What It Is
Parboiled rice is paddy that has been soaked, steamed and dried before milling. It is harder, less sticky and more nutritious than raw rice, and is the everyday rice of much of East and South India and of many African and Gulf buyers.
How It Is Made
Paddy is soaked in hot water, steamed to gelatinise the starch, dried in sun yards or mechanical driers, and then milled. Modern parboiling plants recover the husk as boiler fuel.
Uses and Buyers
Households in West Bengal, Odisha, Bihar, Tamil Nadu and Kerala; caterers; and export buyers in West Africa, the Gulf and Bangladesh.
Quality and Standards
Buyers look for even colour, low breakage and no smell. Export lots are tested for moisture and broken percentage.
Trade and Exports
India is the world's largest exporter of parboiled rice, shipping mainly through Kakinada, Visakhapatnam, Kolkata and Kandla.
Where the Raw Material Comes From
Processors buy rice from the main growing states below. Plants are usually built close to these belts, or close to ports for imported raw material, to keep freight low and quality fresh. Tap a state for its districts, markets, season and buyers.
| State | Main districts |
|---|---|
| West Bengal | Bardhaman, Bankura, Medinipur, Murshidabad, Nadia, Birbhum |
| Uttar Pradesh | Gorakhpur, Basti, Ayodhya, Bareilly, Pilibhit, Shahjahanpur |
| Punjab | Sangrur, Ludhiana, Patiala, Bathinda, Moga |
| Haryana | Karnal, Kurukshetra, Kaithal, Ambala, Yamunanagar |
| Andhra Pradesh | East and West Godavari, Krishna, Guntur, Nellore |
| Telangana | Nalgonda, Suryapet, Karimnagar, Nizamabad, Khammam, Kamareddy |
| Chhattisgarh | Raipur, Durg, Bilaspur, Janjgir-Champa, Dhamtari, Mahasamund |
| Odisha | Bargarh, Sambalpur, Kalahandi, Balasore, Cuttack, Puri |
| Tamil Nadu | Thanjavur, Thiruvarur, Nagapattinam, Tiruchirappalli |
| Bihar | Rohtas, Kaimur, Buxar, Aurangabad, Gaya, West Champaran |
| Assam | Nagaon, Barpeta, Nalbari, Golaghat, Jorhat |
| Karnataka | Mandya, Shivamogga, Davangere, Raichur, Koppal, Ballari |
| Kerala | Palakkad, Alappuzha (Kuttanad), Thrissur |
| Jharkhand | Gumla, Ranchi, Simdega, Dumka, Sahibganj |
| Madhya Pradesh | Balaghat, Jabalpur, Rewa, Satna, Katni |
| Maharashtra | Bhandara, Gondia, Chandrapur, Gadchiroli, Raigad |
| Manipur | Imphal East, Imphal West, Thoubal, Bishnupur |
| Tripura | West Tripura, Gomati, Unakoti, Dhalai |
| Nagaland | Dimapur, Peren, Mon, Wokha |
| Meghalaya | West Garo Hills, Ri Bhoi, West Jaintia Hills |
| Arunachal Pradesh | Lower Subansiri (Ziro), East Siang, Papum Pare |
Makers, Processors and Bodies
- Satyam Balajee Rice Industries Pvt LtdParboiled rice exporterAboutExplore
- Pattabhi Agro Foods Pvt LtdParboiled rice exporterAboutExplore
- Sri Lalitha Enterprises Industries Pvt LtdPeddapuram · rice exporterAboutExplore
- Olam Agri India Pvt LtdRice exportAboutExplore
Related: Rice · All products · All crops
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