The USDA FAS monitors world food production.
The United States depends heavily on crops produced in various countries around the world to manufacture staple foods. The USDA Foreign Agricultural Service monitors and studies global crop production and related issues. FAS's most recent World Agriculture Production summary provides data on global crop yields.
Corn
Corn is used in many products around the world.
The United States and China are the world's largest corn producers. The crop can be found in supermarkets in vegetable form, as corn flour and as a sweetener. As of November 2010, approximately 810 million metric tons of corn were produced.
Wheat
China is the world's largest wheat producer.
China, India and Russia produce much of the world's wheat. For millions of people, wheat flour provides staple food such as bread and pasta. As of November 2010, more than 682 million metric tons of wheat were produced, with roughly 115 million metric tons produced in China alone.
Milled Rice
China produces more milled rice than any country in the world, growing more than 130 million metric tons annually, and India is not far behind. As of November 2010, China produced approximately 441 million metric tons of milled rice, and India produce more than 89 million metric tons.
Oilseeds
Oilseeds are the collection of soybeans, cottonseeds, peanuts, sunflower seeds, rapeseeds, copra and palm kernels. The seeds are converted into oils and used globally. Approximately 400 million metric tons of oilseeds are produced each year, though exact numbers fluctuate. The largest producers are the United States, China and Argentina.
Barley
Russia is the world's largest producer of barley.
Russia and France produce most of the world's barley crop. Drought has reduced Russia's barley output and production has fallen to its lowest levels in the past 50 years. As of November 2010, Russia produced approximately 23 million metric tons of barley, and France produced approximately 12 million metric tons for the same time period.
