Rice is primarily a high-energy food. It is a primary grain crop for more than 50% of the world’s population. Rice is an important food crop of India as it has the world’s largest area covering 41.9 million hectares with a total production of 83.13 million tonnes annually. Its area is about 37% of the total area under food grains as against 20% under wheat, another important food crop of India. However, globally it stands next to wheat in harvested area. In fact, about 65% of the people consume rice as part of their diet in India.

On an average, an Asian consumer eats about 150 kg of rice per year as compared to a European who consumes only 5 kg of rice in a year. It is grown in diversified soil types, topographical and hydrological situations varying from sloppy uplands to deep water conditions of above 1 m depth. It can be grown in hot and cool areas to adverse soil conditions such as salinity, alkalinity and acidity. Each and every part of the plant has various uses in society.