Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 104 Part 2.djvu/202

 104 STAT. 1182 PUBLIC LAW 101-492—OCT. 31, 1990 Public Law 101-492 101st Congress Joint Resolution Oct. 31, 1990 [S.J. Res. 353] To desi^ate September of 1991 as "National Rice Month". Whereas rice is the staple grain for two-thirds of the population of the World, and the significance of rice cannot be overemphasized; Whereas 8 out of 10 people in the World depend on rice for 40 percent of their energy needs; Whereas rice is the fifth most valuable food crop in this Nation, as rice represents a two-billion dollar cash crop, and is vital to the economic stability of rice farmers and millers in Arkansas, California, Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, Missouri, and Florida; Whereas intense research and development in rice technology has resulted in approximately 12 percent of the rice production in the World being carried out on only 2 percent of the available acreage for such production by rice farmers in this Nation, making such rice one of the most land-efficient and cost-efficient crops grown; Whereas the United States is one of the largest exporters of rice, as this Nation exports rice to over 120 countries and supplies about 20 percent of the rice for world trade; Whereas wild rice, the only cereal grain to be domesticated from a wild crop in the United States, is a growing segment of the rice industry and is important to the communities where it is grown; Whereas wild rice is gaining popularity among consumers as an individual dish and in combinations with other rices; Whereas millions of people in this Nation, as well as countless people in other countries, enjoy rice in a variety of forms, including the use of rice as an edible grain, in flour, bran, cooking oil, cereals, rice cakes, and health food snacks; Whereas the people of this Nation consume an average of approximately 18 pounds of rice per person per year, an amount that represents twice the per capita consumption of rice 30 years ago; Whereas rice is an important source of nutritional value, as rice provides an excellent source of complex carbohydrates, contains only a trace of fat, and is cholesterol-free and sodium-free; Whereas scientists are now beginning to uncover the benefits of rice bran and rice bran oil in lowering the levels of cholesterol in humans; Whereas new knowledge of the nutritional benefits of the rice kernel and the recent health consciousness of the people of this Nation is producing a growing appreciation of rice by such people; Whereas rice is recognized worldwide as an economical food and an important part of feeding the expanding population in Third World nations; Whereas rice provides an important contribution to the diet, to the economy of this Nation, and to the nourishment of other countries; and Whereas the harvest of rice in this Nation is celebrated each September: Now, therefore, be it

