Why does brown rice cost more to buy than white rice?

Answer 1

Interesting question! According to Wikipedia, brown rice has traditionally been cheaper in Asia, but has come to be more expensive because of "low consumption, difficulty of storage and transport, and higher nutritional value." Sounds good to me, but to elaborate unless that isn't clear:

1) More people want white rice, so it can be "mass produced" with greater economy of scale. I'm guessing this is a relatively minor reason, if it is even really a factor at all.

2) White rice can go longer without spoiling, because the bran has oil that can go rancid. The longer you can store something, the cheaper it can be provided--think of fruit, which can be a lot more expensive when it is not in season locally.

3) Brown rice is a specialty item. Companies charge more because they know if you are buying brown rice, you are making a conscious decision to buy it. You want the health benefits or whatever, and you are therefore willing to pay more then people who just grab "normal" white rice.

btfilms seems to be quoting an interview from the New York Times about the extra processing thing. However, I found an different article that says "The process for producing brown rice is relatively simple[...] For brown rice, once the husk is removed the germ and bran layers are left intact[...] No further processing is needed. White rice, on the other hand, requires still more processing after the de-husking stage[...]" and all the other sources confirm this. I'm guessing the guy in the New York Times didn't know what he was talking about.

Answer 2

Cost Of Brown Rice

Answer 3

Brown Rice Cost

Answer 4

I know exactly what you mean. I buy Uncle Ben's Brown rice and I pay $4.12 for a small bag because they don't sell any big bags at least not where I buy the rice. Try an organic store they might sell by pound. But be careful because brown rice can get rotten faster than white rice. So try not to buy too much unless you plan to eat it within 2 weeks and make sure to put in the refrigerator once youve opened it

Answer 5

The cost of the brown rice is only slightly more. The brown rice costs more because it is more difficult to process. There are more steps involved. It is necessary to keep the rice as uniform in color as possible, so it has to go through several steps to discard the darker, broken grains of rice.

Answer 6

My best guess here is the law of supply and demand.
Since most people (for reasons unkown to me) prefer white rice, there is a larger demand for white rice. Therefore, there is, as an answer, a larger supply in the market, and therefore, a lower price.
If more people were to buy brown rice, the price of brown rice would to down and the price of white rice, now being a rarity, would go up.

Answer 7

because white rice is produced and manufactured on a larger scale so that can keep prices down. brown rice on the other hand is in smaller demand and has a higher overall price. plus its better for you. seems that things that are better for you cost more.

Answer 8

I'm not so sure, but I think that brown rice is more healthier
than white rice.

Answer 9

Better for you! And I heard junk food was going to cost more. Go figure.
But that's my guess!

Answer 10

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