Rice belongs to one of the most ancient, widely spread and important high-yield crops of the world. It is grown in over 112 countries at area over 150 million ha. The crop originates from the southern and south-eastern areas of Asia (eastern India, Indo-China, South of China and tropic Africa (the Upper Niger). It has been cultivated at the North of India, North of Indo-China and South-West of China, and then a bit latter it spread through whole the territories of Indo-China, traveled to Philippines, China, Korea, Japan, Middle East, and soon after it had paid a visit to Africa and Europe, rice was brought the crop to America, Australia and Oceania.

The crop is the main foodstuff for majority of Earth’s population; it is highly respected and valued in the densely populated areas of monsoon Asia, where its ration share makes up to 80%. Rice is considered to have over 7 thousand of cultivated types, over thousand of which is grown in India.

Due to its high nutritious and digesting properties the crop is one of the best diet products. Rice grains are processed into flour, starch, powder, alcohol etc. Its straws are used to make paper of high quality, very thin and durable (the best cigarette paper), used to make hats, wicker decorative goods, baskets etc., rice oil is widely used in soap industry.

Nature and climate peculiarities of southern Ukraine are suitable enough for rice cultivation. Existing irrigation systems allow to introduce modern melioration technologies and provide crops with the required volumes of water.

Rice industry development encouraged demand for special economy researches oriented at the field efficiency enhancement. And transition to market economy relations highly increases importance of the work.

Rice cultivation perspectives research and forecasting, creation of necessary social-economic conditions for heavy crops and the industry output improvement, economic assessment of technologies enhancement, establishment of the state regulations for the industry, rice market establishment in Ukraine study, along with practical issues of production organization improvement are the live issues for the country that bring economy to its potential.

Rice production.

During the XX century rice was among all the crops providing population with food, and it was the one to have the fastest production increase capacity: the 1979- 1998 period marked 1.4 fold rice production increase: during 1998 over 585.6 million tones of the crop were cultivated. In 1999 world’s total output of rice increased by 21.9 mln tones compared to 1998 and reached the number of 607.5 mln tones. 2001 was less productive if compared to 1999. The harvest of 2000 was 591 mln. t., and the one of 2001, having decreased by 5.9 mln. t., almost matched 1998 – 585.1 mln. t.

Having higher productivity then wheat as for 8-10 centner/ha, rice provides the population with an essential foodstuff in the volume of around 600 mln. tones per year.

China is the biggest rice producer, each year over 31-35% of the world rice production is grown there. Despite a decrease at the production, rice cultivation areas reduction, China is an undisputed leader of this valuable foodstuff manufacturing (annual volume output varies between 180 and 203 mln. tones), the second biggest rice producer is India – 124-134 mln. tones, which is 22-23% of the total rice output in the world. Among the leaders that make up the top five are following countries: Indonesia with 50.4-52.9 mlm. tones per year, Bangladesh with 34.5-36.5 mlm. tones, Vietnam with 31.2-31.7 mln. tones. Other countries contribute greatly to the annual rice harvest as well - Thailand produces 25.5 mlm. tones per year.

Japan's recent annual share was 11.3-11.9 mln. tones, Philippines – 12.-12.7 mln. tones, USA grows 9.3-9.5 mlm. tones of the crop per year, Brazil – 10.7-11.6 mln. tones.

Rice in Ukraine

It is a well-known fact that starting from 30s Ukrainian farmers wanted badly to have their own rice fields. Nevertheless, rice cultivation in Ukraine started blooming full only at 60s, when funds were provided and modern rice systems were built at the territories that had not been used before due to salinization. This trend made it possible to fully satisfy the demand for rice in the country.

After Kransoznamyanska irrigation system (project irrigation area – 96.7 thousand ha), North-Crimean Channel (3557 thousand ha) and rice irrigation systems at the delta of Danube river were built, the rice system areas had been growing large with every year, and in 1975 Ukraine had 62.9 thousand ha of such territories, including Crimean ones – 30.6 thousand ha; as well as other regions such as Kherson– 18.2 thousand ha, Odessa – 13.3 thousand ha, Trans-Carpathians – 0.8 thousand ha.

Cultivation areas size has stabilized at the level of 33-38 thousand ha. Paddy fields took unproductive and saline soils that had been mainly used as poor grassland for sheep. Rice has not only been giving high amounts of harvests at such a soil, but due to melioration technology of its cultivation the crop facilitated conditions for dry land crops growing at the rotation period, mainly cereal and fodder crops, that latter became a background for livestock farming intensive development.

Rice cultivation made the unproductive lands that had almost not been used earlier become a part of intensive agriculture.

State and collective farms used rice systems in agriculture. Cultivation of this and other crops at rotation periods was playing a key roll in the economic success. Elevated economy effect, which the farms were undergoing due to rice and companion crops cultivation, contributed to the inflow and consolidation of workforce - under-populated areas became contemporary country-sides.

Best results in the field of the crop cultivation were achieved in 1986-1990, when almost 180 thousand tones of rice were grown, whereas average crop capacity is 54 centner/ha. However, the crisis that affected all spheres of the economy after 1991, damaged rice production as well. During 1991-1995 average rice output in Ukraine has decreased to 101.4 thousand tones, and dropped to 80 thousand tones over next decade. Nevertheless, the production decrease came to a halt and starting from 2002-2005 production growth was to come, and about 100 thousand tones of rice were grown in 2006, average crop capacity was 52.5 centner/ha in bin and 46 centner/ha in success criteria weight.

If compared to 1986-90 period, 2006’s croppage was 56.5% and crop capacity – 86.5%, thus croppage increase was mainly a result of production intensification and crop capacity improvement and areas extension.

During the period of market economy Ukraine has gone through dramatic changes in social and economic background of production. First of all it shook the basis of property relations to main production means, land relations, farming methods in agricultural sphere etc.

1990-1999 agricultural production in Ukraine was marked by considerable decrease of gross output volume. In 1999 it fell down to 48.6% (its number in 1990was 52.6%).

Critical situation of Ukraine economy after 1990 affected rice cultivation as well. It resulted in paddy areas reduction, decrease in the crop capacity and rice croppage. However, decrease preventing measures of agricultural (including rice cultivation) production made it possible to stop the downfall of 2000 and brought benefits to the agriculture development, and rice production as well.

Over last years rice cultivation areas in Ukraine take areas about 21-22 thousands ha and have 1-2% annual growth of area. The positive tendency of the rice capacity increase is very profound: during 2000-2005 the crop capacity was increased by 20.8% and was 43 centner/ha (weight after processing). Rice capacity increase resulted in both general croppage growth and share increase of Ukrainian rice production.