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ENGINEERS INDIA RESEARCH INSTITUTE
4/54, Roop Nagar, Delhi-110007 (India)
Phone: 9289151047, 9811437895, 9811151047
E-mail:
[email protected]
Website: www.eiriindia.org
PARBOILED RICE PROCESSING PLANT (CAP: 6
TPH)
[EIRI/EDPR/4749] J.C.: 2969XL
Rice is two species in the Poaceae ("true grass") family, Oryza sativa and Oryza
glaberrima. These plants are native to tropical and subtropical southern and
southeastern Asia and in Africa. Rice provides more than one fifth of the calories
consumed by humans in their global diets. Rice is a monocarpic annual plant,
growing to 1–1.8 m tall, occasionally more depending on the variety and soil
fertility. The grass has long, slender leaves 50–100 cm long and 2–2.5 cm broad.
The small wind-pollinated flowers are produced in a branched arching to
pendulous inflorescence 30–50 cm long. The seed is a grain (caryopsis) 5–12 mm
long and 2–3 mm thick.
Rice is a staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in
East and Southeast Asia, making it the most consumed cereal grain. It is the
world's largest crop (700 million metric tons in 2005), with maize ("corn") (692
million metric tons in 2005) and wheat (626 million metric tons in 2005) behind it.
Rice cultivation is well-suited to countries and regions with low labour costs and
high rainfall, as it is very labour-intensive to cultivate and requires plenty of water
for irrigation, much like the licorice crops found in Eastern Europe. Rice can be
grown practically anywhere, even on steep hillsides. Although its species are
native to South Asia and certain parts of Africa, centuries of trade and exportation
have made it commonplace in many cultures.