Rice PesticidesProgram Startson Schedule

Late spring storms are the bane of ricegrowers as well as those working to

protect water quality and maintain theuse of Bolero/Abolish (thiobencarb) andOrdram (molinate). Despite the rainyweather and late planting, Rice PesticidesProgram (RPP) monitoring began onApril 26, and extends through the end ofJune or early July.

The CRC decided not to postpone themonitoring season because rice plantinghad begun in some counties. Severalcounty agricultural commissioners(CACs) had already received notices ofintent (NOIs) for thiobencarb applications.

In early May, CACs received a memoalerting them of the pending storm

California Rice BillboardCrops Up Along I-5

Rice Quality Workshops Every Other Year Starting in 2006

For the past few years, the CRCand UC Cooperative Extension

have worked together to present anannual one-day workshop that edu-cates industry members about grow-

Continued on page 7

Continued on page 4

This time of year, drivers traveling intoSacramento from the north pass by

thousands of acres of newly planted ricefields. This May, those entering down-town Sacramento along the I-5 corridorwere also greeted by a newly planted“California Rice” billboard.

Under the direction of the Domestic Mar-keting & Promotion Committee, the CRCposted its first major billboard on May 6.

“California’s rice industry is unlike anyother in agriculture,” commented LeoLaGrande, Chair of the Domestic Market-

Workshop Materials Available

ing and handling rice to produce a highquality product.

To better meet industry needs, thetwo organizations have revised the

ing & Promotion Committee. “We havean integral relationship with the environ-ment – the land, water, species and veg-etation that make up our fields provideboth rice crops and habitat year after year.Presenting a visual message is a uniqueway to communicate this diverse elementof our industry.”

Visible to over 108,000 drivers each day,the billboard’s message focused on thefindings of the Wildlife Known to Use Cali-fornia Ricelands report, which identifies

Continued on back page

A Note from the Chair - Page 2 • 2005 Legislative Session - Page 3 • Conservation Community - Page 5

2

Over the years, we growers adapt to dif-fering situations. Some are unforeseen

and others are somewhat predictable. Howquickly we learn to take control wheneverpossible.

No two growing seasons are ever the same.Knowing that, we take care to determinehow many acres we will plant, how we’lltend our fields and what varieties we’llplant. We make these decisions taking into

In Times Like These

tract from our primary job: rice production.Consider West Nile Virus, internationaltrade and marketing delegations, and nur-turing partnerships with critical agricul-ture, environment and regulatory partners.Who among us could schedule, manageand lead a two-day Asian delegation touron three weeks notice during rice harvest?

By statute, the CRC promotes and en-hances the rice industry through market

The CRC is again a proud sponsor inthe Pacific Flyway Decoy Association’s

(PFDA) Annual Wildlife Art Festival. TheFestival attracts carvers, collectors, hunt-ers and waterfowl enthusiasts, making itan ideal venue to communicate the im-portant connection between ricelands andwildlife in the Central Valley.

The CRC sponsors the “California RiceCommission Purchase Award,” andeach year chooses a ricelands shorebirdto be carved as part of the competition.This year’s species is the Long-billedCurlew, an important shorebird desig-

CRC Co-sponsors the 35th Annual Wildlife Art Festival

nated as a “highly imperiled” speciesthat thrives wonderfully in Californiarice fields.

The event is scheduled for June 25-26,2005 at the DoubleTree Hotel in Sacra-mento. Tear out the free admission passon this page and present it upon enter-ing the Festival. For additional freepasses please call Pat Coppin at (916)929-2264. For more information aboutthe Festival, visit the event website atwww.pacificflyway.org.

“In the five years since we approved the CRC, our indus-try has become one of the most well-respected and honoredindustries in the state.”

account factors we cannot control –weather, yield, pricing and market demand.

At an ever-increasing rate, other issuesarise that are far beyond our control as in-dividual growers.

Without the CRC, the state’s 2,500 rice pro-ducers would have to engage in the politicsof ag discharge waivers, a never-endingarray of proposed fees, and many otherissues involving our industry which de-

development and expansion, research,education and advertising. The commis-sion is our voice when circumstances re-quire representation. The CRC serves us inmany areas, most of them critical to ourcontinued viability.

