Rice (°'J'Z<l sutiva L) is the most usportan: staple food crop ill th« world. More than lwl( ofthe world popukuion use thi« cereal as staple food. 11Wm~~ in de>·ek>pi11g countries. /11 this study the level of selected essential elemems (Fe, lit, Cuj and toxic elcmeras (Pb, Cd) in white and red rice sampled frorn di/ferenl local marke: of South Gonar, Amahara Region, Ethtopt« (particularly in Fogera, Dera and Libokemkem DislricfJ were analyzed. Known weigln rif own dried while and red rice sampls» n-cre diges1ed by wet digestion u.1i11g Ii ml of 11N01a11d 2 ml <!l HCLO, for 3h al variable temperatwe 165- 190 •e,;. The contents of the minerals in the digests wen: analysed using flame atomic ahsorpti<Jn spectrometer. Tlwfoilowittk concentration ranges {µJ.[/gj were recu::_ded in white and red rice, respectively; F~ (278..fJ99j and ( { 9]-2-11 i; 'Ln f57-7Q) and (58-80j: Cu (0.23- 3j and (2.8 • 3.7); Pb t0.55 -9i and (3·8). However Cd wm no( detected in i.1:hite and red rice grains, From trace elemems anolvsed, tire concesuruiian q.f' Fe was /1ighe.11fi,/fowed by Z11. Pb. and Cu in while and red rice grains. For thr majority r~f th« essential etements. ~eir concemrotion m red 1·ice is relaiiveh: l?ig/1e.r compared to white rice excel" the concentration of iron The reason Ior concentration difference of iron in white and red rice is due to the fact that difference in J!}!OJ!.raph:'ca/ location. soil properties and genetic variation of tne rice ~·.:1ins. !1& X,<!n<:ra/, wbtte QJu/ red rice are riclt in Fe and /.n compared 10 other similar grains cine/ contains comparable couerntration of Cu. According lo the. resuits obtained by thls study ~i·ere similar to literantre values hut the concentrations cfsome elements were 11m within the limits. of The accepted values trf"AV!Wl/O. • • '