Comparative Analysis of the Chemical Nutrient Composition of Selected Local and Newly Introduced Rice Varieties Grown in Ebonyi State of Nigeria

We investigated the chemical nutrient composition of 15 selected indigenous and five of the newly introduced hybrid rice varieties in Ebonyi State, Nigeria. The rice cultivars were field-grown, processed, and analyzed for proximate and mineral composition. The results showed that cv. "Canada" had the highest ash content (2.0 %). High percentage carbohydrate was found in all the genotypes (51.5 - 86.9 %). Cv."E4212" had the highest crude protein (7.94 %), while "Sipi" had the least (1.58 %). Cv."E4197" had the least energy value of 262.94 J/Kg, while "Canada" had the highest value of 398.82 J/Kg. "Canada" had the highest fat content (3.5 %), while "Sipi" and "Faro14 (I)" both contained the least fat (0.5 %). "China" and "Mass (II)" similarly had the highest percentage of crude fibre (2.5 %), while "E4334", "Faro 25 (II)" and "Mass (I)" all had the least value of 1.0 % for crude fibre. Cv."E4197" had a very high moisture content of 9.6 % as against "E4212" which had the least moisture content of 5.0 %. In relation to mineral content, "Chinyereugo" was highest in calcium (0.13 %), "Faro1(I)" had the highest amount of Magnesium (0.26 %), "E4197" and "E4212" had the highest percentage of phosphorus (0.55 %),"E4197" and "E4212" had the highest concentration of potassium (0.23 %), while "Canada", "Faro15 (II)" and "Chinyereugo" possessed the highest percentage of sodium (0.17 %). One of the newly introduced hybrid varieties "E4212" had relatively higher protein and mineral contents, but less fat content. "Sipi" variety has no special quality attributes over the other existing local rice varieties apart from the fact that it is among the varieties that contain relatively low fat percentage just as "Faro 14". The "Faro" varieties showed good proximate and mineral composition values which consumers would desire. The high premium presently placed on "Mass" varieties is uncalled for, since it has got no special characteristics over most other varieties. Consumers and farmers should therefore be better informed on the choice of rice varieties based on their nutritional quality attributes.