What the commission cannot do is directlycontrol the price of rice. In times like these,we wish someone could influence the priceto rise. The CRC promotes our industryand promotes our product, but it cannotsell rice or regulate grower returns.

In the five years since we approved theCRC, our industry has become one of themost well-respected and honored indus-tries in the state. We have sought andmaintained a position on the cutting edgeof the issues. Our AB 2622 legislation isbreaking new ground that other commodi-ties have yet to address. We are renownedfor our environmental stewardship and weare the only commodity in California tosecure an ag discharge waiver.

We could not have accomplished these tre-mendous gains through individual action.By working together with an excellent staffof dedicated professionals, we have builtan organization that supports our needs sowe can remain focused on production.

United behind the CRC our industry has asingle, strong voice to communicate ourneeds with local, state and national leaders.We are able to maximize the time we spendmaking decisions about how we farm.

Frank RehermannChair, California Rice Commission

Continuing our Leadership in Shorebird Conservation

3

Dodging Governor Schwarzenegger’s ballot initiatives is not the onlything the legislature is up to these days.As usual, there is a lot more going on inthe Capitol. And, as usual, not all of itis good!

Of greatest importance to the rice in-dustry are a number of bills that seek toaddress “problems” raised in the wakeof the record setting Hilmar Cheesefines from the Central Valley RegionalBoard last year.

Water QualityAuthored by Senator Sheila Kuehl (D-Los Angeles), SB 820 is of the greatestconcern to agriculture. This compre-hensive bill seeks to make dischargewaivers much harder for the regionalboards to issue. At risk is the currentconditional waiver covering agricul-ture. In its absence, we would be forcedto comply with discharge permits ei-ther as an industry or as individualfarms.

A bill by Senator Alan Lowenthal (D-Long Beach) would increase the author-ity of the regional board and assign in-dividual legal responsibility for dis-charges in violation of standards. SB 729would also require the state to developa database for potential violations.

PesticidesAssemblyman Doug LaMalfa (R-Richvale) has proposed a bill (AB 1730)that seeks to streamline the registrationprocess for pesticides in California. Thepositive impact of AB 1730 will bequicker access to generic materials. Thechallenge will be balancing the need toprotect the data primary registrantsgenerate to support water quality driftissues for commodities such as riceand others. We are hopeful that the De-partment of Pesticide Regulation, thebill’s sponsor, will continue to work hardfor a win for growers, generic manufac-turers and the primary registrants.

West Nile VirusThe CRC has partnered with the Cali-fornia Waterfowl Association, DucksUnlimited and the Mosquito and VectorControl Association of California to se-cure state and federal West Nile Virus(WNV) funding.

At the state level, the groups have beenworking together to establish the WestNile Virus Control Fund, which willprovide additional funding to expandvector control districts’ resources tofight mosquito populations and lowerthe risk of human infections. In hisMay budget revision, the governor in-cluded an additional $12 million for thefund, citing a severe increase in WNVactivity anticipated throughout Califor-nia this year.

Tying in to the WNV Control Fund,work continues with Senator DianneFeinstein (D-Calif.) and CongressmanJohn Doolittle (R-Calif.) to secure $8million in federal funding to augmentmosquito treatments on ricelands andwetlands. All told, we are workinghard to secure $20 million that will godirectly to providing additional groundtreatments for mosquitoes in those ar-eas hardest hit by the WNV.

Preparing for WTO in Hong KongRequires Continued Vigilance

The U.S. rice industry must be vigi-lant in its approach to the World

Trade Organization meeting in HongKong at the end of this year. We arelooking for a robust market accesspackage to more than offset cuts intrade-distorting domestic support.

With about half of U.S. rice productionexported each year, the United States iscurrently the third largest world ex-porter of rice in a thin global market.Import duties are minimal — less than$1 per cwt. — and the United Statesdoes not restrict imports.

However, WTO restrictions on domesticsupport programs threaten the eco-nomic viability of U.S. rice farming. Inorder to achieve market access and cre-ate a viable farm safety net:

• Rice and U.S. agriculture need a hugemarket access package.

• The largest tariffs must be cut themost, and the cuts must be real.

• Compliance with the terms of anyagreement must be addressed.

• We must preserve the benefits of theexisting safety net currently providedby the marketing loan/loan deficiencypayments program, direct payments,and counter cyclical payments.

