Myanmar is the world's sixth-largest rice-producing country. Rice is the country's most important crop and is grown on over 8 million ha, or more than half of its arable land. The country's rice production increased from around 18 million t of milled rice in 1995 to over 22 million t in 2010. Some area expansion and yield increase accounted for the improved rice production.
In January 2010, there was a major reorganization in Myanmar's domestic rice industry. The Myanmar Rice Industry Association (MRIA) was established by the country's leading rice producers, traders, and exporters from three separate organizations that joined forces to make Myanmar's rice industry more competitive with rival countries such as Thailand and Vietnam.