Ted Poe: “I rise today to praise September as National Rice Month and honor those who grow it, process it, transport it, and all…”

“I rise today to praise September as National Rice Month and honor those who grow it, process it, transport it, and all those who bring it to the dinner tables of America and the rest of the world. National Rice Month was established in 1991 when both Houses of Congress agreed and the President of the United States sought to increase awareness of rice and recognize the contribution made by the U.S. rice industry to America's economy. National Rice Month celebrations will take place all across America this month in grocery stores, restaurants, schools, in festivals in many rice-growing communities, including the 36th Annual Texas Rice Festival just outside my district in Winnie, Texas. Rice is an important part of American history and heritage. It has been grown in North America since 1696, when an improved variety of rice, reportedly from Madagascar, was grown on the Carolina coast. Early Americans recognized the promise of this crop throughout the world; and by 1726 the port of Charleston, South Carolina, was a major rice port in the United States. As America earned independence, rice was growing as one of our largest exports. Over the years, rice became less and less important to the Carolinas as crops such as cotton and tobacco were better suited for that climate.…”