• Finally, U.S. rice producers must havethe protection of a peace clause forfarm programs to prohibit challengesto domestic and export agricultureprice supports during the agreement’simplementation period.

Some key examples of how inadequatemarket access constrains flexibility ondomestic supports include the ex-tended expense defending against falsedumping charges by Mexico. Lack ofmeaningful market access in Japancheapens the benefit of previous WTOdeals. Complex protectionist dutiesrestrict access to a key but tenuousmarket segment in the EuropeanUnion. Finally, in Latin America, sani-tary and phytosanitary barriers anddiscrimination against milled rice arerampant.

By Bob CummingsUSA Rice Federation VP for International Policy

Water Quality, Pesticides and West Nile Virus2005 Legislative Session

4

Sushi Masters Event Planned for Fall 2005

The Domestic Marketing and Promo-tion Committee is developing a

Sushi Event that will be held in Sacra-mento on September 21. The event willhighlight the California rice industry’sdedication to providing a high qualityfood used in international cuisines andwill underscore other critical aspects ofthe rice industry.

“Sushi and rice have deep roots in Cali-fornia history and have influencedAmerican cuisine,” observed LauraMurphy of the CRC. “The goal of theevent is to increase awareness amongcommunity leaders and the foodserviceindustry of the versatility of Californiarice and increase exposure of California’srice in regional cuisine.”

Although the program is still in the plan-ning phase, the event will predomi-nantly feature the statewide sushi com-petition and rice cuisine. It will alsostrongly communicate the importance ofrice to California’s environment, signifi-cance to the economy and supportingrole in the state’s rich diversity.

Currently working under the event title“Sushi Masters,” the event will highlightthe history of sushi in the United States,specifically its introduction and evolu-tion within cultural cuisine. In addition,the event will honor the original Japa-nese sushi chefs and key figures whofirst brought sushi to the United States –leading to its popularity in mainstreamcuisine. Also proposed for recognitionare the high profile chefs who first intro-duced Asian flavors into their menus,including Rocky Aoki, founder of thefirst Japanese restaurant chain,

Benihana, Michael McCarty(MICHAEL’S), Mark Peel (Campanile),Wolfgang Puck (Spago, et al), and RoyYamaguchi (Roy’s).

The CRC is working with key food dis-tributors, manufacturers, and millermembers to identify potential partnersand future sponsors for this event.

The ultimate goal is to increase aware-ness of the industry and create a sense ofplace for rice in Sacramento, much likethe Napa Valley is to wine. While pro-moting the superiority of California riceand other branded messages, the compe-tition will create an excitement and“buzz” about the cuisine.

The 2005 event will feature a statewidecompetition and will accommodate 100-150 invited guests. The CRC is working

Rice Pesticides Program

weather pattern and encouraging com-munications on flooding, emergency re-leases and possible illegal releases. TheCRC Storm Event Work Group has aCommunications Plan to trigger emer-gency storm event monitoring. Althoughwe might not prevent an exceedance ofour herbicide performance goals, we can

present the Regional Water Board with areason for the violation.

Current monitoring results from the Cityof Sacramento, City of West Sacramentoand Valent USA are below the detectionlimit for thiobencarb and Ordram (moli-nate). One new monitoring location hasbeen added at the Freeport Bridge,

Continued from front page downriver from the City of Sacramentointake. The East Bay Municipal Utility District(EBMUD) is building an intake at Freeport,so sharing of monitoring results will ex-tend to our new program stakeholder.

Please contact your local CAC aboutinformation on the RPP and emergencyrelease provisions. You may also con-tact Roberta Firoved of the CRC at(916) 929-2264.

with a downtown location to host theevening event. Additional dates and de-tails will be available in the next “News YouCan Use.” For more information, pleasecontact Laura Murphy at (916) 929-2264 orlmurphy@calrice.org.

5

The CRC participated in a number of environmental events this spring, continuing to build upon its strongpartnerships within the conservation community. In recent years, the rice industry has come to be regarded as thepremiere “conservation crop” in California, adding yet another dimension to the versatile impacts of the industry.

