The United States produced about 2 % of the world’s total annual production. It accounts for about 10% of the annual world exports of rice.
The type of rice exported is rough or unmilled rice, parboiled rice, brown rice, and fully milled rice.
Rice reportedly was first introduced in to the United States in 1686, when ship from Madagascar was forced to shore in Charleston, South Carolina.
Upon departure the captain presented a bag of rice to the townspeople in appreciation for their hospitality shown him.
Within the United States, measurable rice production occurs in six states – Arkansas, California, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Texas with the majority of the area seeded with varieties of long grain rice.
All the six states account for more than 99% of all rice grown in the US.
In many areas of the word, the water that is impounded within the paddies is from rainwater, whereas in the United States rice is irrigated from wells or surface water such as river.
Production in the United States is a highly sophisticated operation, with laser leveling of fields and huge combines specially designed for rice harvest.
Rice production in United States
