Washington, DC  -  Today, Rep. Jo Ann Emerson (MO-08) announced that Eighth District rice is on its way to Iraq to assist with the humanitarian aid effort undertaken as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The rice sale, which is underway with the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) includes rice from Riceland, a farmer-owned cooperative, which will ship rice from its mill located in New Madrid.

Commenting on the sale, Emerson, who has strived to educate others that ‘food aid leads to trade’ stated, “Before government sanctions were imposed, Iraq was one of the U.S. rice industry’s top export markets. The Iraqis like high quality, long grain rice and that includes rice produced in the Bootheel.  Sending our U.S. rice as part of a food-aid effort is positive for the U.S. rice farmer as well as for potential refugees throughout Iraq who have been starved by Saddam Hussein for far too long.  But most of all, it is really exciting and I am proud that our farmers, like so many others in southern Missouri have found a way to contribute to Operation Iraqi Freedom.”

Also commenting on the sale was local rice grower Gary Branum of New Madrid who noted, “In 2001, the rice crop in Missouri was valued at about $48 million and most of that rice was grown right here in the Bootheel.  If there is some way for Rep. Emerson to showcase rice in the humanitarian aid effort so that it helps the Iraqi people and local farmers, then I’m behind her efforts 100 percent.”

Emerson has been involved in several efforts to grow markets for agriculture trade. Most recently Emerson worked with the House Appropriations Committee to increase food aid funding for the Bill Emerson Humanitarian Trust, a fund that makes emergency food aid available. As well, earlier this year she joined a large group of lawmakers from rice growing states in asking President Bush to include rice in food-aid for military operations in Iraq.

 

Discussing the benefits of rice she wrote “Rice is the primary carbohydrate of the Iraqi diet. It is critical that U.S. rice be included in any pre-positioned food stocks.”

While some of the rice in the food-aid sale to the USDA will come from the Riceland-New Madrid mill, storage facilities for rice are located in Poplar Bluff, Dudley and Kennett.