Asian countries produce the majority of rice grown worldwide. Typically, China and India together produce about half the world’s rice, and it is a significant agricultural crop in more than 50 other countries. Most of the rice grown worldwide is consumed in the countries where it is produced, with some exceptions. The United States, Pakistan, and Thailand, for example, export rice to other countries. Countries that import rice include Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria, Philippines, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Senegal, Japan, and Indonesia. Some rice-importing countries buy rice on a regular basis; others buy when drought, floods, or other conditions reduce the yield of their own rice crop.

Rice is used for a variety of food and nonfood products. Foods include cooked rice, breakfast cereals, desserts, and rice flour. Rice is also used in beer and in sake, a Japanese fermented brew. The inedible rice hull is used as fuel, fertilizer, and insulation, while the bran is a source of cooking oil. Straw from the leaves and stems is used as bedding for animals and for weaving roofs, hats, baskets, and sandals.