Katy rice growers participate in holiday rice donation to needy FacebookTwitterEmail 1of2 Rice farmers including some in Katy donated 11,000 pounds of rice to an Austin food bank. Show MoreShow Less 2of2 The donation will help an Austin-based food bank meet needs of people hurting in the pandemic. Show MoreShow Less A group of Katy rice growers has contributed to an organization’s donation of 11,000 pounds of rice to an Austin food bank. The Western Rice Belt Production Conference, which represents rice growers in the region west of Houston and is put on by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, was changed to a virtual event because of the pandemic. That saved money; so the extra funds were used to help feed people in 21 Central Texas counties.