Louisiana Rice Industry Provided 5.5 Million Servings of Rice for Hurricane Victims

KINDER, LA, November 29, 2005 — The Louisiana rice industry, including the Louisiana Rice Growers Association and Louisiana mills, donated more than 458,945 pounds of rice, equivalent to more than 5.5 million ½ cup servings, to victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

The relief effort included a Louisiana rice industry donation of 11,700 pounds of milled rice in September for its annual National Rice Month donation to the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank, a regional assistance entity that traditionally distributes food to needy citizens through more than 100 agencies in an 11-parish area around Baton Rouge.

“Rice is nutritious and is easily handled and prepared, which makes it excellent for relief in our state,” Louisiana Rice Council President Jimmy Hoppe said. “Rice growers and millers have a long tradition of giving in the time of need.”

Nearly 450,000 pounds of rice were donated and delivered to other relief agencies and shelters including, Food Net of Lafayette, the American Red Cross, the Office of Homeland Security, and church and community shelters in an effort to provide food for persons displaced by the hurricanes.

Louisiana rice millers including Falcon and Supreme Rice Mills of Crowley, Riviana Foods of Abbeville, Louisiana Rice Mill of Mermentau and Farmers Rice Milling Co. of Lake Charles teamed up with members of the Louisiana Rice Growers Association to provide rice for the relief effort.

In addition to the Louisiana rice industry efforts, Hoppe contacted USA Rice Federation field staff shortly after Hurricane Katrina to determine critical relief supply needs and delivery points for the victims. He relayed the information to Illinois farmers Mark Freed, Joe Bachman and Lowell Hoffman, members of the Fellowship of Christian Farmers, who obtained nonperishable food, diapers, water and personal hygiene items filling a 53-foot cargo van that was delivered to those displaced.

Louisiana is a key supplier of U.S. grown rice, producing nearly 3 billion pounds annually.

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Contact: Sarah Castleberry, (703) 236-1458, scastleberry@usarice.com

USA Rice Federation is the national advocate for all segments of the rice industry, conducting activities to influence government programs, developing and initiating programs to increase worldwide demand for U.S. rice, and providing other services to increase profitability for all industry segments.