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Rice (genus Oryza) is tolerant to desert, hot, humid, flooded, dry and cool conditions, and grows in saline, alkaline and acidic soils. Of 23 Oryza species, two are cultivated: Oryza sativa (left), which originated in the humid tropics of Asia, and O. glaberrima, from West Africa. Asian cultivated rice has evolved into three eco-geographic races - indica, japonica and javanica.
Top 10 rice producers, 2003
(paddy production in metric tonnes) |
| 1. China | 166,000,000 |
| 2. India | 133,513,000 |
| 3. Indonesia | 51,849,200 |
| 4. Bangladesh | 38,060,000 |
| 5. Viet Nam | 34,605,400 |
| 6. Thailand | 27,000,000 |
| 7. Myanmar | 21,900,000 |
| 8. Philippines | 13,171,087 |
| 9. Brazil | 10,219,300 |
| 10. Japan | 9,863,000 |
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