Paddy (Dhan) is a grain enclosed with a seed coat called a hull. Rice (chamal) is a grain devoid of the hull. It is the major staple food for Asian countries of Nepal.

Importance  of Rice:

A. Economic importance :

• It is the major crop for the household and national economy.
• It is the major crop for employment opportunities because it needs more colors.
• It contributes about 7% to the National GDP and 20 % to GDP.
• It is the top crop prioritized by the government of Nepal.

B. Industrial importance :

• Preparation of beaten rice (chiura) and rice straw is used for making mats, shoes, hats, and ropes.
• Due to the presence of silica and potassium in greater percent, rice straw can be used as raw material for the glass industry and quality paper industry.
• Rice hulls used as firing material in industry.
• Rice hull used for manufacture of insulation material, cardboard, etc.

C. Human Nutritional Values:

• Fulfills more than 50 % of calories requirement
• Chemical composition: carbohydrate 79%, protein (7-8%), oil (2-5%), fiber (0.8%), ash (5-9%).
• Rich source of vitamin B complex.
• Used to make beverages like chyang, etc.

D. Animal nutrition value :

• Straw is the major foder used for cattle as hay.
• Rice bran is used for cattle and poultry.
• Broken rice (kanika) is used as animal feed.

E. Socio-cultural and religious value

• Pindas are balls of cooked rice offered to ancestors during Hindu funeral rites and ancestor worship.
• Annaprasana – the first rice-feeding ceremony is observed six months after a child’s birth.
• In Dashain, rice is used in preparations like tika and jamara (rice sprout seedlings)

F. Other value

• Straws are used as housing materials.
• Staw used in making mushroom production/
• Staw used as bedding material for humans and animals.
• Staw used for making firing material like a guide.