FAQ’s
Check below for answers to common qustions about the Missouri Rice Council
Q. In what counties does Missouri grow rice?
Missouri rice farmers reside in the “bootheel” of the state. Specifically, you can find Missouri rice farms in Bollinger, Cape Girardeau, Scott, Stoddard, Butler, Ripley, Dunklin, Pemiscot, New Madrid, and Mississippi counties.
Q. Where does Missouri rice end up being sold?
Missouri rice actually makes it around the world, besides just being sold in our immediate area. Roughly half of U.S. rice is exported. In fact, in 2008, Missouri rice was the first grains to hit the shores of Cuba in over 40 years. We are proud that the quality and price point allows Missouri rice to be a global competitor.
Q. How are farmers in Missouri able to raise rice? Isn't it too dry?
The Bootheel area of Missouri is sort of an anomaly when it comes to Missouri’s topography, being more akin to Arkansas and more southern delta states. The farmland throughout the bootheel serves as a rich foundation for rice farming, thanks to hundreds of years of natural flooding from the Mississippi River in this “Missouri Delta.” As the river changed dramatically through natural events, this area was left as a fertile and low-lying farmland perfectly suited for the wetland-style region that rice farming requires.
Q. How much rice is grown in Missouri annually?
On average, Missouri rice farmers produce approximately 200,000 acres of rice each year. In 2021, the total was 199,000 acres. Missouri is the fourth largest rice producing state in the country.
