The star-progress. (Opelousas, La.) 1917-1921, 1920-12-22
RICE MARKET In
CHAOTIC SHAPE,
SAYS AN EXPERT
No Demand Whatever For
Greatest Yield Of
Crop Ever Grown
WAREHOUSES; BULGE,
WITH GREAT HOLDINGS
Many Farmers Milling On
Small Scale and Peddling
to Consumer

The rice districts of Louisiana, Tex
and Arkansas this year produced the
largest crop on record. One year ago
prices ranged from ten and twelve to
fifteen dollars per barrel and pro-
ducers waxed fat on the net profits
of their land and labor. This year
they started out with enthusiasm, ex-
pecting to produce a bumper crop and
sell it for high figures again. They
produced the crop, but when it came
down to marketing it, then they had
another think a-coming, in the verna-
cular Of the streets.
From High to Low
From a highly-sought article of
food a year ago, and that, tooy at
high prices, rice has dropped into
nothing-it can't be sold at any fig
ure near meeting the cost of produc-
ton, and no one. seems at all inter-
ested in using it as a staple article
Of daily diet. This is the condition
of the market today, and as a result
producers all over the rice belt of
three states are wondering how they
will dispose of their holdings and set
tie their Indebtedness. Many state
they would be satisfied if they sold
and broke even. Others see nothing
but loss ahead and would be glad
unload and settle up even though
there would be a surplus of debts re-
naming.
Warehouses BuIging
This is about the gist of the opinion
of man who knows the rice industry
from end to end. He says the hun
dreds of warehouses located all
through the rice belt are loaded to the
breaking point and the mills are not
buying and very few are running at
all Some mills that did operate for
time have closed down, discharged
their employees and retired from the
market. A brief time ago, when the
question of disposing of the rice crop
was very much in the eye of the pub
lie, it was given out that the rice
growers association had secured, con-
Srol by lease of about ninety per cent
of the mills This statement put
some pep" into the producers, for
they thought the problem had been
solved and the farmers would be able
to unload at some price and thus save
themselves from financial ruin.
If any change in conditions has
been brought about by this control of
the mills by the association, it has
not been apparent and the crop still
remains unsold and an absolute drug
on the market The dreams built up
by the control Of the mills has ex-
ploded and at the present time If
there is any organized effort to dis
pose of the rice on hand it is not
known to the general public.
Milling and PeddIing
Numerous producers, in order to
realize to some extent on their rice,
are milling it at small plants in a
small way and peddling it direct to
consumers at prices ranging from five
cents for best grades down to less
than four cents per pound. The de-
mand of course is small and no great
amount of the crop can be disposed
Of in that manner. The disposal of
the entire crop in the regular method
is problem which will have to be
solved in the future, and that future
must not be too far off, If the indus
! try is to be saved in this and other
states from absolute ruin. "You can
lead a horse to water, but you can't
make him drink" so the old proverb
has it and with a slight paraphrasing
it would fit the rice industry today.
If the consumer won't consume the
Erice, then what is the farmer and the
miller going TO do about it? That is
the burning question throughout the
rice section today.