Spring Events Strengthen Tieswith the Conservation Community

The CRC was invited by the acting State Conserva-tionist, Ed Burton, to join NRCS and several other con-

servation organizations in welcoming Mark Rey, USDAUndersecretary for Natural Resources and Environment, tothe Barrios Ranch. The ranch is the site of a NRCS wetlandproject in the heart of rice country. The event provided anopportunity to discuss the importance of ricelands habitat inSacramento Valley directly with the undersecretary whospends most of his time setting national policies in Washing-ton. We appreciate the opportunity to participate in this im-portant field visit by the undersecretary.

The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service invited the CRC toparticipate in the 2005 Junior Duck Stamp Competition. The Great Valley Center has programs designed to

prepare future public policy leaders for careers in theCentral Valley. In April, the CRC hosted the 2004-05 Fel-lowship Class on a tour featuring the wildlife benefitsfrom the use of water for rice production. Leo LaGrandeand Bruce Rolen talked with the students about managingwater in the California rice industry and the responsible

USDA Undersecretary Mark ReyVisits Barrios Ranch

CRC Participates in 2005 JuniorDuck Stamp Competition

Great Valley Center FellowsRiceland Wildlife Tour

Continued on back page

Continued on back page

Senator Dennis Hollingsworth was one of the invited judges atthe 2005 Junior Duck Stamp Competition.

USDA Undersecretary Mark Rey and the CRC’s EnvironmentalAffairs Manager Paul Buttner at the Barrios Ranch.

6

California Rice HostsWestern Farm Press

Veteran ag reporter Harry Cline traveled to the Sacramento Valley to meet with rice growers and industry partners in lateMarch. Western Farm Press is developing a series of supplementalissues focusing on wildlife, habitat and agricultural management.Cline toured the Yolo Basin Wildlife Area and the farms of MikeDeWit and Steve Butler, primarily discussing the relationship be-tween the rice industry and wetland habitat management for usein future articles. The first article appeared in the May 5 issue, andis available online at westernfarmpress.com.

CRC Assessments and Forfeitures

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While the CRC is making no predic-tions as to whether any rice may

be forfeited this year, the Executive Com-mittee is providing all handlers andgrowers with critical information regard-ing assessments due on forfeited rice.

The following is an excerpt from the CRCstatute regarding forfeitures. In summary,the handler must pay both the handlerand grower dues if the rice forfeited isunder contract. If the producer forfeits

the rice, they are responsible for the han-dler and grower dues. Please note thehundredweight qualifications for the han-dler portion of the dues.

Food and Agricultural Code, Section71126:

“If rice is forfeited under loan from theCommodity Credit Corporation, the han-dler shall pay both the producer and han-dler assessments if the rice is contractedto the handler. If the handler’s total vol-

ume for the marketing season is less than100,000 hundredweight, only the pro-ducer assessment shall apply. If the riceforfeited under loan to the CommodityCredit Corporation is not contracted to ahandler, the producer shall pay both thehandler and producer assessments. If thehandler’s total volume handled by theproducer during the marketing season isless than 100,000 hundredweight, only theproducer assessment shall apply.”

7

Monitoring for Rice Ag Waiveris Underway

Monitoring Update

Monitoring for the rice ag waiverbegan on April 26 at the start of our

irrigation season. The rice ag waiver willuse the four drain sites from the Rice Pes-ticides Program, adding a fifth site atJack’s Slough.

Current monitoring results look good,with the exception of algae reductions,which continue to be a consistent prob-lem with all coalition groups. The CRCrequested a toxicity identification evalua-tion (TIE), which concluded that toxicitywas consistent with a pesticide; an analy-sis resulted in non-detect for 130 chemi-cals screened.

Ag Waiver FeesThe coalition groups are charging feesto cover ag waiver monitoring costs.The total monitoring cost is estimatedat $75,000 to $90,000 per year, and will

David Guy (NCWA) and Tim Johnson (CRC) played key roles in the NCWA tour for StateWater Board Members Gerald Secundy (second from left) and Art Baggett (far right).

CRC ReleasesBMP Brochure toState Growers

be paid by the CRC.

In addition, the state legislature hasamended Section 13269 of the CaliforniaWater Code to add several new authori-ties to the State and Regional WaterBoards. One amendment provides thestate authority to recover the cost of estab-lishing and implementing the waiver pro-gram. The CRC is working collaborativelywith the Sacramento Valley Water QualityCoalition (SVWQC) and the county agri-cultural commissioners (CACs) on a pilotproposal to help CACs recoup expensesto the Regional Water Board.

