Back to School Plans That Include September Rice Promotions Could Earn $3,500 Scholarship

Contacts: Randy Jemison (337) 738-7009, rjemison@usarice.com; Chuck Wilson at (870) 673-7541, cwilson@usarice.com;Patricia Alderson, (703) 236-1472, talderson@usarice.com

ARLINGTON, VA, July 25, 2008 — High school juniors and seniors who include promotions for U.S.-grown rice in their back-to-school plans could earn up to $3,500 in the USA Rice Federation National Rice Month (NRM) scholarship contest. To qualify, students must run the rice-themed promotions in their local communities during September.

The contest will take place in the six major rice-growing states of Arkansas, California, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Texas. Nine scholarship prizes totaling $10,000 are available. In addition to the $3,500 grand prize, other prizes are second place, $2,000; third place, $1,500; fourth place, $1,000; fifth place, $750; and sixth place, $500. Three honorable mention prizes of $250 each are also available.

The grand-prize winner and a chaperone will receive an expense-paid trip to the 2008 USA Rice Outlook Conference, December 7-9, in Little Rock, AR, for the scholarship presentation.

Initiated by an act of Congress in 1991, September marks the 18th annual National Rice Month celebration.

For more information and a USA Rice Federation National Rice Month Scholarship Program entry form, see the Industry Affairs page on the USA Rice Web site at www.usarice.com.

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The USA Rice Federation is the global advocate for all segments of the U.S. rice industry with a mission to promote and protect the interests of producers, millers, merchants and allied businesses.