Yield Loss during the 2019 California Rice Harvest!

During the second half of the 2019 California rice harvest we started seeing some yield loss. In this harvest video we'll look back through the crop year and find the reason why we're harvesting less rice.
Aside from the yield loss we had a smooth 2019 harvest--no major tractor breakdowns and the weather cooperated.
If you missed my video on the first half of our harvest check out Episode 112 titled "The John Deere CTS Returns!":
• The John Deere 9660 CT...
Also check out past harvest videos:
• 2016 Harvest:
"How Rice is Harvested in California!"
• How Rice is Harvested ...
• 2017 Harvest:
"How to Harvest Lazy Rice!"
• How To Harvest LAZY Rice!
• 2018 Harvest:
"Death by Harvest: A Story of Tractor Breakdowns!"
• Death by Harvest: A St...
#harvest2019 #tractorvideo
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[@AlaskaPrepper]

Thank you for what you do. Rice is a staple in the diets of many Americans and people around the world. Many blessings to you and your Family...

[@daze4341]

😂😂😂 hey AP , I was pleasantly surprised to see you here. As you can see I read comments on videos as well as watching the videos.

[@spockmcoyissmart961]

Wow, farmers are up there as the greatest heroes working in America. Bringing food to our tables at such a reasonable cost.

[@laurencevanhelsuwe3052]

The cost of our food is a function of the artificially low price of crude oil, and all the fuels and agrichemicals that are made from oil. I write artificially low, because the cost of a barrel doesn't include the externalised costs of causing climate change, and ultimately decimating agriculture. So the "reasonable cost" you're mentioning is pretty debatable.

[@spockmcoyissmart961]

@@laurencevanhelsuwe3052 we can discuss several things in our statements forever. What I know, is that I can't grow wheat on my property, harvest, grind, bake a loaf of bread cheaper than the American farmer/bakers can make it. I raise chickens on my property, and it is more expensive per pound than what I can buy a pound of chicken meat in the store for.

[@rickweinstein5207]

Just came across your channel. I really appreciate how you explain everything you do in such easy to understand language for a "non farmer" as myself. Thanks!

[@Ricefarmingtv]

Hey Rick, glad you enjoyed. Thank you very much for the nice message. If you ever have any questions just let me know. -Matthew

[@casey5711]

Non Farmer here , throughly enjoyed your explanation of the season . 2019 Thank you 😀👍🏾🚜🚜🚜🚜🚜

[@Ricefarmingtv]

Hi Casey! Glad you enjoyed. Always love hearing from my non-farming viewers. -Matthew

[@Butch-fn2xr]

One thing I learned from 42 years of farming, every year is different and they sure ain’t all rosey.

[@laurencevanhelsuwe3052]

"Every year different" is very different from "So many back-to-back years of disastrous conditions as a result of climate change". We're heading for farming catastrophes in many places in the years to come. Fasten your seatbelts.

[@bonniechase5599]

Thank you! That was interesting. I'm glad that California was able to produce as much as it did.

[@tessjones5987]

Farmers are smart people. So blessed to have them.

[@koryleague8833]

Thanks for sharing. Its been a year nation wide. Our fall harvest here in nebraska stretched from september til almost thanksgiving. Theres a still a few farmers in Our area trying to get corn harvested, but we had alnost 2 ft of snow and some rain. 2019 is gonna be one for the books. Thanks for sharing

[@Ricefarmingtv]

Hi Kory, thanks for the message. Glad you got your crop in the barn and I wish your neighbors the best who are still harvesting. I hope the weather out in Nebraska cooperates a little bit for you. We have a 10 day rain storm coming in over here in California. Weather turned quick and hard. -Matthew

[@koryleague8833]

@@Ricefarmingtv thanks for the reply. I dont farm im the guy that dumps the trucks. This week has been cold and snowy had 40 mph winds today again thanks fpr your reply and being an advocate for ag

[@blancolirio]

Great recap! What a story! One hell of a snowball of events...Juan

[@Decentralized_Maze]

Damn! Enough said!? I can't express enough gratitude for this video. Truly helpful, laid out perfectly, educational, humorous, great format/videography, etc. Hat's off to all farmers!

[@qrplife]

Great retrospective on 2019 CA rice farming.

[@pwayne3580]

Matt, while all the reasons you presented are indeed valid to the low yields, your novice with rice farming is showing. The seasoned and experienced N. California rice grower will always pass the low yield blame off to the Aerial Applicator. A skill growers pass down from generation to generation. Maybe next year.

