with Mexico still having to pay a 25% Fentanyl Tariff, 25% Tariff on Cars, and 50% Tariff on Steel, Aluminum, and Copper. With regards to Brazil, Trump signed an Executive Order implementing an additional 40% tariff on Brazil, bringing the total duty on imported goods from Brazil to 50%. For more information, you can visit the White House’s landing page that is updated daily here.

Senate Ag Holds Hearing to Review USDA Reorganization: On Wednesday, July 30, the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee held a hearing to review the recently announced large-scale reorganization of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), featuring testimony from Deputy Secretary Stephen Vaden. USDA’s plan intends to relocate employees within the National Capital Region (NCR) footprint to five hub locations, which include: Fort Collins, Colorado; Raleigh, North Carolina; Salt Lake City, Utah; Indianapolis, Indiana; and Kansas City, Missouri. During the hearing, Republicans and Democrats both agreed on the importance of ensuring USDA reorganization does not disrupt essential services or negatively impact employees. Republicans focused on cost savings, efficiency, and bringing USDA operations closer to rural communities, emphasizing benefits such as lower cost of living and improved customer service. Democrats concentrated on the consultation process, potential impacts on research, workforce stability, and equitable service delivery, raising concerns about transparency and local input. Other topics discussed included facility impacts in specific states, union engagement, disaster funding, civil rights considerations, and the need for ongoing congressional oversight and stakeholder feedback during implementation. You can find the Secretary’s official memorandum here and watch the full hearing here.

Senate Confirms Tyler Clarkson as USDA General Counsel: On Thursday, July 31, the Senate voted along party lines (52-45) to confirm Mr. Tyler Clarkson as U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) General Counsel. Clarkson now joins USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins and Deputy Secretary Stephen Vaden as the only USDA nominees to clear the Senate confirmation process thus far. As the newly instated general counsel, Clarkson will likely play a large role in helping the Department carry out its reorganization plan to relocate Washington area USDA employees. Several other USDA Under Secretary nominees still remain in the growing queue to be confirmed and likely will not see votes until after the August recess.

The global rice market remains under pressure as trade policies emanate from Washington, DC. A significant development for the U.S. rice industry is President Trump’s recent announcement of a 25% tariff on Indian goods (effective August 1), which includes an unspecified penalty for India’s trade with Russia. India poses a dual threat to the U.S. rice market: first, through rice dumping, and second, through increasing imports of basmati rice, which are eroding the domestic market share of U.S. long-grain rice. Without tariffs, Indian basmati has flowed into the U.S. market unchecked. While the impact of the 25% tariff won’t be immediate, it could encourage consumers and distributors to favor domestically produced long-grain rice over Indian basmati in the medium and long term. In Latin America, Brazil faces escalating trade tensions with Trump’s administration imposing a 50% tariff on Brazilian goods, effective August 1. Citing Brazil’s digital trade policies and the prosecution of Bolsonaro for allegedly plotting a coup, Trump invoked the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to declare a national emergency, addressing Brazil’s unfair trade practices that threaten U.S. economic and national security. Current talk includes a 40% ad valorem tax, but more clarity is necessary as to how this will play out. While these tariffs do not directly target rice, they are likely to disrupt rice trade flows in the Western Hemisphere, particularly as Brazil is a key player in regional agricultural exports. Currently, U.S. rice exports to Central American countries, Nicaragua, Panama, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, are lagging, running approximately 25% behind last year’s pace. Exports to Mexico lag behind as well.

Harvest continues in southwest Louisiana On the ground, the U.S. rice crop is progressing well, with nearly 80% rated in the Good or Excellent categories. Louisiana is ahead of schedule, with some harvesters already in the fields. Harvest is expected to accelerate over the next two weeks. Weather comments in Arkansas and the concentrated growing area of northeast Arkansas are certainly of concern due to the intense heat that many feel will reduce field yields. Folks are reluctant to talk about grain quality at this point, but weather conditions with a 126 heat index this week aren’t constructive. There are hushed reports of new-crop offers from Louisiana, but prices are reportedly unattractive. This reflects a broader global issue, not just a U.S. one. The domestic outlook is further clouded by rumors that remaining old-crop rice may be of such poor quality that it fails to meet the No. 2/4 standards for packaged product, adding another challenge to an already pessimistic market. There have been recent sales of new crop from Southwest Louisiana (SLRF) with good milling yields to Central America and Texas trucking paddy rice to Mexico. In Asia, rice prices continue to decline, with Thailand at $375 per metric ton (pmt) and Vietnam at $390 pmt for 5% broken white rice. Surprisingly, India’s price sits between them at $385 pmt. U.S. long-grain rice export prices have softened by at least $10 pmt as exporters attempt to counter dismal sales figures. According to the USDA Weekly Export Sales report, net sales reached 22,900 metric tons (MT) this week. Exports totaled 31,000 MT, up 26% from the previous week and 40% above the prior four-week average. Primary destinations included Japan (14,300 MT), Honduras (5,400 MT), Mexico (4,100 MT), Saudi Arabia (2,300 MT), and Canada (1,500 MT).

At their recent summer meeting in Galveston, TX the US Rice Producers Association (USRPA) Board of Directors selected Mollie Buckler to serve as the new President and CEO, replacing Marcela Garcia, who is stepping down effective September 1, 2025. Buckler joined the USRPA staff in 2021 and has held the position of Chief Operating Officer since 2022.

A two-time graduate of the University of Missouri and native of the Missouri Bootheel, Buckler’s agricultural roots run deep on both sides of her family, including rice production. Buckler and her family currently reside in Sikeston, MO, making her the first USRPA President and CEO to reside in the Delta.

“After 16 incredible years with USRPA, including the past four as President and CEO, I’m filled with pride at all we’ve accomplished together and confidence in what lies ahead,” Garcia said. “Mollie has been a true leader at USRPA since day one, and her commitment to our producers is unmatched. Her strategic mindset and ability to build relationships will serve the organization well.” Garcia will serve in an advisory role for the organization, beginning September 1.

The USRPA board also elected new officers for 2023-2025. 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, TX for his service to the association during the past two years.

The leading voice for the U.S. rice producer, US Rice Producers Association, representing rice producers in Arkansas, California, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and Texas, is the only national rice producers’ organization comprised of producers, elected by producers, and representing producers in all six major rice-producing states.

Alex Brinkmeier, a fourth-generation farmer and Ph.D. student at Saint Louis University, is conducting a brief 5-minute survey to explore how family farms make decisions about adopting new technology. Your insights will help deepen the understanding of what drives innovation on family farms and support research that could shape the future of agriculture. Take the Survey