MID-SOUTH, USA – This week USA Rice welcomed a delegation of nine rice specialists and industry stakeholders from Honduras, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Panama, and the Dominican Republic for an immersive, four-day tour showcasing the breadth and innovation of the U.S. rice industry. The mission, which spanned two rice-producing states, Arkansas and Texas, provided a comprehensive view of U.S. rice from breeding and research through production, storage, and marketing.
The delegation, representing Central American countries with strong trade ties to U.S. rice, began the tour in Memphis with a strategic overview from HorizonAg and Nutrien. Discussions centered on varietal development and the growing role of input solutions in ensuring sustainable and productive rice farming systems.
The group traveled east to Osceola Port for an up-close look at barge loading and transit on the Mississippi Rivier. Hosts from Poinsett Rice & Grain explained the ebb and flow of port operations for rice. The group then met with rice farmer Becton Bell, who shared historic rice production information starting in the early 1900s to the present from around his home in Wilson, Arkansas, where he serves as mayor.
At the Northeast Rice Research and Extension Center (NERREC) in Harrisburg, Arkansas, Director Dr. Tim Burcham talked about breeding practices tailored to Mid-South conditions and conducted cooking tests of several Arkansas varieties that possess the characteristics most desired by Latin American consumers. The visit concluded with an open-air truck tour through experimental rice plots and reservoirs…