Which are the top agricultural crops in the world? What are the geo-climatic conditions that are needed for each one of them? Knowing the top agricultural crops that are produced in various parts of the world can influence decision making from a farmers’ and investors’ point of view. Some of these crops are actually very profitable, though one needs a lot of insight into how to go about investing in them before they can start earning an impressive amount of money.
(Ready for the oncoming food crisis? Read About it at length- strap up for the tough times ahead as an investor or farmer)
Geo-climatic is a term that refers to the long-term weather pattern of a given area. Weather on the other hand points to the state of the atmosphere over shorter periods of time. It can change from one hour to the next, from one day to the next one, or from month to month. When the weather patterns of a given region are tracked for about 30 years, they are perceived as the climate. We shall be looking at some of the major crops that grow in different geo-climatic conditions in today’s article.
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Rice
Rice grows best in temperature conditions that range from 15-27 °C. It needs rainfall amount to 100-150cm on average to grow effectively. Since it grows in heavy-clayey and clayey-loam soil, its overall rainfall may not be as much as is the case with other crops.
The largest producers of rice in the entire world are:
- Thailand (leading exporter in the entire world)
- China
- India
- Indonesia
- Japan
- Vietnam
- Sri Lanka
- Malaysia
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Wheat
Wheat performs best in climatic conditions whose temperatures range between 12-25 °c. It requires very little rainfall to grow, and anything between 25-75cm will do just fine. Any type of soil ranging from well-drained light clay soil to heavy clay will do just fine. The countries that have such conditions so far are:
- USA ( leading producer in the whole world)
- China
- India
- Turkey
- France
- Pakistan
- Russia
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Maize/corn
Maize performs well in regions that have temperatures ranging between 15-27 ° C. The rainfall to go with these temperatures is anything between 65-125cm, which is a bit heavier than what is needed for wheat. It has been established that maize performs best in soils ranging from deep-heavy clay to light sandy loam. The best producers of maize so far are:
- USA( the leading exporter in the world)
- China
- Brazil
- Mexico
- Russia
- Romania
- India
- South Africa
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Millet
This is one of the drought-resistant crops that grows even in the hot regions. The best temperature range for the growth of millet is 20-35 ° C. This has to go along with rainfall that ranges between 25-75cm, and soil that ranges from sandy-loam to clayey loam. The countries listed below meet these conditions:
- USA (20-35 °C)
- China
- India
- Nigeria
- Ukraine
- Thailand
- Russia
- Turkey
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Oilseeds
Oilseeds perform quite well in India. They grow in regions whose temperatures range 15-30 °C. The rainfall needs range between 30-50cm, and the best soil is loam to clayey loam. The regions that meet these conditions are:
- Gujarat
- Maharashtra
- West Bengal
- Bihar
- Haryana
- Punjab
- Madhya Pradesh
- Uttar Pradesh
- Rajasthan
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Groundnut
Groundnuts are an excellent source of protein. They are therefore produced on large scale in various countries. The countries that perform best with the production of groundnuts in the world are:
- USA (largest exporter in the world)
- China
- Sudan
- Senegal
- Argentina
- Myanmar
- Indonesia
In the above-listed countries, the rainfall ranges from 50-75 cm, and the temperatures are 20-30 °C on average.
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Sugarcane
Sugarcane is grown for sugar production. Most of the foods that we consume in today’s world have sugar as an ingredient, which is all the more reason why sugarcane production is quite lucrative. Sugarcane production needs temperatures ranging between 20-35 ° C, and rainfall ranging between 85-165cm. The best soils for sugarcane farming are well-drained alluvium, black, red, as well as brown regur soil. The top producers of sugarcane are:
- Brazil ( the leading exporter in the world)
- India
- China
- Pakistan
- Cuba
- Colombia
- Thailand
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Cotton
Cotton is one of the major components of the clothes that we wear on a day to day basis. If anything happens to the production of cotton, then you can be sure that people will feel the impact in terms of the prices of the clothes, as they purchase them in various stores and outlets in the world.
Cotton performs best in regions that have temperatures that range from 18-27 °C. The best rainfall range for the growth of this cash crop is 60-110 cm. It performs best in well-drained loam and regur soil. The countries that have managed to so far meet these conditions include:
- USA
- India
- China
- Brazil
- Egypt
- Turkey
- Pakistan
- Uzbekistan
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Tea
We all love that cup of tea that goes well with a wide range of wheat products. What does it take to have the tea bags in your pantry? For starters, the tea plants have to be planted in regions whose temperatures range between 15-35 °C. They also require a high amount of rainfall, ranging between 100-250cm. They also need well-drained light loamy soil to grow efficiently. So far, the countries that have met these production conditions quite well are:
- India (Leading exporter in the world)
- China
- Sri-Lanka
- Kenya
- Indonesia
- Bangladesh
- Turkey
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Coffee
Most of us can barely do without a cup of well-brewed coffee. We need it to kickstart our brains to begin functioning at their best, even on the low-energy days. Did you know that it takes rainfall ranging between 100-250 cm to grow the coffee plants? The plants also need temperatures ranging between 15-28 °C to fully mature. The best type of soil for their growth is well-drained alluvial soil. These conditions are all found in:
- Brazil (Leading exporter in the world)
- Colombia
- Indonesia
- Vietnam
- Ivory Coast
- Mexico
- Ghana
- Cameroon
- India
Is it safe for you to invest in the above crops? My assumption is that you would love to make a decent income trying out farming or invest in farming. If that is true, then you should have a look at the recommended agriculture 4 part series to get clarity on how you should go about it.
How To Survive and Profit in 2020 and beyond- Expert Guide
That will be all for my article about the top agricultural crops in the world. Did you find it educational? Let me know in the comments section! You can also ask any question that is related to this article in the same section.
P.S: do not forget to check out the recommended 4 part agriculture series.
I wish you well,
Eric, Investor, and Team Member at Gold Retired!
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