|Competitive Advantages of the product Beyond providing
sustenance, rice plays an important cultural role in many
countries. Products of the rice plant are used for a number of
different purposes, such as fuel, thatching, industrial starch,
and artwork. Growing, selling and eating rice is integral to the
culture of many countries. In Japan, rice was historically a
product for the wealthy and is now a highly-prized crop. Many
rituals surround the preparation of the rice beds, the sowing of
the crop, and the harvest.