Rice Farming

Tim Flowers has spent his entire life in and around Dexter, Mo. Agriculture was always a big part of his life — his parents ran a small farm, and much of his extended family worked in row crops, rice, cattle and even catfish. But instead of following a traditional farming path, Tim carved out a career all his own. That nontraditional career path ultimately made him the go-to rice consultant in his region and earned him the honor of being named the Rice Consultant of the Year in 2025.

By Peter Bachmann The recent announcement from Riceland Foods that they were temporarily shuttering nine of 23 rice dryers was shocking. The fact that Producers’ Rice Mill has indicated they may pause operations at two of their dryers as well is confirmation that this is not a headline to skim past. Nor is it a sign of poor leadership – in fact, it’s the exact opposite. These are sound management decisions in a brutal year – and that should be a wake-up call for policymakers and legislators.

Kurt D. LaRose MAFG When Debbie Hoffpauir says, “This has been a two‑person show,” she isn’t exaggerating. Every part of the operation — planting, harvesting, milling, packaging, delivering, and selling — is carried out by Debbie and her husband, Ben, on their small rice farm outside Bay City, Texas. Ben’s father and Debbie’s son help when they can, but the heartbeat of the farm is the couple themselves, working side by side in the Texas heat.

US RICE PRODUCERS KATY, TEXAS The Board of Directors of the US Rice Producers Association (USRPA) has appointed Iris Figueroa as its new President and Chief Executive Officer. Figueroa joined USRPA in 2022 and quickly embraced the association’s core mission of being a producer-led, producer-focused organization. Most recently serving as Chief Operating Officer, she played a leading role in managing the association’s international programs, particularly throughout the Western Hemisphere.

RICHARD E. HICKS OCEAN SPRINGS, MISSISSIPPI I jokingly describe the struggle between the dominant players in the world rice trade. While I do not truly believe it is a concerted effort or an obvious battle, but it is significant, as the pile of rice will continue to grow as these nations knowingly increase production to capture a larger share of the worldwide rice trade. We have highlighted many efforts in the past where wealthier countries are funding many traditional markets especially in Africa.

MARY HIGHTOWER FAYETTEVILLE, ARKANSAS The outlook, written by Alvaro Durand-Morat, associate professor, and Willy Mulimbi, post-doctoral fellow, is an annual publication by the Arkansas Global Rice Economics Program of the department of agricultural economics and agribusiness at the University of Arkansas. It is part of the research conducted by the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station of the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.

VIDALINA ABADAM, JENNIFER BOND, SETH WECHSLER AND ANDREW SOWELL WASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. All Rice Supplies Raised for 2026/27 The June 2026 World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) reports minimal changes to the outlook for U.S. rice supply and utilization. Following pace-based net-adjustments to 2025/26 trade, ending stocks are raised 0.5 million hundredweight (cwt) to 54.8 million cwt, the highest level since 1985/86.

BLAIR FANNIN COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS Texas rice producers enter a new crop year with a watchful eye on prices, yield potential and the threat of rice delphacid, an invasive planthopper that wreaked havoc on the 2025 crop, according to Texas A&M AgriLife experts.

KAT KERLIN DAVIS, CALIFORNIA Almost exactly 15 years ago, researchers at UC Davis, California Trout and other partners started testing a wacky idea: Let’s plant salmon in rice fields to see how they grow. Could these winter-flooded fields serve as “nurseries” for struggling Central Valley salmon populations, allowing them a place to rest and feast on bugs before making their way to the ocean? It was called the Nigiri Project, a refreshing blend of rice and fish.