Wild Rice
Wild rice is the grain of Zizania palustris and related species, an aquatic grass native to the lakes and rivers of the Great Lakes basin and the northern plains of North America. It is not rice. The grain is long, slender and dark, and it is parched over heat after harvest, which is what fixes its colour and its nutty flavour. It carries no gluten. Wild rice is cooked whole as a side dish and in pilafs, blended with long grain rice, milled into flour, puffed for snacks, and used in soups and prepared foods.
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Listed wild rice markets
Each line is a grade at a delivery point. Open one for its full specification and terms.
Price guarantee on wild rice
If a move in the wild rice price would hurt you, fix the price now. We agree it today for the months you name, and it holds whatever the market does in between.
| Buying | You use or resell wild rice and need to know your cost. We fix your purchase price for the quantity and months you name. |
|---|---|
| Selling | You grow, produce or hold wild rice and need to know your revenue. We fix your sale price ahead of production or shipment. |
| Settlement | Against delivery of the wild rice. |
A price is fixed only once a trader confirms it in writing. Request a fixed price.
Caps and floors on wild rice
A fixed price binds buyer and seller. A cap or a floor is a guaranteed price on one side only. You pay a fee up front for it, and it is a right, not an obligation: you use it only if the market moves against you.
| Cap | For buyers. A guaranteed maximum price for wild rice. If the market is above the cap when you buy, you pay the cap. If it is below, you buy at the market price and let the cap lapse. |
|---|---|
| Floor | For sellers. A guaranteed minimum price for wild rice. If the market is below the floor when you sell, you receive the floor. If it is above, you sell at the market price and let the floor lapse. |
| Fee | Agreed and paid up front. It is the whole cost of the cap or floor, and it is not refunded if the cap or floor goes unused. |
A cap or a floor is in place only once a trader confirms it in writing. Request a cap or a floor.
Grades
Wild rice is graded by how it was grown and harvested, by kernel length, and by the parching, moisture and defect figures a packer contracts against.
Production method
4 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Lake and river harvestedNaturally seeded stands, harvested from a canoe by hand knocking | Irregular kernel size, variable colour, the traditional product. Harvest volume varies with water levels. |
| Cultivated paddySeeded paddies, machine harvested | Uniform kernel, consistent supply, the bulk of the commercial trade. |
| OrganicCertified under the destination market scheme | A separate contract term on either production method. |
| Indigenous harvestedDeclared, with the harvesting community or authority named | Contracted where the buyer requires the provenance to be documented. |
Kernel size and appearance
9 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Extra long or giantKernels retained above a stated length, as a minimum percentage by mass | The top of the ladder. Sold whole for presentation. |
| Long or fancyKernels within a stated length band | The standard whole grain trade grade. |
| Medium or selectKernels within a shorter stated band | Blending and food service. |
| Short and brokenKernels below a stated length, as a percentage by mass | Soups, mixes and milling. |
| Average kernel lengthMillimetres | Measured on a counted sample of whole kernels. |
| ColourAgainst a sealed parched sample, or CIELAB coordinates | Parching depth sets the shade. Contracted, not left to opinion. |
| Unhulled and immature kernelsMaximum percentage by mass | Green, light or hull bearing kernels, separated and weighed. |
| Foreign and extraneous matterMaximum percentage by mass | Stems, chaff, weed seed, stones and any non wild rice material. |
| Scorched kernelsMaximum percentage by mass | Over parched kernels, separated by inspection. |
Processing and cooking behaviour
6 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| MoistureMaximum percentage by mass | Determined by ISO 712. The controlling figure for storage life after parching. |
| ParchingMethod and degree declared, wood fired or mechanical drum | Sets colour, flavour and cooking time. Named on the contract. |
| ScarificationDeclared: scarified or unscarified | Scoring the bran shortens the cook. It is a processing choice with a price. |
| Cooking timeMinutes to a stated method | Measured, because it is the practical difference between grades and processing routes. |
| ExpansionCooked volume per unit dry volume | Measured on a standard cook. |
| Live and dead insectsAbsence, or count per stated sample mass | Determined by sieving and inspection. |
