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THE RICE MILLERS' ASSOCIATION RECORDS

Organizational records, correspondence, and publications, 1914-1993
Manuscript Collection MC 1161
Information about the Rice Millers' Association
Information about the Collection
Contents of Collection (109 containers)
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THE RICE MILLERS' ASSOCIATION (RMA)

The Rice Millers' Association (RMA) is a private, non-profit, national trade association of the United States' rice milling industry. Organized in 1899, the RMA is one of the oldest agricultural organizations in the United States. Membership is composed of independently-owned rice milling companies and farmer-owned cooperative rice mills in Arkansas, California, Florida, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Texas. RMA members process 99 percent of the rice produced in the United States, market practically all of the rice sold domestically, and have become increasingly involved in selling rice directly to foreign buyers. The RMA is not affiliated with any U.S. government agency.

Primary functions of the RMA are to observe, interpret, and promote activities that advance the interests of the U.S. rice milling industry. The Association works in the following specific areas: a) Collection, compilation, analysis, and distribution of economic and statistical information related to all phases of the rice industry, both in the United States and abroad; b) promote friendly relations and act as a liaison between the rice industry and the Congress, departments of U.S. government, foreign governments, and other sectors of the rice trade; c) stimulate and promote research that will benefit production, storage, handling, processing, utilization, and marketing of rice; d) arbitrate disputes between members and customers; e) assist in the establishment of quality standards, and many other activities which advance the interests of the industry.

THE COLLECTION

The Rice Millers' Association donated their records to Special Collections Division in 1994.

This collection contains the RMA organizational records from 1952 to 1991; administrative files from 1930-1987 which comprise minutes of RMA Board of Directors and executive committee meetings, extensive correspondence between the RMA, its members, numerous business associates, agencies, commissions, corporations, government dignitaries and administrators, and United States foreign officials; reports on RMA's survey trips to foreign rice markets; statistical records of rice acreage and production in the United States and abroad, rice exports and imports; documents on rice commodity and its utilization; legal documents from 1929 to 1985; RMA publications; rice recipe cook books and promotional pamphlets; and newspaper and magazine clippings.

Processed by Vera Ekechukwu, May 1994. Special Collections Division, University of Arkansas Libraries, Fayetteville, Arkansas.

Series 1. Organizational Records, 1952- 1991. Boxes 1-36.

Most of the records in this series were originally arranged chronologically and by the subject in two inch thick binders which have been replaced by manila folders in their original order. These records were distributed in multiple copies to the RMA members who maintained a uniform filing system. The records in the time period of 1956 to 1969 are arranged chronologically but have no subject headings. Contained are: bulletins with information about rice market, sales by members of Rice Millers' Association (RMA), sales by non-members; reports mostly from San Juan, Puerto Rico and Havana, Cuba; monthly statistical statements of receipts, shipments, and stocks of Southern States rice mills; notices of contract awards; rice acreage data and rice survey reports; Washington reports; PL-480 summary reports, RMA organization charts; minutes of meetings; RMA newsletters; addresses, speeches, resolutions, and research trip reports; RMA financial statements; and other documents. Records dating from 1969 to 1986 and 1990-1991 are arranged chronologically and subdivided by subject. Most of the files contain similar information as mentioned above and also new types of records. These include weather report updates; detailed reports on export rice sales; foreign rice reports gleaned from the U.S. Agricultural Attaches accounts; reports on USDA rice supply and demand estimates; weekly milling reports; CCC and stock reports; Federal Register, USDA, and Department of Commerce Notes; correspondence to and from the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives; legislative developments; publications and newspaper clippings.
Box 1. 1952-1953
Box 2
Box 3
Box 4
Box 5
Box 6
Box 7
Box 8. 1969-1970
Box 9. 1970-1971
Box 10. 1971-1972
Box 11. 1972-1973
Box 12. 1973-1974
Box 13. 1974-1975
Box 14. 1975-1976
Box 15. 1976-1977
Box 16. 1976-1977
Box 17. 1977-1978
Box 18. 1977-1978
Box 19. 1978-1979
Box 20. 1978-1979
Box 21. 1979-1980 Narrative Reports
Box 22. 1979-1980 Domestic Statistics
Box 23. 1979-1980
Box 24. 1980-1981 Narrative Reports
Box 25. 1980-1981 Domestic Statistics
Box 26. 1981-1982 Narrative Reports
Box 27. 1981-1982 Domestic Statistics
Box 28. 1982-1983 Narrative Reports
Box 29. 1982-1983 Export Statistics
Box 30. 1983-1984 Narrative Reports
Box 31. 1983-1984 Domestic Statistics
Box 32. 1984-1985 Narrative Reports
Box 33. 1984-1985 Export Statistics
Box 34. 1985-1986 Narrative Reports
Box 35. 1985-1986 Export Statistics
Box 36. 1990-1991 Narrative Reports
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Series 2. Administrative Files, 1930- 1987. Boxes 37-64

