Rice is grown in more than a hundred countries, with a total harvested area in 2009 of approximately 158 million hectares, producing more than 700 million tons annually (470 million tons of milled rice). About 90% of the rice in the world is grown in Asia (nearly 640 million tons). Sub-Saharan Africa produces about 19 million tons and Latin America some 25 million tons. In Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, almost all rice is grown on small farms of 0.5−3 hectares.

Where rice is grown around the world – showing the three major rice growing environments.

Rice yields range from less than 1 ton per hectare under very poor rainfed conditions to more than 10 t/ha in intensive temperate irrigated systems. Small, and in many areas shrinking, farm sizes account for the low incomes of rice farm families.

Rice grows in a wide range of environments and is productive in many situations where other crops would fail. Rice-growing environments are based on their hydrological characteristics and include irrigated, rainfed lowland, and rainfed upland.

Few of them are:

ASIA

• Pakistan
• Nepal
• India
• Bangladesh
• Myanmar
• China
• Lao PDR
• Vietnam
• Thailand
• Cambodia
• Philippine
• Indonesia
• Sri Lanka
• Japan
• Egypt

USA

• Italy
• Spain
• Greece
• Australia
• Iran

Published Date: August 23, 2023