RICE
The major rice producing states are Arkansas, California, Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi and Missouri. Almost half of the U.S. rice crop is exported to over 100 countries.
There are thousands of different varieties of rice (Oryza sativa). At the International Rice Research Institute Genetic Resources Center in the Philippines, there are 80,000 rice samples in cold storage.
Rice is grown on every continent except Antarctica.
One seed of rice yields more than 3,000 grains. It is the highest yielding cereal grain and can grow in many kinds of environments and soils, which is why it is grown everywhere.
USA Rice Federation www.usarice.com
50% of all the world's rice is eaten within 8 miles of where it is grown.
Rice, millet, and sorghum are though to be the first crops ever cultivated.
Rice has been cultivated for over 5,000 years.
Rice was introduced to Japan sometime before 100 B.C. from China or Korea.
According to Shinto belief, the Emperor of Japan is the living embodiment of the god of the ripened rice plant, Ninigo-no-mikoto.
In the late 20th century, the world rice crop averaged between 800,000,000,000 and 950,000,000,000 pounds annually and was cultivated on an average of about 358,000,000 acres.
More than 1 billion people throughout the world are actively involved in growing rice.
Americans eat a little more than 20 pounds of rice per person each year. Asians eat as much as 300 pounds per person each year, while in the United Arab Emirates it is about 450 pounds, and in France about 10 pounds.
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