This series contains the RMA's minutes of the meetings; RMA business correspondence; and reports on RMA's overseas survey trips.
Subseries 1. RMA Committees
Subseries comprises notices and minutes of meetings of the RMA members, Board of Directors, and various RMA executive and special task committees.
Box 37
Box 38
Box 39
Box 40
Subseries 2. Correspondence, 1930- 1983.
Documents in this subseries are arranged alphabetically and chronologically by year and more or less by month within each year. Subseries contains correspondence with RMA members located in seven states as well as with the associate members which include major U.S. rice exporters, bag manufacturers, food companies, brokers, ports, and other individuals and establishments engaged in businesses actively related to rice; correspondence of Rice Council, an association of rice producers aiming at rice promotion and market development in the United States and abroad; correspondence of the Rice Export Corporation organized within the membership of Rice Millers' Association in 1929 with the purpose of helping to negotiate all export sales for member firms; correspondence of Rice Export Association organized in 1937 to assist in developing Cuba as an export market for U.S. rice; correspondence of Texas Rice Export Association.
Box 41
Box 42
Box 43
Box 44
Box 45
Box 46
Box 47
Box 48
Box 49
Box 50
Box 51
Box 52
Box 53
Box 54
Box 55
Box 56
Box 57
Box 58
Box 59
Subseries 3. RMA Survey Trips, 1971- 1983.
This subseries contains records of RMA overseas survey trips.
Box 60
Box 61
Box 62
Box 63
Box 64
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Series 3. Statistical Records, 1949- 1987. Boxes 65-69

This series contains reports of rice exports and imports, as well as imports of rice flour, meal, and other by-products; statistical statements indicating receipts and stock of rice; and foreign rice statistics about the acreage, production, yields, exports, imports, and available supplies of rice abroad.
Box 65
Box 66
Box 67
Box 68
Box 69
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Series 4. Topical Files. Boxes 70- 101

This series contains alphabetically arranged files with records on various foreign countries; RMA corresondence with several corporate entities; assorted information about rice and its utilization; and data on rice production.
Subseries 1. Country Profiles
Contained are the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Public Affairs' publications Background Notes on countries' profile, population, history, government, political conditions, and economy with special highlight on U.S. trade relationship with a given country; RMA correspondence with foreign rice growers and millers; correspondence between the Department of State and the embassies of respective countries; reports from U.S. agricultural attaches; foreign rice marketing statistics; invitations to bid for the procurement of milled rice; U.S.D.A. Authorization to Purchase Agricultural Commodities forms; speeches by various foreign and U.S. government officials and trade and industry representatives; newspaper and magazine clippings.
Box 70
Box 71
Box 72
Box 73
Box 74
Box 75
Box 76
Box 77
Box 78
Box 79
Box 80
Box 81
Box 82
Box 83
Box 84
Box 85
Subseries 2. Corporate Entities, 1951-1984
Subseries contains correspondence with various branches of U.S. Department of Agriculture; Environmental Protection Agency; Federal Trade Commission; Food and Drug Administration; correspondence with European Economic Community (EEC) representatives; Common Market proposals and regulations, trade terms, market studies, surveys, and reports; and newspaper clippings.
Box 86
Box 87
Box 88
Box 89
Box 90
Box 91
Box 92
Box 93
Subseries 3. Rice and its Utilization
Subseries three contains U.S. Department of Agriculture and various agricultural experiment stations' research papers on rice seed, its composition, nutritive value/fortification, rice production, milling, packaging, labeling, promotion, consumption, rice by-products, industrial utilization of rice wastes; correspondence about various rice programs e.g. School Lunch Program promoting the use of rice at schools, and other documents.
Box 94
Box 95
Box 96
Box 97
Box 98
Subseries 4. Rice Acreage and Production Records, 1914-1985
Subseries contains RMA yearly publications Rice Acreage in the United States, Rice Production in the United States, and Statistics of the Rice Crop about the rice acreage, production, distribution, stocks, domestic and foreign consumption, domestic exports, and imports and exports of foreign rice.
Box 99
Box 100
Box 101
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Series 5. Legal Documents, 1929-1985. Boxes 102-107

Contains agricultural acts; occupational safety and health acts; export administration, insurance, and trade acts; farm bills; agreements on tariffs and trade; correspondence with various U.S. government officials; summaries of legislative recommendations; issue papers on long-term agricultural policy; position papers; speeches, statements, and resolutions; U.S. Department of Labor brochures and pamphlets; and other legal documents.
Box 102
Box 103
Box 104
Box 105
Box 106
Box 107
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Series 6. Publicity, Publications, and Rice Recipes. Boxes 108-109

Series contains newspaper, magazine clippings, and other publicity materials; Federal Register Notices; and RMA publications.
Box 108
Box 109
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