RiceBran Technologies (RIBT)

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Louisiana rice crop looks good even with the current drought in the south 2/3's of the state.

Rice Crop Nears Harvest

Posted: July 1, 2009 03:54 PM

Updated: July 2, 2009 02:46 PM
Rice Farmers Prepare to Harvest

Rice farmers will be heading out to the fields to harvest within the next month. Has the drought affected the crop? Farmers say the crop is looking good despite the lack of rain. But that doesn't mean they stand to make a large profit.

Durel Romaine, a Vermilion Parish Rice farmer says, "The rice crop's almost finished so the rain is not going to affect the crop that much. Right now the rice actually looks pretty good."

Farmers say the drought hasn't directly affected the rice crop but when mother nature doesn't provide the rain, they have to irrigate. And that comes out of their pocket.

Dr. Steve Linscombe, LSU Ag Center station director says, "It costs a lot to run the wells and the pumps to keep those fields flooded."

Jimmy Hoppe, a Jeff Davis parish farmer says, "The water costs have dropped because of fuel cost. That's down, fertilizer has come down. So our input costs are not as great but at the same time the price we receive for the rice has gone down as well."

Now after all that wishing for rain, It's the last thing they want to wash away any profit they may have.

"If we actually just started getting a lot of rain it actually could hurt the rice once we start harvesting," says Durel Romaine.

The bottom line...the cost to produce the rice is down but we'll also pay less for it so farmers won't make a large profit.

Kari Hall

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http://www.katc.com/global/story.asp?s=10628295