Our World Today- Rice

Rice, Oryza sativa, is the grass which supports more than half of the human population on this planet. It was domesticated more than 5000 years ago, in South Asia. Now it is the staple food of China, Thailand, Myenmar and most of India. Besides being the main food, rice is also associated with prosperity and fertility, and so is used by the Hindus at festivals. Rice is showered on the newly weds during the wedding ceremony.

Rice is also used in funerals to make the passage to heaven easy for the departed.

There are many varieties of rice, the most famous is the fragrant, long grained Basumati rice grown in the foothills of the Himalayas.
Sadly, the rice fields near cities are being gobbled up by the builders. Since rice is a labour intensive crop, farmers find it increasingly difficult to get farm labour.

This woman is a small cultivator of a special type of red rice grown only in the Western Ghats, in India. She and her husband do most of the work in their farm, and grow enough to sustain their family. They sell the surplus.

My thanks to the team of Our World Tuesday, where you can see interesting aspects of our wonderful world.