[@fletcher3913]

Another interesting and informative video, Matthew. I am always happy to see a video from you in my feed.

[@MrEst1953]

You Sir got a fantastic voice for a voice over . Thanks for the videos ,very informative .

[@Ricefarmingtv]

Thanks Edward! Glad you are enjoying. -Matthew

[@paulsautocm]

I'm enjoying re watching your productions on Rice Farming TV. Hope the planting is going along smoothly.

[@scruffy6151]

Thank you Matt for the update.

[@richardmcelligott2881]

Excellent analysis and summary of the 2019 season.

[@Ricefarmingtv]

Thank you, Richard. Glad you enjoyed. -Matthew

[@billc3271]

Good too see ya back man i"m happy all is well

[@myselfremade]

Greetings from Canada! We have finished our corn harvest finally. Unfortunately our 6620 combine had a major bearing failure with THREE acres remaining. Thank God for helpful neighbors. Now we have all winter to fix it

[@SmallMartingale]

I learn so much from this channel. Thanks Matt!!! 👋

[@BerekH]

Amazing and more complex technology than I ever expected. Kudos for simply surviving.

[@kennethprice3978]

Thank you so very much for what y’all do.😊

[@hubertrobinson8825]

Farmers the backbone of every country in the entire world thank God for all of them

[@GO-xs8pj]

I love coming up to your area to see the migrating waterfowl in the rice fields after harvest. I'm sorry this year has been rough but happy you were able to get your crop in. Thanks for the excellent explanation. Oh, I call you "The Rice Man".

[@Ricefarmingtv]

The migrating birds are an amazing sight, indeed. Glad you enjoyed the episode and thank you for the nice message. -Matthew aka The Rice Man

[@scottyflintstone]

yeah the bird migration is amazing. Fields of snow geese and water relecting clouds and Sutter Buttes. Very picturesque

[@chriholt]

Another super interesting video Matthew, thanks for putting it together!

[@jgardner2508]

This is one of your better informative videos! Thanks!

[@chrisbooboo3840]

Im old enough to remember when they burned the fields in fall right after school started. For a week the foothills would be bathed in a layer of smoke till the wind would carry it away. It doesn't surprise me your yields are down. It was the wettest winter in awhile. It reminded me of the way the rain fell in the 60s, a lot.

[@Ricefarmingtv]

Hi Chris, that was before my time. We can still burn 205% of our total planted acreage. This is reserved for fields that have a pest management issue--mainly fungus irradiation. Most do burn their allotment, some don't and some can't (due to weather and a strict waiting list). I'll cover that a bit more in the next episode. -Matthew

[@themotorcycleguy5980]

Burning is actually not good for your soil life....

[@ackack612]

Stumbled on your channel, watched two videos and I'm absolutely gobsmacked! I had no idea that rice was farmed in California let alone most of the country......the deep South, perhaps. Who knew? In any event, you do an excellent job with your narrative intercut with the appropriate video. I'm going back to the beginning to learn more! Great job and thx!

[@SteveMillerhuntingforfood]

That was fascinating information regarding; Things That Can Affect Rice Harvest. Great video Matt.

[@Ricefarmingtv]

Thanks Steve! Glad you enjoyed the episode. I hope you have a fantastic Thanksgiving and are returning from some successful duck hunts! -M.

[@bigred7347]

Super well Spoken.........Bless you and Families....

[@richardburguillos3118]

Great update. Always learning something new. There was even some recap of The Shovel. Thanks for sharing.

[@Ricefarmingtv]

Oh yeah, Richard! The shovel made a brief appearance--foreshadowing the work to come in the next few months. Happy Thanksgiving! -Matthew

[@toter-drache]

Thank you for this look into and explanation of some of the reasons (I'm guessing many more things can come to play) for decline in the harvest ! It was interesting!👍🏻👍🏻

[@NorthViewModelShop]

Great video Matt. That sounds like a very stressful event. Good to know it was a safe harvest

[@Ricefarmingtv]

Thanks for the message, Jan! Glad you enjoyed. Yeah, it was stressful but at least it was safe. You nailed it. Hope you’re well, coming into the holiday season! -Matthew

[@jesusmejia827]

Good job Matt

[@Hallettjs7957]

Thanks for the informative video bud! Its interesting seeing other parts of the country grow that regions crops.

[@rickgregg6026]

Always love your videos. I've learned alot about rice farming. We don't raise much rice here in Western Missouri...

