The U.S. Department of Agriculture plans to purchase $21 million in long-grain rice for distribution through domestic food assistance and nutrition programs, creating an additional federally funded market for an important Arkansas crop.
The rice purchase is part of a broader $472.5 million commitment to buy American-grown and raised agricultural commodities. The USDA said the purchases will support producers facing difficult market conditions while supplying food banks, food pantries and other organizations serving households with low incomes.
The rice procurement follows advocacy from USA Rice, Feeding America and regional organizations that included the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance, Arkansas Rice, the Food Bank of Northeast Arkansas, Feeding Missouri and the Missouri Rice Council. The groups sought federal purchases to strengthen domestic rice supplies used in food assistance programs and to provide another market for U.S. growers.
“The commitment would support the domestic rice market while providing a nutritious, versatile and shelf-stable staple for Americans receiving federal nutrition assistance.”
Peter Bachmann, president and chief executive officer of USA Rice, said the purchase would serve both agricultural producers and people receiving food assistance.
How the purchases will be used
The USDA will make the purchases under Section 32 of the Agriculture Act of 1935, a program that allows the department to buy agricultural commodities to support markets. The food will enter the USDA’s domestic nutrition assistance network, including The Emergency Food Assistance Program, known as TEFAP.
TEFAP supplies food to food banks, food pantries and other charitable organizations that serve low-income households. The procurement connects agricultural production with the charitable food system, allowing federally purchased commodities to be distributed through organizations serving communities facing hunger.
- $21 million is designated for long-grain rice.
- The full procurement package totals $472.5 million.
- Other purchases include dairy, pork, chicken, lentils, split peas, almonds, chickpeas, dried fruit, citrus, nuts, catfish and Pacific whiting.
The wider package includes $165.5 million in dairy products, $41 million in pork, $20 million in chicken, $29 million in lentils, $37 million in split peas and $30 million in almonds. The USDA also listed purchases of chickpeas, dried fruit, raisins, grapefruit, oranges, hazelnuts, catfish and Pacific whiting.
The department said the commodity purchases are intended to help stabilize agricultural markets, support producers during challenging conditions and sustain employment in rural supply chains. The rice portion gives Arkansas-linked agricultural and hunger-relief organizations a role in a national procurement effort while directing the food to domestic nutrition programs.
