History of Rice

Rice is the seed of the grass species Oryza sativa (Asian rice) or Oryza glaberrima (African rice). As a cereal grain, it is the most widely consumed staple food for a large part of the world’s human population, especially in Asia. It is the agricultural commodity with the third-highest worldwide production after sugarcane and maize . Rice is considered to have originated at least 130 million years ago as wild grass. Cultivated rice, as we know it today, was first grown about 10,000 years ago in south-east Asia, probably in India.

        


Oryza sativa with small wind-pollinated flowers    Shapes and sizes of rice

Rice is the most important grain with regard to human nutrition and caloric intake, providing more than one-fifth of the calories consumed worldwide by humans. There are many varieties of rice and culinary preferences tend to vary regionally. Rice can come in many shapes, colors and sizes e.g. Long Grain, medium grain, short grain, black rice, red rice, white rice etc.
Rice cultivation is well-suited to countries and regions with low labor costs and high rainfall, as it is labor-intensive to cultivate and requires ample water. However, rice can be grown practically anywhere, even on a steep hill or mountain area with the use of water-controlling terrace systems.
The traditional method for cultivating rice is flooding the fields while, or after, setting the young seedlings.

1. Origin of Rice:Rice is a grain harvested from the long, grass-like stalk of the Oryza sativa plant
   (Asian rice) or the Oryza glaberrima (African rice). It is the most widely consumed staple food for a large part of the world’s human population, especially in Asia. Rice is grown on every continent on earth, except Antarctica. It is the third-highest worldwide production, after sugarcane and maize (corn). Rice is the most important human food crop in the world, directly feeding more people than any other crop. In 2012, nearly half of world’s population – more than 3 billion people – relied on rice every day. It is also the staple food across Asia where around half of the world’s poorest people live and is becoming increasingly important in Africa and Latin America. There are more than 40,000 varieties of cultivated rice (the grass species Oryza sativa) said to exist. Rice has fed more people over a longer time than has any other crop. Rice is unique because it can grow in wet environments that other crops cannot survive in. Such wet environments are abundant across Asia.
   2. Global Trade Overeiw:Global rice trade is now forecast at a record 47.9 million tons for 2018, but the composition of suppliers is expected to change from last year. For the seventh consecutive year, Indian and pakistanian is forecast to be the top exporter, reaching a record 13.0 million tons. With record production and ample stocks, there is no threat of the government curtailing non-basmati exports and the forecast is for robust basmati and non-basmati exports, primarily to the Asian, African, and Middle Eastern regions. In contrast, Thai exports are forecast at 10.2 million tons for 2018, down over 12 percent from last year. In 2017, exports were aided by the rapid pace of sales from old-crop rice auctions of government stocks. In the current year, the government is nearing depletion of these stocks, while the private sector is expected to return to its role of maintaining adequate levels of pipeline reserves. Vietnam’s exports are seen slightly higher at 6.7 million tons, reflecting continued strong sales to China and expanded opportunities for supplying affordably priced rice to the region. Other exporters are also expected to edge up, with China in particular accelerating sales to African countries.