By Shala Watson
Multimedia Writer
Rice growers across the country have received a “shot in the arm” thanks to the continued efforts of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue and the Trump administration to provide market access to China.
Perdue and China’s Vice Premier Wang Yang signed a long-stalled phytosanitary protocol that will permit the import of U.S.-milled rice into China.
USA Rice President & CEO Betsy Ward applauded the agreement and thanked the Trump administration for their efforts.
“The historic nature of opening a brand new market is something that is very exciting for all of us,” Ward said in an interview with the TFB Radio Network. “We’re an export oriented industry. We export about 50 percent of what we produce. Prices are not great right now in the countryside, so this is, I think, a real shot in the arm for all of our growers.”
She said the agreement was the culmination of more than a decade of work with USA Rice, USDA and the U.S. Trade Representative.
Perdue said the Chinese market provides an exceptional opportunity with “enormous potential for growth in the future.”
China is the world’s largest producer and consumer of rice, according to the USDA.
China consumes the equivalent of the entire U.S. rice crop every 13 days and the USDA expects China to import 4.8 million metric tons of milled rice in 2017/2018.
Having access to this market could give the U.S. rice industry a huge boost.
“The Chinese consumer is looking for alternative products from their own rice because they know that U.S. rice is safe and is high quality,” Ward said.
Texas growers also stand to benefit from this agreement, according to Ward.
The Chinese consume all varieties of rice—long grain, medium grain and short grain. Long grain will be the largest segment.
She said several of the mills in Texas are already registered to participate in this trade once inspections are complete.
U.S. rice exports can begin following the completion of an audit of U.S. rice facilities by China’s General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine.
“There’s a lot of hoops to jump through,” Ward said. “We’ve got to make sure that we are compliant.”
USA Rice is working with USDA to ensure the technical to-do list happens efficiently.
Ward is optimistic the USDA will remain supportive and help the industry if there are any issues down the road.
“We know that market access in China is difficult, and rice shipments will not happen tomorrow, but we are much closer to meeting China’s market demand with U.S. rice,” Ward said in a statement.