EMERSON HAILS RICE SALE TO NEW COMMONWEALTH

This week's sale of American rice to the Commonwealth of Independent States is being applauded by U.S. Rep. Bill Emerson as a great step in history.

It marks the first sale of American rice to the former Soviet Union in more than a decade.

Emerson, R-Cape Girardeau, said the sale helps prospects for peace in that region while helping the U.S. economy.

"As I have stated before, trade, not aid, fosters better future relations between our two countries," Emerson said. "Communism has fallen in the former Soviet Union and southern Missouri farmers are doing their part in establishing democracy in the new Commonwealth of Independent States by participating in this commodity sale."

The sale completes the $4 million, March 1992 commodity credit line for rice, but there is a remaining EEP balance of 85,000 tons of rice for future sales.

In his position as ranking minority member of the U.S. House Cotton, Rice and Sugar Subcommittee, Emerson successfully urged Agriculture Secretary Ed Madigan to add rice to the number of commodity-specific lines in future credit packages.