The state’s current fee proposals rangefrom $0.12 per acre plus $100 per coali-tion group to $0.20 per acre plus $100 pergrower. The CRC and SVWQC proposalof $0.105 per acre plus $100 per coalitionincludes industry fees and a partnershipwith the CACs.

Rice WorkshopContinued from page 1

workshop and will continue to host theevent every other year starting in 2006.

“The workshops attract over one hundredgrowers, millers, and marketers,” com-mented Keith Hargrove, Chair of the Re-search and Technology Committee.

“There is still a high level of interest inthe program, but we found that it makesbetter sense to allow more time betweenworkshops.”

The 2004 workshop featured a range oftopics, including planting and production,machine harvesting, fissuring, principles ofdrying, psychrometry lab and exercises,and alternative pest control techniques.

UC Cooperative Extension is currentlyworking on the Rice Quality WorkshopGuide for 2006, to serve as a tool to main-tain the high quality of California rice thatour customers expect.

Materials from previous workshops areavailable online at:www.agronomy.ucdavis.edu/uccerice/main.htm.

At its March meet-ing, board mem-

bers approved a set ofrecommended bestmanagement practices(BMPs) to address therice industry’s mosquitocontrol objectives in pre-paring for West NileVirus (WNV) in North-ern California. Bro-chures have beenmailed to all the grow-ers in the state and arebeing shared with partner organizations.

Adopting the BMPs is one aspect of theCRC’s involvement in creating awarenessabout WNV. “It’s important for growers tounderstand that in the case of a seriousoutbreak this summer, vector control offi-cials can and will treat rice fields,” re-marked Industry Affairs Committee Chair-man Keith Davis. “While there are count-less breeding sources, growers can mini-mize mosquito production in their ricefields by using BMPs and coordinatingdirectly with local vector control offices.”

Developed in consultation with the Mos-quito and Vector Control Association ofCalifornia and the UC Cooperative Exten-sion, the brochure outlines recommendedpractices, as well as communication activi-ties to help growers and vector control dis-tricts work together.

The CRC is sharing the brochure with localvector control districts and working withthem to help growers receive maximumcredit for implementing BMPs.

For additional copies of the brochure, go towww.calrice.org to download and print orcall the CRC office at (916) 929-2264.

Stamp Competition

Wildlife Tour

Spring Events Continued from page 5

CALIFORNIARICE COMMISSION

Phone 916-929-2264 • Fax 916-929-2553E-mail calrice@calrice.org

www.calrice.org701 University Ave., Suite 205Sacramento, CA 95825-6757

Executive Committee:

Frank Rehermann, ChairBrian Reines, Vice ChairDon Bransford, Secretary

Michael Sandrock, TreasurerMichael Boeger • Keith DavisGrant Lundberg • Kent Wiley

CRC Staff:

Tim Johnson, President – CEOPaul Buttner, Environmental Affairs Manager

Julie Cader, Finance & Administration ManagerPat Coppin, Executive Secretary

Roberta Firoved, Industry Affairs ManagerElizabeth Horan, Communications Manager

Amanda King, Administrative AssistantLaura Quinones-Murphy,

Domestic & International Promotion Manager

PresortedStandard

U.S. PostagePAID

Sacramento, CAPermit No. 1704

“While this is an art competition, the students that participate also learn important les-sons in science and habitat,” commented Paul Buttner of the CRC. “Looking at the accu-racy of the drawings, you realize that the students have studied waterfowl for this com-petition.”

Buttner joined Senator Dennis Hollingsworth (R-El Cajon) and other distinguished guestsin this great opportunity to connect with leaders in the waterfowl conservation arena.The statewide winner will go on to the national competition where the winning entrywill be printed as a stamp and sold to raise money for conservation education programs.

operations of our regionalwater districts. This was agreat opportunity to educatethese young leaders on theeconomic and environ-mental benefits of Califor-nia rice production.

235 wildlife species supported by ricefields in the Sacramento Valley. Thebillboard is part of an ongoing effort toraise awareness of the industry’s sig-nificant benefits to the environmentand the economy, as well as diversityand cuisine.

The report was released in April 2005to regulators, lawmakers and opinionleaders involved with the Californiarice industry. To obtain a copy of thereport or its Key Findings, please callPat Coppin at (916) 929-2264.

BillboardContinued from cover