雷·斯托瑟 (Ray Stoesser) 开着一辆沾满泥巴的 SUV 在他安静的绿色田野周围隆隆作响，注意到土地的微小梯度，梯田巧妙地让水流下山，缓慢连续地灌溉田地， Lydia DePillis 在 HoustonChronicle.com 上写道.
“We’re going uphill, believe it or not,” Stoesser said. After more than a half century of farming, he knows what each field needs and when, harvest after harvest. “Just like taking care of your backyard,” he said.
If Stoesser’s land hasn’t changed, the economic conditions have. Rice prices have declined for several years, averaging about 10 cents a pound last year, because of competition from huge rice producers like Vietnam and Thailand as well as increases in agricultural productivity that have boosted supplies. Over the past few decades, hundreds of rice farmers in Southeast Texas have given up the crop entirely.
但在 7 月中旬，得克萨斯州的水稻产业——每年为农民带来约 $1 亿的产值——获得了缓刑： 允许美国向中国销售大米的协议.该行业估计，中国每年可购买 25 万吨美国大米，而美国大米的产量为 900 万吨，这可能会大幅推高价格。