U.S. Rice mills shipped nearly 12 billion pounds of rice to domestic and international markets from August 2010 to July 2011 — an eight percent increase over the 2009-2010 figure, according to the annual USA Rice Federation U.S. Rice Domestic Usage Report, which tracks shipments and consumption of U.S. milled rice.  Additionally, rice imports declined for a third consecutive year, down four percent to 1.3 billion pounds in 2010/2011 compared with 2009-2010.  Exports increased two percent while domestic shipments increased 12 percent.

Additional highlights from the report include:

• Sixty-one percent of total shipments went to the domestic market and 39 percent were exported.
• Of rice shipments to U.S. segments, 61 percent went to direct food use and 39 percent went to food processors. Twenty-eight percent of direct food use went to retail grocery, 25 percent went to ethnic distributors, 18 percent to repackers, and 17 percent for foodservice.
• Eighty-six percent of the rice consumed in the U.S. is domestically grown, and 14 percent is imported.

Tags: rice mills, rice shipments