China receives first-ever U.S. rice shipment

The shipment of Calrose medium grain rice from California creates optimism with rice growers across the United States.

China imported its first-ever commercial container of rice from the United States, marking a positive move in agricultural trade negotiations between the two nations after more than a decade of political and regulatory efforts by the U.S. rice industry.

The shipment of Calrose medium grain rice from California creates optimism with rice growers across the United States as it signals China’s apparent willingness to buy different rice varieties from across the U.S. growing region that includes California, Arkansas, and Louisiana.

The medium grain Calrose rice from California was sold by ADM Rice to a private importer under the Sungiven brand for retail distribution in China. Most of California’s rice production is medium grain. Growers there also produce a limited amount of short-grain and specialty rice.

China remains the world’s largest producer and consumer of rice, according to the USA Rice Federation, a global advocate for all segments of the U.S. rice industry. The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that China consumes more than 146 million metric tons of rice, eclipsing the estimated 4.6 million metric tons consumed by American consumers.

The importance of such a move was not lost on ADM Rice officials, who said the effort to export a container-size shipment of rice to China was one that included “many logistical challenges,” according to Buzz Burich, vice president, ADM Rice in Arbuckle, Calif.

“We were very pleased to see the first-ever shipment of U.S. rice to China coming out of California,” said Tim Johnson, president, California Rice Commission. “It speaks to our quality and environmental stewardship. This is exciting for us.”

FarmProgress

Tags: China