[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 151 (Tuesday, September 20, 2022)]
[House]
[Page H7978]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          NATIONAL RICE MONTH

  (Mr. LaMALFA asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. LaMALFA. Madam Speaker, September is National Rice Month, and 
even though the month is two-thirds over with, it is never not time to 
have rice for your next meal.
  I want to pay a special tribute to the hardworking farmers, millers, 
merchants, suppliers, and the consumers who make rice not only such a 
nutritious product, but an important part of our economy.
  My home State of California is the second largest rice-producing 
State with the Sacramento Valley home to 95 percent of California's 
production. It is an important part also of the Pacific Flyway. 
California primarily produces medium grain sticky rice, otherwise known 
as sushi rice.
  America's rice industry contributes 125,000 good-paying jobs and an 
estimated $34 billion to our Nation's economy. Rice farmers take 
excellent care of their land, prioritizing resource conservation, 
nutrition, top yields worldwide, and product quality.
  U.S. rice farmers produce more rice using less land, energy, and 
water than they did just 20 years ago, providing critical habitat for 
many species, which is really important, once again, to the Pacific 
Flyway as the ducks and geese move all the way from the north down to 
the south.
  Unfortunately, drastic water cuts have taken half of the rice acreage 
out of California this year. We need to keep the industry going strong 
for all those good needs.

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