Mississippi Rice Facts

Mississippi State University

  • Mississippi is #6 in the U.S. in terms of states that grow the most rice
  • Missisippi harvested 84,525 acres and planted around 119,000 acres in 2022
  • 12,580,000 hundredweight of rice was produced in 2020
  • There are 221 rice-producing farms in Mississippi
  • $97,000,000 value of rice production in 2022
  • Top producing county acreage wise 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.
  • And nearly 81 percent of the rice Americans eat is grown by America’s rice farmers which means it’s sustainable, healthy, and affordable – not to mention delicious and convenient! Now that’s reason celebrate!
  • 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.

For information about different varieties of rice, go to U.S. Rice Varieties on Think Rice.