Last week’s WASDE shows U.S. rice growers have planed 21 percent more acres this year than last. Crop condition ratings are very good almost everywhere in the country.
USDA’s Outlook Chair says we are looking at a crop that is 25 percent higher than last season and it looks like yields will be better as well.
“Driven by increases in medium and short grain rice in California, the irrigation conditions there have so vastly improved,” said Mark Jekanowski.
Planted area is now pegged at 2.69 million acres with a harvested area of 2.65 million. USDA says this should boost U.S. rice export prospects.
“We’re expecting a rebound in our export prospects for the new crop year. We currently have 80 million hundredweight as our all rice export forecast and that was raised 6 million hundredweight this month. That breaks down into 4 million hundredweight short grain and 2 million hundredweight increase in long grain. That higher export forecast is supported by the fact that we expect to have more abundant supplies and lower prices as well.”
