[NVDave]

I’ve never taken a dime from the government for anything in ag.

Rice producers are, in fact, the biggest takers of US government ag largess, so you have that right.

I, however, have never taken a dime from the government for anything in ag. And I don’t grow rice.

[SAJ]

''Rice bowl'' is the term used, uniformly, in the futures industry to describe gummint handouts of any type. It has nothing to do with growing rice, and the term has for some time been appropriated by assorted ''journalists''.

Regarding rice, this year: it is extremely likely that rice crop ''rice bowls'' will be at or near an all-time low. India has banned the export of rice, and Thailand is dancing nervously around the subject. More days than not, one can not get a firm export price for Asian-port rice. The US has the bulk of the swing rough crop. Rice might well be to 2008 what wheat was to 2007.