WHEREAS:    The U.S. produces approximately 16 billion pounds of rice annually, and the State of Arkansas is a key supplier of U.S.-grown rice, producing approximately 8 billion pounds annually;
 
WHEREAS:    Rice is grown in 40 of Arkansas’ 75 counties and production is concentrated in the eastern half of the state;
 
WHEREAS:    The U.S. is the sixth largest exporter of rice, supplying rice for world trade and feeding millions around the world;
 
WHEREAS:    Rice is a food enjoyed as the foundation of main dishes and side dishes and as cereals, flour, bran, cooking oil, rice cakes, and other healthful snacks;
 
WHEREAS:    Rice is an important source of nutritional value, as it provides an excellent source of complex carbohydrates and is cholesterol-free, sodium-free, and trans-fat-free;
 
WHEREAS:    Arkansas’ rice farmers represent a key element in the provision and enhancement of habitat for wetland-dependent wildlife species such as ducks, geese, swans, cranes, and other animals; and
 
WHEREAS:    The harvest of rice in this nation and in the State of Arkansas is celebrated each September.
 
NOW, THEREFORE, I, SARAH HUCKABEE SANDERS, Governor of the State of Arkansas, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the laws of the State of Arkansas, do hereby proclaim September 2023 as
 

“ARKANSAS RICE MONTH”

 
IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the State of Arkansas to be affixed this 15th day of August, in the year of our Lord 2023.