Missouri Rice Project (Business Infeasible)
The Puerto Rico Rice Project was funded through the Federal State Market Improvement Program with the Agriculture Marketing Service. The purpose of this project was to study the potential of establishing markets for Missouri-grown medium grain rice in Puerto Rico. Several efforts were initiated, including: (a) a Commonwealth-wide consumer panel, which compared Missouri medium grain rice to other rice in a blind taste test (b) discussion between farmers and millers about establishing Puerto Rican markets and (c) determining a transportation infrastructure between Southeast Missouri and Puerto Rico for rice shipping. A group of farmers was formed to develop a business enterprise specifically to sell Missouri rice in Puerto Rico. A USDA-Value Added Producers Grant was obtained for funding to develop this venture. The grant financed a marketing study within Puerto Rico, the business plan for the start-up and a prospectus. The market had the potential to facilitate an additional 20,000 acres of medium grain rice production in Southeast Missouri. The project changed directions after hurricane Katrina caused rice shipments to Puerto Rico to cease. The project directed toward assessing the feasibility of building a farmer-owned rice mill in Southeast Missouri and developing a business plan for it. The result of the project was that a farmer-owned rice mill was not a feasible option, so the members of the Missouri Branded Rice Organization elected not to develop the enterprise. Van Ayers led this project.
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Project Resources
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