[@charleswillcock3235]

Hi Matthew, you bring a refreshing and interesting candour to life in America - it is so often sugar coated when seen from abroad, glad to hear that in the end it was a reasonable result. In the UK burning stubble was a regular feature of farming which is now a memory. There have been many reports on the TV here about the problems of air quality in India where stubble is still burned and the effect on the cities has been very harmful. Ploughing it in to the ground rather than burning has to be better for neighbours / cities. Thanks for yet another great video.

[@BaltimoreShipspotting]

First video of yours I viewed. Very well done video from all angles! Looking forward to checking out more of your stuff.

[@Ricefarmingtv]

Thanks for the message, Shipspotter! Glad you enjoyed and I hope you find my other episodes interesting too. Let me know if you have any questions about California rice production! -Matthew

[@BaltimoreShipspotting]

@@Ricefarmingtv I am sure your other episodes will answer any I might have, thanks!

[@donmathias1705]

Awesome explanation. Enjoyable too.

[@Ricefarmingtv]

Thank you, Don! -M.

[@skibik64]

Thank you for another educational video.

[@bigtractorpower]

Informative video on rice production and harvest.

[@Ricefarmingtv]

Thanks Jason! Working on my harvest video for you... Hope you had a happy Thanksgiving! -M.

[@scruffy6151]

Hi BTP

[@shamoy1000]

Every year is a different story in farming.

[@rodneycraig3118]

I grew up on a farm by Bad Axe Michigan. I watch How Farms Work ,The Rest of the Story, Onelonlyfarm,Minnesota Millenial Farmer, Brian's Vlog, WTFarm Girl and catch some of yours. I can not believe how diverse farmers in the thumb of Michigan are. They grow corn some oats,wheat, sugar beets, hay, navy beans, soybeans, black turtle beans, plus dairy,beef, hog, chicken and eggs.

[@jesusmejia827]

I love your work

[@kenredington4988]

After seeing all the bad news about corn and soy and the like, at least you guys had a fair go at it. Good job all, and glad to see the dryer guys get credit for what had to be a very rough season for them.

[@capiberra4118]

Interesting stuff. Thanks.

[@rodneycraig3118]

I forgot to mention cucumbers. There is an egg producing company that ships eggs to California. I forgot to mention I like watching your videos too , BIG thumbs up to you.

[@wranther]

Somehow harvest sure is similar to planting Matthew. The weather certainly has an impact. But losses aside, you family operation has safely survived with people and harvest equipment intact. Hope you and your family are enjoying a Happy Thanksgiving Weekend. Here the weather outside is just a plain ole Blizzard! -Bob...

[@AlohaMilton]

your fresh milled rice was the best rice I have ever eaten, amazing how much flavor is lost to age and how it is very similar to coffee in its dulled taste after its aged. I should have bought more! I told a bunch of people but apparently its all sold out. ah well, next year I am buying a truckload (JK not actually a truckload, but hopefully like 5-10lbs.)

[@Ricefarmingtv]

Glad to hear you enjoyed the rice so much! I do have a little left over but the stock is running low. I placed the "sold out" sign up so I could control the last orders a little better. If you'd like some more or if your friends would--send me an e-mail and we'll get it sorted out. Thanks! Happy Thanksgiving! -Matthew

[@RandWFarmstead-TonyWalsh]

I’m from the opposite side of the country in Georgia with peanuts and cotton and it’s amazing how we all go through the same struggles.

[@Ricefarmingtv]

Yeah, same struggles--different years. Man, I'd love to see how peanuts are farmed. There's a little cotton grown out by us. Very cool! -Matthew

[@RandWFarmstead-TonyWalsh]

Rice Farming TV I just started my channel so I have some short videos from this harvest. I’ll have better and longer videos starting next planting season.

[@wry569]

And with that......2029 harvest is "in the bin". At least rice was standing and no major breakdowns. Great video!

[@Ricefarmingtv]

HA! I hope my battery will be charged enough to make it out to the 2029 rice harvest. Thanks for the nice message, Marc. Glad you enjoyed. -Matthew

[@JJ-rd2ef]

My dad and I planted rice in Guyana. Nice to see rice farming is very similar to ours.

[@darwinos2132]

In my country mostly eat rice everyday,but I didn't see farmer like you did in your channel,in my country still using traditional way for farm a rice.

[@balajiVengadabathy]

Good bro...Due to rainfall crop lodging quickly recover..

[@cordovanbee713]

Thanks great video

[@Ricefarmingtv]

Happy to hear that you enjoyed, Cordovan! Take care. -Matthew

[@bj052088meyers]

I suspect a wee bit of frustration! Pray next year will be better. Much better! I must admit I love rice.

