By Emmy Powell
Communications Specialist

This year’s weather conditions have led to varied yields and quality for Texas rice farmers, but Texas A&M AgriLife Extension experts say the volatile global rice market may help growers.

Texas rice acres, yields and quality did not live up to the spring-time potential, according to AgriLife Research Plant Physiologist Dr. Lee Tarpley.

The drought caused low surface water supplies in the Upper Gulf Coast region, leading to water supplies being cut off for over a quarter of Texas’ rice acreage.

Tarpley said Texas farmers planted a little over 140,000 acres compared to the 190,000 acres from last season.

The cool weather and rain during the spring led to a slow start for rice planting, and growing conditions were dry and hot, he said.

“I’m hearing yields have been pretty good, not great,” Tarpley said. “I expect milling qualities are down. It’s a shame about the quality and the yields because the potential for record yields was there without the extreme heat.”

He estimated per-acre yields to be down about 10% due to the heat.

Although the drier conditions reduced disease pressure, experts expect stink bugs and stem borers will be an issue late in the season.

Texas rice exports are expected to increase after India’s decision to ban rice exports. Tarpley said the ban created volatility in the global rice market but also an opportunity for U.S. rice farmers.

“Prices for Texas and U.S. rice will become much more competitive as large portions of the export market increases as India takes rice out of the market,” he said. “I think this is a chance for the U.S. to recapture some market share due to competitive prices.”

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Weekly National Rice Summary showed Texas long grain milling white rice was $37 per hundredweight. Last year, it measured at $30-$32.25 per hundredweight.

Although tightening global rice supplies should impact rice prices for Texas farmers, there could be consequences for hundreds of millions of people and could create food security problems.

“The situation in India is interesting,” Dr. David Anderson, AgriLife Extension economist, said. “You have a season where India’s rice crop maybe came in a little short, and rice prices have been rising domestically. The ban is an attempt by the government to bring those prices back down. So, there is a political element to the ban that has global implications.”

Anderson said Texas farmers could see better prices, which may lead more rice farmers to have a ratoon crop.

“Producers are a little behind, but they are harvesting like gangbusters right now,” he said. “They could be back on schedule in a week or two. Making a good ratoon crop will depend on the extent of pest pressure and high temperatures at the start and weather in the fall.”