MEMPHIS, Tenn. – With the approach of its 20-year anniversary of offering Clearfield® pure-line varieties to Southern rice farmers, Horizon Ag is excited to announce that two new top-performing Clearfield varieties from the University of Arkansas will be broadly available in its lineup for 2020.
“The University of Arkansas has agreed to release a Clearfield long grain and a Clearfield medium grain rice variety and, after reviewing the multi-year data package, we are excited to inform the industry that Horizon Ag varieties CLL15 and CLM04 will be in seed production in 2019 for 2020 certified sales,” said Dr. Tim Walker, Horizon Ag General Manager. “These Clearfield varieties will provide farmers with outstanding yield and grain quality combined with the agronomic characteristics rice farmers need to manage their crops for maximum profitability.”
Dr. Walker noted that the two new varieties are the first Clearfield varieties developed by Dr. Xueyan Sha at the Rice Research and Extension Center in Stuttgart, Arkansas. Dr. Sha joined the University of Arkansas breeding program in 2013 after working for a number of years with Dr. Steve Linscombe at the H. Rouse Caffey Rice Research Station of Louisiana State University.
“Dr. Sha is one of the hardest-working individuals I’ve had the chance to work with,” said Dr. Walker. “We believe these two new varieties will be a testament to his knowledge and understanding of the current state of the Southern USA rice industry.”
Variety CLL15 is a high-yielding cultivar with excellent milling characteristics, including good grain length and low chalk. In addition, this variety has broad-spectrum blast resistance similar to Horizon Ag varieties CL153 and CL172.
CLL15 measures approximately 38 inches tall and stands extremely well. In the 2018 Arkansas Rice Performance Trials (ARPT), CLL15 yielded 192 bushels per acre compared to 190 bushels per acre for competitive hybrid CLXL745. In the trials conducted from 2016 –2018, CLL15 averaged 191 bushels per acre compared to 197 bushels per acre for CLXL745.
Variety CLM04 promises outstanding yield potential rivaling that of conventional medium grain counterparts Jupiter and Titan. In 43 trials conducted in Arkansas and throughout the Southern United States, CLM04 yielded 198 bushels per acre compared to 195 bushels per acre for Jupiter and 200 bushels per acre for Titan. Amylose content and gelatinization temperatures are almost identical for CLM04 and Kellogg’s-approved Jupiter. CLM04, like Jupiter, contains the Pi-ks gene; however, CLM04 also contains the Pi-z gene.
“Both of these new varieties will fill current needs for Southern rice farmers today and will be valuable additions to the Horizon Ag rice variety lineup,” said Dr. Walker. “Since 2001, Horizon Ag has brought forward rice varieties that have enabled farmers to meet the challenges they face while producing a product that returns more to their bottom line. CLL15 and CLM04 will continue that 20-year legacy.”
For more information about these new varieties that will be in seed production in 2019, go to www.horizonseed.com.
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As the partial government shutdown continues without an end in sight, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue announced that many of the Farm Service Agency (FSA) offices will temporarily reopen on Thursday, January 17, Friday, January 18, and Tuesday, January 22 to perform certain limited services for farmers and ranchers.
FSA offices will be temporarily open to help producers with existing farm loans, 1099 tax documents, continuing expiring financial statements, and processing payments.
“Until Congress sends President Trump an appropriations bill in the form that he will sign, we are doing our best to minimize the impact of the partial federal funding lapse on America’s agricultural producers,” Perdue said. “We are bringing back part of our FSA team to help producers with existing farm loans. Meanwhile, we continue to examine our legal authorities to ensure we are providing services to our customers to the greatest extent possible during the shutdown.”
In addition, Secretary Perdue has extended the deadline for producers to apply for trade assistance under the Market Facilitation Program (MFP) for a period of time equal to the number of business days FSA offices have been closed, once the shutdown ends.
The list of FSA Service Centers open for farm loan activities on January 17, 18 and 22 can be found here.
Since December of 2017, the US Rice Producers Association (USRPA) has conducted a series of meetings with the Central American Rice Federation (FECARROZ) in an effort to analyze the effects of full implementation of the Central American Free Trade Agreement-Dominica Republic to the rice industries of both the U.S. and Central America. Last month at the USA Rice Outlook Conference this process included a meeting between FECARROZ and USA Rice including representation of the USRPA.
This week in San Jose, Costa Rica all three groups met to continue discussions and a proposal submitted by FECARROZ last month. Dwight Roberts, President & CEO of the USRPA was very clear in expressing what the second largest market for U.S. long grain rice means to U.S. farmers while stating, “as we understand the proposal from our customers in Central America, the USRPA supports the efforts of FECARROZ to help maintain this vital market”. Roberts added, “we realize there are some hurdles that need to be resolved and ironed out.”
The USRPA also announced their intention to have a third-party, independent U.S. contractor, conduct an economic impact study that will assist in the evaluation process. USA Rice agreed to this USRPA initiative. The leadership of FECARROZ was positive about the results of the meeting and are looking ahead to the next step as Mario Solorzano, President of FECARROZ from Guatemala stated, “we want to go forward with the next step and preparations for a meeting in late February or early March assuming we have done our homework in the meantime.”
The USRPA also met with Indarroz leadership and will be hosting this Costa Rican rice milling group at the National Conservation Systems Cotton & Rice Conference in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, January 31-February 1st.
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