7 Countries That Produce the Most Wheat in the World

Wheat is one of the most important staple crops in the world, providing food for billions of people and feed for livestock. It is also a valuable commodity in the global market, with exports worth over $40 billion in 2020. But which countries produce the most wheat in the world? Here are the top seven wheat producers according to the latest data from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

1. China:

China is the world’s largest wheat producer, with a harvest of 136 million tons in 2020. China accounts for about 18% of the global wheat production and consumes most of its domestic output. Wheat is grown in almost every province of China, but the main producing regions are Henan, Shandong, Hebei, Anhui, and Jiangsu.

2. India:

India is the second-largest wheat producer in the world, with a harvest of 107 million tons in 2020. India accounts for about 14% of the global wheat production and is also a major consumer of wheat. Wheat is grown mainly in the northern and central parts of India, especially in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan.

3. Russia:

Russia is the third-largest wheat producer in the world, with a harvest of 85 million tons in 2020. Russia accounts for about 11% of the global wheat production and is also the largest wheat exporter in the world, with shipments worth over $7 billion in 2020. Wheat is grown mainly in the southern and western parts of Russia, especially in Krasnodar, Rostov, Volgograd, Saratov, and Orenburg.

4. United States:

The United States is the fourth-largest wheat producer in the world, with a harvest of 50 million tons in 2020. The United States accounts for about 7% of the global wheat production and is also a major wheat exporter, with shipments worth over $6 billion in 2020. Wheat is grown mainly in the Great Plains region of the United States, especially in Kansas, North Dakota, Montana, Oklahoma, and Texas.

5. Canada:

Canada is the fifth-largest wheat producer in the world, with a harvest of 35 million tons in 2020. Canada accounts for about 5% of the global wheat production and is also a major wheat exporter, with shipments worth over $5 billion in 2020. Wheat is grown mainly in the Prairie provinces of Canada, especially in Saskatchewan, Alberta, and Manitoba.

6. France:

France is the sixth-largest wheat producer in the world, with a harvest of 32 million tons in 2020. France accounts for about 4% of the global wheat production and is also a major wheat exporter, with shipments worth over $4 billion in 2020. Wheat is grown mainly in the northern and central parts of France, especially in Hauts-de-France, Grand Est, Centre-Val de Loire, and Bourgogne-Franche-Comté.

7. Australia:

Australia is the seventh-largest wheat producer in the world, with a harvest of 33 million tons in 2020. Australia accounts for about 4% of the global wheat production and is also a major wheat exporter, with shipments worth over $4 billion in 2020. Wheat is grown mainly in the eastern and southern parts of Australia, especially in New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia, and South Australia.

These are the seven countries that produce the most wheat in the world according to FAO data. Together, they account for about two-thirds of the global wheat production and exports. Wheat is an essential crop for food security and trade for many countries around the world.

Wheat Production in the World: Trends and Challenges

Wheat is one of the most important cereal crops in the world, providing food and income for millions of people. Wheat is also a major commodity in the global trade, with significant impacts on the economy and the environment. In this blog post, we will explore some of the trends and challenges of wheat production in the world, based on the latest data and statistics.

Top Wheat Producers

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the world produced about 760 million tons of wheat in 2020, a slight decrease from the previous year. The top 10 wheat-producing countries accounted for about 75% of the global total, as shown in the table below.

Country	Wheat Production (million tons)	Share of Global Total (%)
China	134.3	17.7
India	107.6	14.2
Russia	85.9	11.3
United States	49.7	6.5
France	30.1	4.0
Ukraine	24.9	3.3
Australia	14.5	1.9
Pakistan	25.2	3.3
Canada	35.2	4.6
Germany	22.2	2.9

Source: FAO

China is the world’s largest producer of wheat with 17% of the global total in the first two decades of the 21st century at 2.4 billion tons. However, the Asian nation with 1.4 billion people is also the world’s largest consumer of wheat. India, Russia, and the United States are also among the top wheat producers and consumers in the world.

Global Wheat Demand

The global demand for wheat is driven by various factors, such as population growth, income growth, urbanization, dietary changes, biofuel production, and climate change. According to the International Grains Council (IGC), the global wheat consumption is projected to reach 777 million tons in 2021/22, an increase of 2% from the previous year. The main drivers of this growth are feed use and industrial use, while food use is expected to grow at a slower pace.

The main regions that consume wheat are Asia, Europe, North America, and Africa. Asia is the largest wheat-consuming region in the world, accounting for about 45% of the global total. China and India are the largest wheat consumers in Asia, followed by Pakistan, Iran, and Turkey. Europe is the second-largest wheat-consuming region in the world, accounting for about 23% of the global total. The European Union is the largest wheat consumer in Europe, followed by Russia and Ukraine.

Challenges for Wheat Production

Wheat production faces several challenges in the current and future scenarios, such as land degradation, water scarcity, pests and diseases, low productivity, price volatility, trade barriers, and climate change. These challenges pose risks to food security, livelihoods, and sustainability of wheat systems.

Some of the possible solutions to address these challenges include improving crop management practices, enhancing genetic diversity and breeding for resilience, adopting precision agriculture and digital technologies, promoting integrated pest management and biocontrol methods, increasing investment and innovation in research and development, strengthening policies and institutions for market stability and trade facilitation, and enhancing adaptation and mitigation strategies for climate change.

Wheat is a vital crop for food security and economic development in many parts of the world. However, wheat production faces several challenges that require coordinated actions from various stakeholders at different levels. By understanding the trends and challenges of wheat production in the world, we can better plan and implement solutions that can ensure a sustainable future for wheat systems.

References:

http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/QC/

https://web.archive.org/web/20160910234716/http://faostat3.fao.org/faostat-gateway/go/to/download/Q/QC/E
Wheat Production by Country 2023
Global Wheat Demand: Trends And Drivers
IGC Grains and Oilseeds Index (GOI)
Wheat Initiative: Challenges and Solutions

https://www.world-grain.com/media/photos/154-world-s-top-wheat-producing-countries

https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/wheat-production-by-country

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/08/top-10-countries-produce-most-wheat/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_wheat_production_statistics