U.S. Rice Industry Provided 5.8 Million Servings of Rice for Hurricane Victims

WASHINGTON, December 4, 2005 — The U.S. rice industry including producers, millers and merchants donated a total of 488,945 pounds of rice, equivalent to more than 5.8 million ˝ cup servings, to victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

Louisiana rice millers contributed 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, making 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 and the American Red Cross 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 Mill 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.

The Arkansas rice industry donated more than 30,000 pounds of rice to the Arkansas Rice Depot, a statewide food bank that works with 600 Arkansas hunger programs, including food pantries, school food programs, disaster relief and a hunger hotline. Participating rice mills included Cormier Rice Milling, DeWitt; Producers Rice Mill, Stuttgart; Riceland Foods, Stuttgart; Riviana Foods, Carlisle and Specialty Rice, Brinkley.

“Even though Arkansas rice farmers and millers are going through difficult economic times right now, they are glad to help their fellow man,” Arkansas Rice Council President Robert Petter said.

In Texas, American Rice, Inc. made a corporate donation of two truckloads of Adolphus Rice and Cuetara Cookies to the Houston Food Bank and America’s Second Harvest Food Bank Network to aid the feeding programs for the evacuees of Hurricane Katrina.

Additionally, many rice producers and millers throughout the United States made private donations of rice and their time to assist hurricane victims.

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