Governor Hutchinson (center) and Ag Secretary Wes Ward (far right) joined by Arkansas rice farmers, young and old.
Sep 22, 2015
LITTLE ROCK, AR -- Arkansas is the number one rice-producing state in the nation and celebrates that fact in a big way each September in honor of National Rice Month. On Monday, Governor Asa Hutchinson presided over a signing ceremony at the State Capitol officially proclaiming September as Rice Month. To mark the occasion, the Arkansas rice industry donated 110,100 pounds of rice to the Arkansas Rice Depot providing 1.1 million servings of rice for hungry Arkansas families.
The Arkansas Rice Depot, a statewide food bank, works with 600 Arkansas hunger relief programs including food pantries, school food programs, disaster relief organizations, and a statewide hunger hotline to help feed hungry families across the state. Participating rice mills were Cormier Rice Mill of DeWitt, Windmill Rice Company of Jonesboro, Riceland Foods, Inc. of Stuttgart, Producers Rice Mill of Stuttgart, Riviana Foods of Carlisle, and Specialty Rice, Inc. of Brinkley.
“This year, Arkansas family farmers will produce over 50 percent of the nation's rice for the first time in history,” said Arkansas Rice Council President Steve Orlicek. “The Arkansas rice industry proudly contributes over $6 billion annually to the state's economy and employs nearly 25,000 Arkansans.”