Rice Facts for Kids

What am I?

Nearly half of the people in the world eat this food daily. 95% of what is grown is eaten by humans. Evidence shows that humans have been growing this plant for 9,000 years, starting in Asia. 

I'm not a fruit or vegetable, I'm a grain. My plant grows like a grass and the flower produces the grain that you eat. There are 120,000 different varieties of this grain in the world!

Where I grow

I'm grown across the world, but mostly in Asia. I grow on the ground in water. When my seedlings (small plants started from seeds) are about one month old, they are moved to a field or paddy that is filled with water. Some paddies are on terraces, which look like steps in the side of a hill. This allows the water to flow down and fill the paddies.

I like sunshine and the water keeps my plant cool. It also keeps the weeds from growing so that I can flourish. 

After I'm picked

After I'm harvested, the grain is separated from the grassy part of the plant. Next I need to be dried and milled. Milling is a process that removes the husk, which is the outer layer around the grain that protects it. After I'm dried and milled, the grain is glossy.

To eat this snack, I am cooked or ground into flour. I pair well with vegetables, like stir fry.

Did you guess... Rice

Español: arroz 

What is your favorite way to eat rice? Watch the video to learn more about how rice grows!

Facts about rice grown in the USA

Industry Facts

• The U.S. rice industry produces 20 billion pounds of rice annually. 
• There are 5,563 rice farmers throughout the country that grow rice across a collective 2.8 million acres. 
• Most of the farming is done by family farms across six major rice-producing states of Arkansas, California, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and Texas. 
• On average, each rice farm contributes $1 million to their local economy. 
• The U.S. rice industry contributes more than $34 billion to the U.S. economy annually and provides jobs for more than 125,000 people in the U.S.
• The U.S. is the 5th largest rice exporter in the world and the largest rice exporter outside of Asia.
• Each year the U.S. rice industry distributes 40 million pounds of rice to combat food insecurity. 

U.S.-Grown Rice Facts

• 95 percent of all sushi eaten in the U.S. is made with U.S.-grown rice.
• 80 percent of all the rice consumed in the U.S. is grown in the U.S. 
• The average American consumes 27 pounds of rice a year. 
• U.S.-grown rice is naturally gluten-free and the least allergenic of all the grains. 
• All U.S.-grown rice is sodium-free, cholesterol-free, and GMO-free. 
• A serving of U.S.-grown rice delivers over 15 vitamins and minerals. 
• National Rice Month (September) was officially designated by a presidential proclamation in 1991.

Source: ThinkRice

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