Mississippi State University
- Mississippi ranks in the top 6 states in the U.S. that grow the most rice
- Mississippi harvested 118,000 acres and planted around 121,000 acres in 2023
- 8,791,000 hundredweight of rice was produced in 2023
- There are 221 rice-producing farms in Mississippi
- $135 million value of rice production in 2023
- Top producing county is Bolivar County
Other Mississippi Rice Facts
- Rice production is concentrated in the northeast area of the Mississippi
- Mississippi rice counties: Bolivar, Coahoma, Desoto, Grenada, Humphreys, Issaquena, Leflore, Panola, Quitman, Sharkey, Sunflower, Tallahatchie, Tunica, Tate, Washington, and Yazoo (16 out of 82 counties or 20% of the state)
- Rice ranks among the state’s top agricultural exports
- Mississippi’s rice crop is harvested in August and September
General U.S. Rice Facts
- Most of the rice farming is done by family farms across six major rice-producing states of Arkansas, California, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and Texas. They produce 20 billion pounds of rice annually.
- The U.S. rice industry contributes more than $34 billion to the U.S. economy annually and provides jobs for more than 125,000 people in the U.S.
- For the U.S. Rice Story and History of Resource Stewardship, please visit The U.S. Rice Story on Think Rice
Nutrition Facts
- The average American consumes 27 pounds of rice a year.
- U.S.-grown rice is naturally gluten-free and the least allergenic of all the grains.
- All U.S.-grown rice is sodium-free, cholesterol-free, and GMO-free.
- A serving of U.S.-grown rice delivers over 15 vitamins and minerals.
- 80% of all the rice consumed in the U.S. is grown in the U.S.
For information about different varieties of rice, go to U.S. Rice Varieties on Think Rice.