First USA Rice Development Grant Awarded to PVO for Work in Congo

ARLINGTON, VA, April 10, 2006 — The USA Rice Federation on March 30 awarded its first Project Development Grant for international food-aid development projects utilizing U.S. rice to the International Partnership for Human Development (IPHD), a U.S. private voluntary organization (PVO).

This is the first year USA Rice has offered the grant, which IPHD proposes to use to develop a Food for Education program for the Democratic Republic of Congo to improve school enrolment, attendance and achievement levels of the 225,000 preschool and primary-level students in the Bandundu and Bas-Zaire provinces.

“We are pleased to be able to award this grant to IPHD, and we look forward to making similar grants in the future,” said Jamie Warshaw, USA Rice Food Aid Subcommittee chairman.

USA Rice created its Project Development Grant to bolster its food aid services to the PVO community, USA Rice VP for International Promotion James Brow said. “The grant is designed to help PVOs offset costs associated with developing their project proposals to the U.S. government. In return, the U.S. rice industry, through its cooperation with the PVO, gains greater access for U.S. rice in the global food aid effort,” he said.

“U.S. rice is a natural fit for food aid programs, because it is culturally accepted worldwide,” Warshaw said. “It is a wholesome and nutritious cereal grain that helps form the foundation of a healthy diet.”

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Contacts: Gail Carlson, (202) 244-5132, gcarlson@usarice.com and Jim Brow, (703) 236-1474, jbrow@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.