COLLEGE STATION — In an effort to revive their flagging industry, rice producers from around East Texas will gather in Houston on Feb. 21 for a Rice Summit Conference at the Holiday Inn Select – Park 10 West located at I-10 West and Hwy. 6 to develop strategies, action plans and implementation processes to improve the competitiveness of the Texas rice industry.
“There is no question that the Texas rice industry is in crisis,” said Dr. Jim Stansel, resident director of the Texas A&M University Agricultural Research and Extension Center at Beaumont and program co-chair of the conference.
“Over the past decade, the competitive position of Texas rice has eroded. Declining market prices, increasing production costs, diminishing water availability, international competition, and the overhaul of federal farm policy have all contributed to serious problems for the industry,” Stansel said.
Program co-chair and rice producer Steve Balas said the complexity of the problems makes clear the need for an integrated, cooperative approach by producers.
“There definitely is not one silver bullet for solving our problems,” Balas said. “That is why we need to gather industry leaders for careful and thoughtful discussions to clearly define the origin and scope of the problems, evaluate alternative courses of action, and establish priorities.”
Hosted by the Texas Agricultural and Natural Resources Summit Initiative, the Texas Rice Summit will be held at the Holiday Inn Select Hotel at Hwy 6 at I-10. The $35 registration fee includes meals and conference cost. Invited guests include U.S. House Majority Whip Tom DeLay (R-Sugarland), former House Agriculture Committee Chair E. (Kika) De La Garza; and World Food Prize Recipient and retired U.S. Department of Agriculture rice breeder Hank Beachell.
Presentations scheduled for the conference include: The Greatest Opportunity in Farming History, by Alex Avery of the Center for Global Food Issues-the Hudson Institute; Competitive Position of Texas Rice Industry, by Gene Nelson, professor and department head for the department of agricultural economics at Texas A&M University; Impact of Rice Production on Wildlife, by Andy Sansom, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department; Rice Markets and Marketing – A View to the Future, by Grover Connell of the Connell Rice & Sugar Co.
The conference will then divide into breakout groups to develop solutions to the issues of production efficiency; markets and marketing; tenant-landlord infrastructure; and water, wildlife, and environmental protection.
Three years ago, the Texas Agricultural and Natural Resources Summit Initiative was founded to identify and resolve the critical issues facing Texas agriculture by bringing together representatives from every sector to resolve these issues and concerns. Over the past three years, numerous smaller conferences have been held across the state to further expand the partnerships and dialogue among the stakeholders across the state.
For more information or inquiries on how to register can be made to: Texas Agricultural and Natural Resources Summit Initiative, 113 Administration Building, Texas A&M University College Station, Texas 77843-2142. Phone inquiries can be made at (979) 845-8484.
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