Analytical requirements
10 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| MoistureMaximum percentage by mass | Determined by ISO 712. The controlling figure for storage life and shipping mass. |
| ProteinPercentage by mass, dry basis | Determined by ISO 20483, Kjeldahl, with the conversion factor stated. |
| Total ashMaximum percentage by mass | Determined by incineration at a stated temperature. |
| Crude fatPercentage by mass, dry basis | Determined by solvent extraction. |
| Crude fibrePercentage by mass, dry basis | Determined by acid and alkali digestion. |
| MycotoxinsMicrograms per kilogram | Aflatoxins and ochratoxin A, tested against destination market limits. |
| Heavy metalsMilligrams per kilogram | Cadmium, lead and arsenic, tested against destination market limits. |
| Pesticide residuesMilligrams per kilogram | Tested against destination market maximum residue limits. |
| Microbiological limitsColony forming units per gram, and absence of Salmonella in a stated mass | Contracted to destination market limits. |
| GlutenMilligrams per kilogram, by ELISA | Tested where the lot is sold as gluten free, because cross contact happens in shared handling, not in the crop. |
Production and certification claims
6 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| OrganicCertificate under the destination market scheme | EU, NOP, JAS or an equivalence arrangement. Named on the contract with the certifier and certificate number. |
| Non GMODeclaration, with PCR testing where required | Tested where the destination market or the buyer requires evidence rather than declaration. |
| Fairtrade or equivalentCertificate and transaction certificate | Named scheme, with the transaction certificate issued for the specific lot. |
| Identity preservedDocumented chain of custody | Segregation from field to container, evidenced at every transfer. |
| Kosher and HalalCertificate from the named authority | Certificate travels with the lot. |
| TreatmentDeclared | Fumigant, heat treatment or steam pasteurisation, with the agent and the schedule declared, because destination markets differ on what they permit. |
Grades outside this list trade on request. Send us the contract specification you work to and we will price against it.
Locations
| Country | Region | We trade it as |
|---|---|---|
| Canada | North America | Origin |
| United States | North America | Origin and destination |
| Hungary | Europe | Origin and destination |
| Australia | Oceania | Origin and destination |
| China | East Asia | Destination |
| Japan | East Asia | Destination |
| South Korea | East Asia | Destination |
| Taiwan | East Asia | Destination |
| Hong Kong | East Asia | Destination |
| Singapore | Southeast Asia | Destination |
| United Kingdom | Europe | Destination |
| Germany | Europe | Destination |
| France | Europe | Destination |
| Netherlands | Europe | Origin and destination |
| Belgium | Europe | Destination |
| Switzerland | Europe | Destination |
| Italy | Europe | Destination |
| Spain | Europe | Destination |
| Sweden | Europe | Destination |
| Denmark | Europe | Destination |
| Norway | Europe | Destination |
| Austria | Europe | Destination |
| Poland | Europe | Destination |
| Mexico | North America | Destination |
| Brazil | South America | Destination |
| United Arab Emirates | Middle East | Destination |
| Israel | Middle East | Destination |
| South Africa | Africa | Destination |
| New Zealand | Oceania | Destination |
| Chile | South America | Destination |
Origins and destinations outside this list trade on request. We are not limited to the locations shown here.
Timing
Harvest is when the crop is taken at origin. Arrival is when a shipment from that origin typically lands in a consuming market. The gap between them is processing, grading and the voyage.
HarvestArrival
| Origin | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D | Window |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | Harvest | Harvest | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Aug to Sep, arrival Oct to DecSaskatchewan, Manitoba and northwestern Ontario. Lake harvested, the largest natural stand production. | |||||||
| United States | Harvest | Harvest | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Aug to Sep, arrival Oct to DecMinnesota, Wisconsin and California. Minnesota and Wisconsin lake harvested, California cultivated paddy. | |||||||
| Hungary | Harvest | Harvest | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Aug to Sep, arrival Oct to DecCultivated paddy, the main European origin. | |||||||
| Australia | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Feb to Apr, arrival Apr to JunCultivated, small acreage, southern hemisphere window. |
Windows outside this pattern trade on request, including carry, forward positions and stock already sitting in a destination warehouse.
