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Ike Hammers Southeast Texas Rice Industry
By Dwight Roberts
Houston, Texas (September 17,2008) –
Like elsewhere in the region, Hurricane Ike did not spare the southeast
Texas rice industry,and it has caused major damage to research facilities,
storage facilities, dryers, mills and much of the unharvested rice in the
area.
Ray Stoesser, president of the Texas Rice Council and member of the US
Rice Producers Association board of directors, toured the region yesterday
with USRPA staff members, Dwight Roberts and Thomas Wynn.
“The damage is incalculable to this area’s rice farmers, their families and
the industry as a whole,” said Stoesser. “I have not
met or heard of anyone who did not catch Ike’s fury. The recovery will take
a long time and some areas will never be the same.”
According to Garry McCauley, Texas Extension Service agronomist, the Texas
Agriculture Experiment Station at Beaumont
received heavy damage to roofs and barns while the grain bins collapsed and
the center’s greenhouses and a number of vehicles
were struck with debris. “There won’t be any communications or power at the
center for some time,” said McCauley.
Dwight Roberts, president & CEO of USRPA, noted that the timing could
not be worse. “With a positive outlook in the marketplace we have many
farmers who will not be able to take advantage of the higher prices we
expect in the upcoming months. Victims of Hurricanes Ike and Gustav are
going to need help from both the state and federal governments if the rice
industry is going to survive in this area of Texas.”
Congressman Ted Poe (R-Texas 2nd District) toured the region yesterday with
President Bush and other
Congressional members in an effort to gain a better understanding of the
devastation.
"I want our rice farmers to know that I will work tirelessly to
make sure they have the funding they need to recover from Hurricane Ike. I
have toured the area with President Bush and Secretary Chertoff and have
stressed upon them the gravity of oursituation in Southeast Texas and the
importance of the federal government's full support in our recovery
efforts,"
said Poe.
Salt water flood damage, flattened crop, lost barns and equipment sheds,
lost grain bins, damaged dryers and stored rice are just a few of the
problems. USRPA will be working through the various channels to seek relief
for
those affected in Texas and other states by these hurricanes, which have
caused tremendous crop damage throughout the gulf coast and Mississippi
delta.
 USRPA
and Congressman Poe’s office are working together to assess the economic
loss of the region. USRPA will continue to contact individual rice farmers
and related businesses to help assess losses and report specifics on
the situation in an effort to provide disaster relief.
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