[Crops 101] How To Sow & Harvest Rice

Welcome to your next “Crops 101” lesson of the Farming Simulator Academy! Today, we’re focusing on rice – not long grain rice. We show you how to set up a rice paddy, plant and care for your rice, and finally harvest it.

Rice Or Long Grain Rice?

There are two different types of rice in Farming Simulator: rice and long grain rice. They require different water levels, planting methods, and harvesting machines. In this tutorial, we focus on rice.

Switch over to our long grain rice tutorial.

What Is Special About Rice?

• Rice only grows in a rice paddy, a special field that you create through build mode.
• The paddy needs to be filled with water before you plant rice.
• Rice is planted as saplings with a dedicated rice planter instead of being sown with a regular seeder.
• Once you have created a rice paddy, you can reuse it for future harvests instead of building a new one every year.

What You Need For Rice

Rice requires a dedicated paddy and some specialized equipment. A few additional tools help you maintain the best possible yield.

• Tractor: Used to operate most of the following tools.
• Rice planter: Plants the rice saplings and can also apply fertilizer while you work.
• Rice harvester: A specialized machine required to harvest the crop.
• Trailer: Transports the harvested rice to a selling point, production facility, or storage.
• Fertilizer spreader: Use a lime-compatible model to apply lime.
• Cultivator: Prepares the rice paddy for another crop after harvesting.

Let’s Get To Work!

If seasonal growth is enabled, plant rice in April or May. Depending on when you plant it, your rice will be ready to harvest between August and September.

Step 1: Placing a rice paddy

Open Build Mode and go to the cultivation section where you find rice paddies alongside olives and grapes. Select the rice paddy and start creating it on an open area of land that you own.

• Place the first corner of the paddy with the assigned button.
• Continue placing points until the paddy has the shape and size you want.
• Keep in mind that the water pump will be located on the first side you create.
• When you are finished, press the assigned button to complete the paddy.

Tip! If you want to remove the rice paddy later, use demolition mode in Build Mode. The lowered terrain remains after demolition, so use ground sculpting if you want to level the area again.

Step 2: Planting rice

Before planting, fill the rice paddy with water by interacting with the water pump. At this stage, keep the paddy filled up to 60% so the rice can be planted and start growing.

Fill your rice planter with rice saplings and fertilizer. Drive into the paddy, lower and activate the planter, and cover the entire area one row after another.

Tip! You can grow your own rice saplings in a specialized greenhouse.

More about seeding and planting in general.

Step 3: Managing the water level

Rice needs different amounts of water during its growth stages. Interact with the water pump to add or remove water whenever necessary. The pump only allows the appropriate adjustment for the current growth stage.

Check the water pump regularly while your rice grows. If the correct water level is not maintained, you may lose some of your rice saplings.

Step 4: Harvesting rice

Once the rice is ready to harvest, drive your rice harvester into one corner of the paddy, activate the machine, and work through the crop one row after another.

Keep an eye on the fill level while harvesting. When the tank is full, drive up to your trailer and unload the harvested rice. Then continue until the whole paddy has been harvested.

Step 5: Selling rice

You can sell your rice directly. Check the prices screen to find a selling point offering a good price, drive there with your trailer, and unload in the designated area. You can also deliver rice to production facilities instead of selling it immediately. If you want to wait for a better price, store the harvested rice in your silo.

Step 6: Preparing for the next harvest

Every third harvest, apply lime to your rice paddy to maintain the best possible yield. Use a compatible fertilizer spreader and cover the entire area.

After harvesting, cultivate the paddy before planting another batch of rice. You do not need to create a new rice paddy through Build Mode – simply prepare the existing one again.

Processing Rice: Products

Instead of selling rice directly, you can use it in several production chains and make for example rice oil or rice boxes. The overview above shows which production facilities accept rice and all possibilities you have.

Well Done!

Congratulations! You now know how to plant and harvest rice in Farming Simulator. When you're ready, continue with the next Farming Simulator Academy lesson!