Area rice harvest underway

This is an exceptionally busy time in the fields around Butte County, as farmers bring in crops they have spent months nurturing.  Harvesters are busy in area rice fields, bringing in grain in what has been an eventful year for growers.

“I’m pretty optimistic at this time, and so far the crop looks great,” said Josh Sheppard, a fourth-generation family farmer in Biggs. “We always want to make sure it’s in the bin before we get too optimistic.”

Rice is one of Butte County’s top crops. In 2007, it spanned more than 100,000 acres in the county, with a crop value of nearly $130 million, ranking a close second to almonds in total value.

Rice markets have been strong since spring, when tight world supplies and export bans by several countries pushed markets upward.

Growers said they hope strong rice prices will remain, to help offset soaring production costs.

“Costs are pretty daunting,” said farmer Ken Collins of Biggs, who has grown rice for nearly 30 years. “I may be paying about $150 more per acre to produce this year’s crop. Just about every input is up, because of what’s happening with natural gas and energy.”

Even though signs are relatively favorable so far this season, farmers said they have concerns about the state’s drought and the impact it may have on future water supplies.

The contentious issue of water supplies has prompted a public education campaign by the Sacramento-based California Rice Commission, which represents the state’s rice farmers and handlers. The “Little water, Big results” campaign included a full-page advertisement in the Sacramento Bee and information on water efficiency in rice that was hand delivered to every member of the California Senate and Assembly.

The commission plans future campaigns, to communicate important messages about the rice industry to urban leaders.  The next effort will deal with how an adequate water supply to rice fields and adjacent wetlands helps them provide habitat for millions of birds and other species of wildlife.  

“If you don’t get the information in front of Legislators and other decision makers, you’d be surprised about the people who don’t know about this issue,” Collins said. “There are a lot of benefits that go with farming, including to ducks, fish and shorebirds just to name a few and I’m thankful the Rice Commission is working this issue on our behalf. In fact, I don’t think we could be proactive enough on this matter.”

“Having our message delivered to key policy makers has to rank at the top of the list,” Sheppard said. “It’s so important for more people to realize that we use water efficiently and that it provides benefits to the economy, diversity, cuisine and environment.”

Sheppard said water is judiciously used in his fields; as laser leveling, monitoring equipment and a tailwater recovery system help ensure he is careful with the precious resource.

“We use quite a bit less water than the average urban lawn on a per square foot basis,” he said. “It’s amazing what we’re able to do with a relatively little amount of water.”

California is the nation’s second largest rice producing state, and this year’s crop spans more than 500,000 acres. More than 95 percent of the crop is grown in the Sacramento Valley.