I now understand how varied the world of cultivated rice is; that rice can play the lead or be a sidekick; that brown rice is as valuable as white; and that short-grain rice is the bee’s knees.
According to the FAO: “wheat is grown on more land area than any other commercial crop and continues to be the most important food grain source for humans.”
The biggest producer of rice in 2016 was China with more than 200 million tons harvested, followed by India, Indonesia, Bangladesh and Vietnam. Myanmar, Thailand, Philippines, Brazil and Pakistan complete the top 10. Overall rice is harvested in more than 110 countries and on all continents. Brazil, USA and Nigeria are the only countries among the top 20, Italy is the first European country on 32nd place.
The biggest increase in rice harvesting between 2000 and 2016 happened in India, followed by Indonesia and China. The biggest decline in harvest in that period happened in Japan, followed by South Korea and Australia. The top 3 countries in 2000 did not change in 2016.
