For
more information, contact
Abbie Granger, 209-946-0246
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Stockton,
CA, July 2, 2002 – The Port of Stockton started receiving truckloads of bagged rice for
export today. These bags of rice
are for a Government Aid Food program to the country of Uzbekistan.
This is the second year in a row the Port of Stockton has been selected
over several other ports on the Pacific Coast, the Gulf of Mexico and the
Atlantic Coast.
“We
are very pleased that this port has been selected again for this important food
program,” said Richard Aschieris, the Port’s Director.
Last year the Port was selected and also had the opportunity to use the
occasion of the arrival of the vessel, the M/V Liberty Grace to celebrate not
only the food program but the maiden voyage of the vessel.
This year Liberty Maritime will again provide the U.S. Flag vessel, the
M/V Liberty Wave. The vessel is
tentatively scheduled to arrive and start loading the rice the first week of
August.
There
will be 44,000 metric tons of rice loaded onto the ship.
This is the equivalent of approximately 1900 truckloads of bagged rice.
For every ten loads of rice each day a new job is created. “The Port of Stockton’s mission is to create more
family-wage jobs and this business is the kind of business that helps make that
goal a reality,” said Director, Aschieris.
The
Port of Stockton is the premier inland port for the State of California and the
Central Valley. Many bulk product
firms, retailers and agricultural interests depend upon this port for export,
import, distribution and warehousing. The
Port is uniquely adjacent to major freeways (Interstate 5 and Highway 99) and
south of Interstate 80. The Port is
conveniently located for the nation’s agricultural frontrunner, the California
Central Valley.
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