History of Rice

Rice is the seed of two grass species: Oryza sativa (Asian rice) and Oryza glaberrima (African rice). As a cereal grain, it serves as the most widely consumed staple food for a significant portion of the global population, particularly in Asia. Globally, rice ranks as the third-highest agricultural commodity in production, following sugarcane and maize. It is believed that rice originated at least 130 million years ago as wild grass. The cultivation of rice in its present form began around 10,000 years ago in Southeast Asia, likely in India.