Louisiana Rice Promotion Board

 By Kane Fontenot & John Fred Denison

Your Louisiana Rice Promotion Board and Louisiana Rice Research Board held their annual meetings last month following the 115th LSU Rice Field Day at the H. Rouse Caffey Rice Research Station in Crowley. If you weren’t in attendance, and we know many of you weren’t, you missed a good opportunity to take an active role in your business, the Louisiana rice industry. As always, these board meetings are open to all, and we tackle important issues and work to ensure the long term success of our industry. Being aware of how these boards are committing your hard-earned check off dollars is pretty important. If you know, you’re probably proud like we are, but if you don’t know, give us your attention for a few minutes.

Since the 1980’s, Louisiana rice farmers have more than doubled their statewide production and doubled statewide average per acre yields. These yield increases have occurred while also developing improved management opportunities such as disease resistance, tested and proven cultural practices to increase production efficiencies down to the local level through regional off site trial locations, specialty aromatic varieties like Jasmine and the ongoing development of specific varieties based on export demand.   

 The LSU AgCenter and the H. Rouse Caffey Rice Research Station has led, and continues to lead, the world in rice breeding and variety development. The innovations of new technologies in the early 2000’s provided a revolutionary solution to red rice, which benefited not only Louisiana farmers, but the entire U.S. rice industry. More recent research has led to an extension of that technology so future generations of rice growers can control red and weedy rice problems, ensuring the viability of rice production in areas where crop rotation is nearly impossible.  

We now efficiently control virtually all rice diseases and pests with relative ease, while leaving a thriving crawfish industry unharmed from pesticide use, thanks to the brilliant research and science funded by you and your fellow growers and directed by your research board.

 On the promotion side, we utilize your funds in the state at events and in advertising, but we also pool the funds through the USA Rice Council with other rice producing states. Every dollar you contribute is magnified 24 times and our reach is impressive. 

Louisiana rice is recognized as a healthy and delicious staple of the American diet and as such is in schools around the country and in government feeding programs here and around the world. In less than 20 years, we have increased average household consumption of rice by nearly 90 percent (though most of the country has a ways to go before they catch up to us here)!

Your promotion board played a pivotal role in developing the “Grown in the USA” label, which is proudly displayed on most of the domestic packaged rice and even used in foreign markets and this year was just updated and refreshed and will soon start appearing in restaurants around the country.

We’re also proud – and you should be too – that the Louisiana rice industry spearheaded and drove a national marketing campaign for all U.S.-grown rice. You may have seen “Start with Rice” billboards, digital ads, and even trucks on the road.

These are but a few examples of how you, the Louisiana rice farmer, has benefited from your investment in your check off and there are many more.

And yet, we’ve seen an alarming increase in the check off refund of late. Since the inception of the refund option in 2014, only around 6 percent of all check off funds received were ever requested returned. Over the last few months, the refund percentage has increased to nearly 14 percent. Perhaps this was an anomaly, but it makes us wonder: “where would we be if we didn’t have the state check off?” Every rice farmer should think about it. And we can tell you – you’d be working harder, longer, and making less money than you are today.

No, thank you.

We clearly see the benefit your check off brings under the guidance of your boards, and if you have any doubts or questions, please reach out to any of the volunteers who serve on the boards, and mark your calendar to attend the next meetings – they’re open and they’re there for you.

Written by: Kane Fontenot, Chair of the Louisiana Rice Promotion Board, and John Fred Denison, Chair of the Louisiana Rice Research Board.