National Rice Month
... Celebration Kicks Off in September
Weekly Recipe Challenge Encourages Consumers to Try New U.S. Rice Dishes
ARLINGTON, VA — This September, America marks the 21st year of National Rice Month. Sponsored by the USA Rice Federation, National Rice Month celebrates the rice harvest and helps increase awareness of U.S.- grown rice, which contributes $34 billion in economic activity in America and provides 128,000 jobs annually.
Initiated by an act of Congress in 1991, National Rice Month honors the contribution of the U.S. rice industry to America's economy. USA Rice conducts several programs nationwide, including setting rice displays in grocery stores, donating rice to food banks in rice-growing communities, providing scholarships,conducting recipe demonstrations, consumer contests, and more. Eighty-five percent of the rice consumed in the United States is grown here and the average American consumes 25 pounds of rice per year.
At only 10 cents per serving, enriched white and whole grain brown rice are low in calories, sodium cholesterol-and gluten-free, have only a trace of fat with no trans fat or saturated fats. Rice is the healthy partner on the plate, pairing well with beans, seafood, lean protein, vegetables, and fruits.
During September, USA Rice is encouraging consumers to try new rice recipes weekly and post their comments and recipes on the
USA Rice’s Facebook page. Consumers who
complete a brief survey will be entered to win an American Express gift card or an Aroma rice cooker.
The USA Rice Federation is the global advocate for the U.S. rice industry, conducting programs to inform consumers about domestically-grown rice. U.S. farmers produce an abundance of short, medium and long grain rice, as well as organic and specialty rices including jasmine, basmati, Arborio, red aromatic and black japonica, among others. Farmers in Arkansas, California, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Texas grow some 20 billion pounds of rice each year according to the highest quality standards. Look for the “Grown in the USA” logo on packages of 100-percent U.S.-grown rice. For more information ... be sure to visit usarice.com; Facebook or follow on Twitter.