Abstract

The main objective of this study is to develop a three-year hybrid rice seed sales strategy for the Southwest Louisiana rice market. Global and domestic context for this region is established through a brief look at the history of the United States rice industry in general and its position in world trade dynamics. A holistic analysis of the development and challenges of the United States rice market is then conducted by exploring literature, data and statistics from a variety of public sources, which consist of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), university publications and published articles over the rice industry. The type of information included consists of the influence of both the human elements of consumption and trade to natural factors outside our control such as weather patterns and disasters, including the anticipated impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Throughout the analysis, a broad look at characteristics of the overall United States rice market are narrowed specifically toward the hybrid rice seed market of the Gulf Coast. The observations made during this analysis, supplemented with specific field data gathered from personal experience and actual rice producers in Southern Louisiana, will inspire ideas that will influence the proposed sales strategy put forth in the final sections.