Kansas Congressman Tours La. Rice Country

Lafayette, La., November 29, 2004 — Rep. Jerry Moran (R-KS), chairman of the House Agriculture subcommittee on Commodities and Risk Management, visited rice farmers and millers in the Lafayette, La.-area November 22 to gain first-hand knowledge of rice-industry issues.

“It’s always easier to understand and make the case [for rice in Congress] if you talk to someone who’s doing the work,” Moran told Mike Hundley, an operator in Branch, La., during a tour of the Hundley family’s rice farm.

The visit, coordinated by USA Rice Producers’ Group Chairman Jackie Loewer and USA Rice Federation’s Louisiana representative, Randy Jemison, also included a tour of Louisiana Rice Mill, LLC, in Mermentau.

Beyond the work of rice farming and milling, discussions included the nuances of the 2007 Farm Bill, the Central American Free Trade Agreement, food aid, the United Nations’ World Food Programme, Cuba and transportation infrastructure.

In addition to the House Agriculture Committee, Moran holds positions on the Transportation and Infrastructure, and Veterans Affairs committees.

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Photos:

Louisiana Rice Mill, LLC CEO Bobby Hanks, right, explains a portion of the rice milling process to Rep. Jerry Moran, center, and Louisiana rice producer, Jackie Loewer, left, at the mill in Mermantau, La.

Louisiana rice grower Mike Hundley discusses rice cultivation with Rep. Jerry Moran on the Hundley family farm in Branch, La.

Contact: David Coia, (703) 236-1444 or dcoia@usarice.com