Rice Essay

The highest level of per capita rice consumption (130 to 180 kilograms [kg] per year, 55 to 80 percent of total caloric source) takes place in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, and Vietnam (Kiple and Ornelas). Today rice accounts for about 20 percent of the world's total calorie intake. Rice is not just a staple in diets worldwide, but rice is central to the economy and landscape of ancient and modern Asian civilizations. Predominantly in contrast to Mediterranean cultures, which are primarily based on wheat (Hirst). On the international market rice commands a higher price than that of wheat.

But over the last passed years that has changed, corn have overcome rice and became the number one crop in China, even though corn is not new to China but plenty has changed since it was first brought from the Americas back in the fifteen hundreds. Corn production has highly increased almost 125 percent over the past 25 years, while rice has increased only 7 percent, according to the World Bank. In 2014, Estimates from state media have said the government will be sitting on 150 million tons of grains that include three of the most important crops for China which are: rice, wheat and corn. That is double the 75 million tons last year and adds to an oversupply of these agricultural commodities that is pressuring prices lower. (http://www.wsj.com/articles/china-is-awash-in-grain-crops-1409071034) China’s demand for corn is expanding at a powerful rate, driven mostly by growth in animal feed consumption, while consumption of staple grains is rising at a more average rate.

With an average coffee production of just under 15,000,000 ton and tea production of 15,000 Rwanda received revenues of $20 million (US). Although the steady growth is primarily due to the exporting of coffee and tea Rwanda’s other exports - coltan, casserite, iron ore, tin and animal hides have aided in its economic recovery. Within the last five years the total of Rwanda’s exports generated nearly $215 million (US). These revenues are based on the international market with most of Rwanda’s exports going to Brazil, Pakistan, China, Spain, Thailand, Belgium, Germany, and the United States. In contrast Rwanda import considerably more than it exports.

The U.S. now exports more to South Korea in one year than was donated during both the 1960s and 70s. Because of this, the two have become extremely close allies, and are now two of the best trading partners in the world ("Ten Questions Commonly Asked About U.S. Foreign Assistance Programs"). Likewise, financially aided agricultural research in developing countries has resulted in millions of dollars of improved yields for U.S. farmers ("USAID Research Helps U.S. Farmers" ). By 1992, two-thirds of the United States rice acreage was planted in varieties acquired through agricultural research funded through foreign assistance programs.

In 2005, Pakistan produced 21,591,400 metric tons of wheat, more than all of Africa’s wheat production that was about 20,304,585 metric tons. Pakistan is a major food exporter, except in occasional years when its harvest is adversely affected by drought. Pakistan exports cotton, fish, rice, fruits, and vegetables. The country is also an Asia's largest camel market, second-largest apricot and ghee market and third-largest cotton, onion and milk market. Agriculture not only includes the crops but livestock and fisheries also makes up in the agriculture sector.

No wonder agriculture has always been one of the main sectors of our economy. Today, India ranks second worldwide in farm output. Agriculture and allied sectors like forestry and fisheries accounted for 13.7% of the GDP in 2013, about 50% of the total workforce. As Per the 2010 FAO world agriculture statistics, India is the world's largest producer of many fresh fruits and vegetables, milk, major spices, select fresh meats, select fibrous crops such as jute, several staples such as millets and castor oil seed. India is the second largest producer of wheat and rice, the world's major food staples.

Speaking of the achievements of agriculture, we will talk to the achievement of food production in our country recently: Rice planted area increased: 5.6 million hectares (1980) to 7.3 million hectares (2005). The crop structure has changed. Productivity increased at 4.9 tonnes / ha / year. Food production in paddy increased: 14.4 million tonnes (1980) to 39.5 million tons, including 36 million tons of rice (2005). Average food at over 470 kg / person / year.

Presently soybean contributes 43 % to the total oilseeds and 25% to the total oil production in the country. Currently, India ranks fourth in respect to production of soybean in the world. Production of soybean in India is dominated by Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh which contribute to 89 per cent of the total Soybean production in country India has the fifth largest vegetable oil economy in the world and Madhya Pradesh is considered as Soya bowl of the country. After cereals, oilseeds are the second largest agricultural commodity, accounting for the 14% of the gross cropped area in the country. However, country meets its edible oil demand through imports, which accounts for almost 50% of requirement.

Rice prices rose when exporters like Vietnam, Cambodia and Egypt, announced restrictions. The fact that rice is a relatively thinly traded crop on the world market (only about 7-8 percent of total rice production actually trades on the global market) exacerbated the susceptibility of the world price to this supply shock. Thailand’s high-quality 100 Percent Grade B long grain milled rice—a benchmark for global trading prices—exceeded $1,000 per ton in late April 2008, more than double the prices in early February and triple the prices of November 2007. U.S. prices soared as well, with U.S. long-grain milled rice for export quoted at a record $948 per ton in late April 2008, up m... ... middle of paper ... ... by Philippines, Nigeria, Malaysia and Indonesia, four major rice consumers and importers. Since India imports very little rice, its consumers were not affected by global rice prices as were the consumers from the above countries.

The genus Oryza has twenty wild species and two cultivated species – Oryza sativa and Oryza glaberrima. O. glaberrima is mainly cultivated in the West African region, whereas O. Sativa is found in Asia where it is a popular variety for cultivation. Globally, O. Sativa is cultivated in over 112 countries (Chang, 2000). The cultivation of rice was initiated in the Asian region, particularly in China, and later on became popular in nearby countries such as India and subsequently Sri Lanka (Chang, 2000). Rice has been an important food source since 2500 BC and is a staple food for approximately half of the world’s population (Chang, 2000).