No one would argue that growing rice in Farming Simulator 25 can bring a lot of money with little effort. Moreover, growing rice in the game is a very entertaining activity.

So, tips on planting and growing this crop will be very useful. Let's take a detailed look at all the stages, starting with field preparation and ending with the sale of the finished crop.

However, there are many nuances. Rice crops in FS25 are unique in that they only grow in high-moisture conditions, so you need to create a special field and take proper care of it. Therefore, tips on planting and cultivating this agricultural crop will be very useful. Let’s go through all the stages in detail, from field preparation to selling the finished harvest.

Creating a Rice Field

A rice field is the foundation of your future harvest, and its creation requires precision. The game has a special tool for this. The following describes the process of creating a rice paddy field.

First, open the store menu and go to the construction section. Find the Factories tab, and then select the Cultivation category. You will see the Rice Field item in the list of available objects.

Having selected it, you will need to mark the boundaries of the future plot. The four corners system is used for this: hold down the right mouse button and mark the area you want to use for the field. You can change the size as you wish, but remember that larger fields require more resources for maintenance.

It is now necessary to flood the field with water. To do this, just go to the water pump, which is automatically installed when the field is created, and turn it on. The flooding process may take some time, so wait until it is completely finished.

You can also read our guide on how to create a rice field in Farming Simulator 25, where this is explained in more detail with screenshots.

Rice Planting

We’ve reached the key stage in building our rice empire. Once the field is ready and flooded, it’s time to plant the crop.

Rice cannot be planted at any time of year - the game limits the process to April and May, so plan ahead. So that by the time spring arrives, you will have everything you need to plant, cultivate and harvest rice.

You will need three main components for planting:

1. A rice planter. It is specifically designed to work in flooded fields and is sold in the store under “Rice Planters”, its name is Planter ISEKI PRJ8D.

2. Rice seedlings. These can be purchased from the store in the “Consumables” category. Or, you can grow seedlings yourself in a greenhouse (it will take a lot of time, but it will be cheaper).

3. Fertilizer. Although many people forget about this stage, fertilizers significantly increase yields. Therefore, it is extremely important to use them!

When all the equipment is ready, fill the planter with seedlings and fertilizer. Then, head to the field. Turn on the planter, lower it into the water, and begin planting. Make sure the rice planter is properly configured; otherwise, the game will display an error.

Tip: You can hire an AI worker or use the GPS function to make planting rice easier. It is recommended that you read the guide on AI workers and Assistant Steering to get a better understanding of how it works.

Rice Maintenance

Rice fields require constant monitoring. After planting, the field must remain flooded for the first two months to allow the plants to settle and begin growing. However, balance is crucial: if the field stays flooded for too long, some crops may die.

Keep an eye on the water level on the field. This is especially important if you have accelerated time.

Another aspect of maintenance is fertilizer. Sometimes an initial layer of fertilizer may be applied to the field, in which case no further fertilizer application is needed.

Rice Harvesting

After a few months, usually in August, your rice will be ready to harvest. Make sure you choose the right time: if you are late, the crop may spoil.

For harvesting you will need a special rice harvester, which can be found in the store under “Rice harvesters”, the name of this harvester is Iseki HJ6130. This tool is designed specifically for working in flooded areas. 

Once purchased, drive the combine to the field, set up the harvester and start harvesting. Again, to make your work easier, you can use the GPS function or hire an employee.

Work carefully to avoid missing any sections. It's best to start harvesting from the edges of the field, creating free space for turning.

The harvester has limited capacity, so you’ll need a trailer or truck to transport the collected rice.

Selling the Harvest

The selling of rice is the last and the most lucrative of all the activities. Rice is a valuable commodity, but its price is not constant and it depends on the season. The best periods to sell are in July and September especially due to high demand of the crop on the market.

On hard difficulty, the average price of rice is around $1,100 per 1,000 liters. If you’re playing on easy difficulty, profits can be significantly higher. To maximize your earnings, store your harvest in a warehouse until the most favorable season arrives.

Practical Tips

1. Planning Ahead: This is because rice can be planted only at certain time of the year hence ensure that all the necessary resources and equipment are obtained at the beginning of the planting season.

2. Water management. Over watering as well as under watering the field has adverse effect on crop production.

3. Optimal Field Sizes. Large scale farms produce larger quantity of crops but they are costly and time consuming to manage.

4. Fertilizers. Even a single layer of fertilizer can also enhance the production to a great extent.

5. Know When to Sell. In this case, if the market prices are low it is advisable to sell after some few months for better prices.

While growing rice in FS25 is highly profitable, it’s not a good idea to focus solely on it. Variety is always beneficial. Experiment with growing other crops, creating production chains, and raising animals. On FS25Planet, you’ll find many helpful guides on livestock farming, crop cultivation, and setting up your own factories and enterprises.