[@jasonhendrickx2757]

So does anyone have grain bins and store it on farm like we do with corn and beans or does everyone haul rice to town?

[@IH100]

Great video!

[@farmntech747]

Matthew, we run into the same huller/dryer bottlenecks with Walnuts. The installation, maintenance, people power and operational costs to get a huller going is too high.

[@dallasschwartz7135]

Happy Birthday too me! lol LOVE the vids!!

[@viewerman99]

Man I wish you had more rice on sale. That stuff was excellent, great farming. Thanks

[@Ricefarmingtv]

I do have some remaining rough rice to mill. If you’d like e-mail me and I’ll get you sorted. I placed the “sold out” sign just so I could control the orders of the last 100 lbs I have. I am glad to hear you enjoyed! -M.

[@themotorcycleguy5980]

Did those chemical fertilizers and pesticides tastes good as well? You might not of tasted them but the inside of your body probably did....

[@scottyflintstone]

@@themotorcycleguy5980 evidence?

[@themotorcycleguy5980]

@@scottyflintstone what you mean evidence? Lol

[@johnlindquist6335]

Very good explaining this season rice crop. Farmers here in Norther IL are having to harvest between rain & snow storms. Can't park semi trucks in fields. Still a lot of soybeans and corn not harvest yet. Belated happy Thanksgiving. God Bless.

[@Ricefarmingtv]

Hey John, happy belated Thanksgiving to you too. Sorry to hear about the weather woes you're having. Best of luck getting the crop out of the field. We also wouldn't be able to park the trucks in the field in case of heavy rain. Keep me updated! -Matthew

[@skips1774]

Do you guys out there have any type of grain bin setups to store the rice until you can deliver it? Keep up the content!

[@rickbrandt9559]

Matt -- Please, keep YOUR perspective videos coming,winter work and all. Old farmer that enjoys the new generation,with technical add on,showing better steward of the land methods. The mix of old equipment, with new, for dollar value.

[@pootthatbak2578]

I'm with you! I love rice, and you make cool videos.. that rice dryer situation is a shame, the last 4 governors in California, really slacked off safeguarding/maintaining the electric grid..I hope the future brings affordable electric and rice..bad situation there, if they both become unaffordable

[@cntslesfabrication]

I heard that the coop are going to put in Generator's that will be big enough to run the whole plant if needed to.

[@doughassell4281]

Build bins and your own dryer! Ask Zach how! 😜

[@hoatluong9193]

I love Rice so much 😘😘😘

[@makingithappen9722]

2019 has been a very wet year. The only thing is to hope for a good 2020.

[@Ricefarmingtv]

Agreed, all the best for 2020! -Matthew

[@belaalgujjar]

In Pakistan In last year our rice yield per( 1 acer ) was 2400 Kg And in 2019 it is 1400 kg 1 per acer, It is huge loss And in Pakistan Farmer in losss

[@Ricefarmingtv]

Hi Mohammad, great to hear from a farmer in Pakistan. What do you attribute the yield loss to in 2019? Sorry to hear about that. -Matthew

[@belaalgujjar]

@@Ricefarmingtv i think climate change impacts on farming

[@sixpinkoneblue]

@Fazenda Progresso Knock it off! Just knock it the hell off! This isn't a bureaucratic issue it's a human issue. When mother nature says it's enough we will all die and she will be fine but we can't keep taking from her like this anymore, we need to use wind and sun more, not remove/not use fossil fuels, but use less of it, to help her heal so we live. She'll be fine, we won't. So be a freakin human being and care about each other instead of talking out your ass for major companies to make more money. Enough is enough!

[@deadrose007]

@@sixpinkoneblue There are close to 8 billion people on the planet by 2050 close to 10 billion.

[@johnlinsky19]

grand solar minimum and less solar activity = less harvest

[@j.lebowski3917]

Have you guys considered some on-site storage/drying bins for these kinds of situations?

[@xDGKRivas22x]

In 2019 it was the first time we sent some trucks for the rice season delivering mostly to Pirmi

[@JoeyCampbell988]

First time I seen a combine with steel tracks

[@rumpelstiltskin9768]

Cool story. I grow rice in Japan. Your quoted yields are better than mine, but I plan to get them up next year. ALL of my equipment is orders of magnitude smaller than yours.

[@michaelstern1945]

Not a farmer but find your explanation gives us an education. Hey it rims 😃

[@bobbyhoffpauir2298]

Just like all farmers "hope next year is better".

[@ivyandroses4373]

Yikes !!!! I must be doing something right 😆 My back yard 1/2 acre harvest in San Diego yielded 768 Lb.s after de husking. And its Beautiful !!!!!

