CALIFORNIA
Field Crops A SPECIAL GROWERS’ REPORT OF AG ALERT ®
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Organic rice farmers seek research to boost output By Robyn Rominger Organic rice grows at this Sacramento Valley field near the Sutter Buttes. Farmers who attended a University of California Cooperative Extension field day expressed interest in more organic research to increase yields and tackle challenges such as weeds.The state’s organic rice production increased from 14,072 in 2019 to 17,290 acres in 2021.
of California Cooperative Extension meeting on organic rice production. The event was sponsored by the UC Organic Agriculture Institute. He was one of several organic rice growers looking to boost yields while managing weeds and other challenges. “There are now a few thousand acres of organic rice, so it’s becoming more important, and it would be helpful to have more research into fertility and weed control, and all the things that we’re working on,” Sills said. Luis Espino, rice farming systems advisor and UCCE director in Butte County, mod- erated the gathering. He endorsed the need for continued research and support to build the organic rice sector. Espino is working on a project led by the University of Arkansas to determine the challenges and opportunities of growing organic rice. “Organic rice is a good alternative or supplement for growers,” Espino said, adding,
When Ed Sills of Pleasant Grove Farms in Sutter County started growing organic rice in the 1980s, this system of farming was just a tiny niche for California rice growers.
“At the time, because it was such a small market, I think the re- search and the techniques were not considered that important,” Sills recalled. Since then, consumer demand for organic rice has steadily in-
creased in the U.S., and farmers are planting more acres. In recent years, the amount of certified organic rice harvested in California has risen from 14,072 acres in 2019 to 17,290 in 2021. Now California organic rice growers face increasing competition from foreign imports. To help maximize production, they’re looking for more support from uni- versity researchers. With this goal in mind, Sills turned out in Yuba City last month to attend a University
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August 23, 2023 Ag Alert 7
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