U.S. rough rice stocks in all positions totaled 104 million hundredweight (cwt) on March 1, 2026, up 3% from the same date last year, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service Rice Stocks report released today.
Stocks held on farms accounted for 20.9 million cwt, while off-farm stocks totaled 83.1 million cwt. Long grain varieties made up 67% of the total rough rice stocks, medium grain accounted for 32%, and short grain varieties represented 1%.
Milled rice stocks showed a more significant increase, rising 23% from a year ago to 7.71 million cwt. This total includes 5.06 million cwt of whole kernel rice and 2.66 million cwt of second heads, screenings, and brewers rice.
State-level rough rice stocks showed Arkansas holding 20.9 million cwt, California 5.7 million cwt, Louisiana 8.3 million cwt, Mississippi 3.3 million cwt, and Missouri 4.5 million cwt. Texas stocks were reported at 2.8 million cwt.
The report is based on surveys conducted during the first two weeks of March, covering on-farm storage through a probability sampling of producers and off-farm storage through a census of commercial facilities.
These estimates provide critical insight into rice supply and storage trends as the 2026 planting season approaches. The balance sheet approach was used to ensure consistency with production, exports, and milling data.