Customs, packing and contract terms
Indicative terms for wild rice. Tariff classification is the importer’s responsibility and limits change, so confirm both against the destination customs authority and the current regulation before you fix a contract.
- HS heading1008.90 Other cereals, including wild rice (Zizania spp.)
- PackingPP woven or jute bags of 25 kg to 50 kg, 1 t big bags, or bulk in a container liner. Moisture at load is the operative clause on every grain and seed contract.
- Container loading20ft: 21 t to 26 t bagged or bulk lined. 40ft is volume limited around 26 t. Bulk vessel parcels price against the same specification with an independent superintendent at load.
- Contract and arbitrationGAFTA contracts, GAFTA 119 for containerised and the GAFTA 100 series for bulk, with GAFTA Arbitration Rules No. 125 in London and sampling and analysis under GAFTA 124.
- Destination limitsEU pesticide MRLs under Regulation 396/2005, mycotoxin limits under Regulation 2023/915, phytosanitary certification under Regulation 2016/2031 and GMO controls where the crop has genetically modified varieties. US FDA FSMA and, where applicable, USDA AMS grading.
Common questions
What grades of wild rice does SIP Global trade?
We quote 34 published grades of wild rice, including Lake and river harvested - Naturally seeded stands, harvested from a canoe by hand knocking, Cultivated paddy - Seeded paddies, machine harvested, Organic - Certified under the destination market scheme, Indigenous harvested - Declared, with the harvesting community or authority named, Extra long or giant - Kernels retained above a stated length, as a minimum percentage by mass and Long or fancy - Kernels within a stated length band. Every grade is tied to a delivery point and a settlement route. Grades outside the published list are priced on request.
How is wild rice graded?
Wild rice is graded by how it was grown and harvested, by kernel length, and by the parching, moisture and defect figures a packer contracts against. Grading runs on 5 systems: Production method, Kernel size and appearance, Processing and cooking behaviour, Analytical requirements and Production and certification claims.
Where does SIP Global trade wild rice?
We trade wild rice in Canada, United States, Hungary, Australia, China, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan and 22 further markets. Origins and destinations outside this list trade on request. We are not limited to the locations shown.
When is wild rice harvested and when does it arrive?
Typical windows are Canada: harvest aug to sep, arrival oct to dec; United States: harvest aug to sep, arrival oct to dec; Hungary: harvest aug to sep, arrival oct to dec; Australia: harvest feb to apr, arrival apr to jun. Harvest is when the lot is taken at origin, arrival is when a shipment from that origin lands in a consuming market. Windows outside this pattern, including carry, trade on request.
What is the HS code for wild rice?
Wild rice is normally classified under HS 1008.90 (other cereals, including wild rice (zizania spp.)). The heading follows the form the goods are in at the border, and national tariffs extend it beyond six digits, so confirm the full line with the destination customs authority before you fix a contract.
Can I fix a wild rice price ahead?
Yes. SIP Global fixes a wild rice price ahead for buyers and for sellers, as a price guarantee. Send the grade, the quantity and the months you need covered. We settle against delivery, and a price is fixed only once a trader confirms it in writing.
How do I get a price for wild rice?
Send the grade, the origin and the delivery window to SIP Global. That is enough for a trader to come back with a level and a settlement route. 3 listed wild rice markets are published on this page, each with its full specification and terms. We buy and sell the physical cargo, prompt to long dated.
Standards and data sources
The grading language on this sheet follows published standards. Trade volumes and tariff lines are public record. Verify anything here against the source.
- ISO (opens in new tab)International Organization for Standardization
- Codex Alimentarius (opens in new tab)FAO and WHO food standards
- UN Comtrade (opens in new tab)Official international trade statistics by HS code
- ITC Trade Map (opens in new tab)Bilateral trade flows and tariff data
- FAOSTAT (opens in new tab)FAO production and trade series for agricultural commodities