[@Ricefarmingtv]

Awesome! What variety did you plant and what are you going to do with your 768 lbs. of rice? Very interesting. -Matthew

[@dioenatria]

Hello Matt... are you applying any fugicide at your later seeded rice?

[@RandyOm]

So you mention "the dryer" shutting you down so the dryer could process/dry the accumulated rice at their plant. Were you only able to bring rice to one dryer? Were all the dryers operating at capacity?

[@sarahandtim332]

Thank for explaining how 15 day delay hurts the harvest.

[@Ricefarmingtv]

My pleasure Sarah and Tim. Glad you enjoyed. Happy belated Thanksgiving. -Matthew

[@ROBOOHNO]

Ice Age Farmer sent me. Godspeed.

[@steffenfrost]

Regarding too much water during planting, couldn't you pump that water down to the aquifer to help replenish the groundwater?

[@Urbicide]

Have you ever thought about getting into producing Sake?

[@sanfranciscobay]

I wonder if the drying facility could build giant bags that could temporarily hold the rice when they have too much coming in? You set the bags up only when needed

[@jankotze1959]

I hope for better conditions and less break downs in 2020

[@Ricefarmingtv]

Thank you Jan! Happy holidays to you and your family. -M.

[@jankotze1959]

@@Ricefarmingtv Thank you......

[@michael22414]

You’re such a good video editor. Great rice farmer but if you ever wanted another career no doubt you could be a story planner or editor for educational KZbin content. The cutting and B roll is so fascinating

[@johndicus123]

What is your take on Masanobu Fukuoka and his method of no-till farming and using the straw from the previous crop? And this in a one year rotation of barley and rice....? I think his book is 'The Two-Straw Revolution'

[@sanfranciscobay]

Did the smoke from the upwind fires affect the rice quality during the last few years?

[@ihguy2113]

those heavy rains came all the way up here into ontario canada

[@fmpc4703]

2019 was really "Pretty exciting"...

[@robertpayne2717]

Most dryers in Arkansas have to shut down recieving rice in order to catch up though some farmers do have bins for drying and storage. Peak harvest causes a rush and by farmers my co-operative usally during harvest shuts off dumping at 4PM they shut the line down at 2PM to try and stay open 5 1/2 days aweek

[@smedoz]

How come you dont keep onsite storage to store bumper crop until the co-op can take it. seems like your gamble with the rain if you can't ind. store until they call for it.

[@peterscherling9000]

They make pellet machines that can be used to convert the rice husk and straw! I’m not sure if it’s worth it but my thinking is if you sprayed ammonia and nitrogen into the pellet machine during the winter and spread the pellets into the soil same time as the soil is tilled it will also help retain moisture in the soil and fertilize the soil same time.

[@alirazachang]

Next season I will be experimenting with DSR , DIRECT SEEDING OF RICE through drill

[@nashguy207]

Do you sell all your rice at harvest or do watch the price and sell when the price goes up? our buddy Juan did a great job of covering the power outages this fall during the fire season.

[@Ricefarmingtv]

We can forward contract throughout the crop year or hold off for a particular price. After harvest we have paid the drying/storage facility for a mandatory years worth of storage. So essentially we have all the way until August of 2020 to market our 2019 crop. Usually we personally have 75% forward contracted (with a marketing pool) at the beginning of the crop year. This is to insure we have a home for our rice. We save the 25% to play the cash market. Usually selling a bit every couple months (if the market allows it), so that we're dollar cost averaging over the year. Great question! -Matthew

[@NordeggSonya]

Stupid questions but here goes... are there different kinds of rice.(I would imagine there are) What do you farm as in which rice. What are some of the differences (my philipino friends use a special rice) Where can I get rice seeds? I would like to try it in the garden (I have hydroponic experience) Thank you.

[@shaileshingale2260]

Hey man what next crop in winter summer

[@ronleese9142]

We live in America and will retire in Indonesia. We have land there and for both ascetic and additional money we started growing Rice on about an acer. Our first harvest had a lot of empty rice any suggestions?

[@sanfranciscobay]

What percent of the rice plant is edible and what percent is scrap or unwanted waste and what do you do with the waste?

[@nikosgpaok]

Hi Matt, greetings from a Greek rice farmer, each year has difficulties with the weather unfortunately. But what is your personally record yield during these years?

[@Ricefarmingtv]

Hi Nikos, my record is around 10,500 lbs. and acre. That's dry weight (not "green" weight coming straight out of the fields"). -Matthew