Wonder what are the different food and agricultural commodities produced worldwide? Wonder which of these top the list and which country produces the most?
Which of these commodities are crop-based, that is, derived from agricultural crops?
What are the top commodities produced in, by way of example, the United States of America, United Kingdom, South Africa, India, Australia, and the Philippines?
Want also to know what possibly are the major crops in the world and in any country?
Seeking to shed light on these questions, I referred to the online lists provided by FAOStat, the statistics division of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
From its top 10 and top 50 lists, I made a table of the top 20 crop-based agricultural commodities in the world and in six selected countries.
To come up with the data, I disregarded from the FAOStat lists the crop groupings and the nes or not elsewhere specified (for example fruit, pulses, and vegetables, fresh nes).
These are broad groupings that do not specify the crops covered in each grouping.
Those who are obviously animal in origin (such as meat, milk, and eggs) were likewise excluded.
The ranking is by production tonnage with the smaller number (example 1) having higher volume compared to the bigger number (example 2).
The update revealed that now FAOSTAT provides lists for the top 20 food and agricultural commodities production only in different countries.
The year 2017 is its most recent release of production statistics.
For quick reference, a table has been constructed for selected countries around the world.
The table does not specify the mode of disposal of any commodity, i.e., whether mainly domestic or exported.
Here’s the table:
Top 20 Food and Agricultural Commodities Produced in Selected Countries
Table AC-1. The top 20 food and agricultural commodities produced in selected countries around the world in 2017 ranked from highest (rank 1) to lowest production tonnage
| RANK | AUSTRALIA | BRAZIL | CANADA | CHINA, MAINLAND | INDIA | NIGERIA | PHILIPPINES | RUSSIAN FEDERATION | SOUTH AFRICA | UNITED KINGDOM | UNITED STATES OF AMERICA |
| 1 | Sugar cane | Sugar cane | Wheat | Maize | Sugar cane | Cassava | Sugar cane | Wheat | Sugar cane | Milk, whole fresh cow | Maize |
| 2 | Wheat | Soybeans | Rapeseed | Rice, paddy | Rice, paddy | Yams | Rice, paddy | Sugar beet | Maize | Wheat | Soybeans |
| 3 | Barley | Maize | Maize | Vegetables, fresh nes | Wheat | Maize | Coconuts | Milk, whole fresh cow | Milk, whole fresh cow | Sugar beet | Milk, whole fresh cow |
| 4 | Milk, whole fresh cow | Milk, whole fresh cow | Milk, whole fresh cow | Wheat | Milk, whole fresh buffalo | Rice, paddy | Maize | Potatoes | Potatoes | Barley | Wheat |
| 5 | Rapeseed | Cassava | Barley | Sugar cane | Milk, whole fresh cow | Oil palm fruit | Bananas | Barley | Grapes | Potatoes | Sugar beet |
| 6 | Oats | Oranges | Soybeans | Potatoes | Potatoes | Vegetables, fresh nes | Vegetables, fresh nes | Maize | Meat, chicken | Rapeseed | Sugar cane |
| 7 | Seed cotton | Meat, chicken | Peas, dry | Watermelons | Vegetables, fresh nes | Sorghum | Fruit, tropical fresh nes | Sunflower seed | Wheat | Meat, chicken | Potatoes |
| 8 | Meat, cattle | Rice, paddy | Potatoes | Sweet potatoes | Bananas | Tomatoes | Plantains and others | Oats | Oranges | Carrots and turnips | Meat, chicken |
| 9 | Chick peas | Meat, cattle | Lentils | Cucumbers and gherkins | Maize | Fruit, citrus nes | Cassava | Meat, chicken | Soybeans | Meat, cattle | Seed cotton |
| 10 | Grapes | Bananas | Oats | Tomatoes | Onions, dry | Sweet potatoes | Pineapples | Soybeans | Meat, cattle | Meat, pig | Meat, cattle |
| 11 | Meat, chicken | Wheat | Meat, pig | Meat, pig | Tomatoes | Cow peas, dry | Meat, pig | Cabbages and other brassicas | Apples | Oats | Meat, pig |
| 12 | Potatoes | Tomatoes | Meat, chicken | Apples | Mangoes, mangosteens, guavas | Taro (cocoyam) | Meat, chicken | Meat, pig | Sunflower seed | Eggs, hen, in shell | Tomatoes |
| 13 | Lupins | Seed cotton | Meat, cattle | Cabbages and other brassicas | Seed cotton | Plantains and others | Mangoes, mangosteens, guavas | Peas, dry | Onions, dry | Apples | Sorghum |
| 14 | Sorghum | Meat, pig | Eggs, hen, in shell | Eggplants (aubergines) | Eggplants (aubergines) | Groundnuts, with shell | Sweet potatoes | Tomatoes | Tomatoes | Onions, dry | Rice, paddy |
| 15 | Rice, paddy | Potatoes | Sugar beet | Eggs, hen, in shell | Millet | Okra | Eggs, hen, in shell | Rye | Lemons and limes | Vegetables, fresh nes | Grapes |
| 16 | Meat, sheep | Vegetables, fresh nes | Linseed | Milk, whole fresh cow | Coconuts | Pineapples | Oil palm fruit | Eggs, hen, in shell | Pumpkins, squash and gourds | Cabbages and other brassicas | Eggs, hen, in shell |
| 17 | Maize | Beans, dry | Tomatoes | Spinach | Soybeans | Millet | Rubber, natural | Vegetables, fresh nes | Eggs, hen, in shell | Broad beans | Apples |
| 18 | Peas, dry | Coffee, green | Carrots and turnips | Onions, dry | Fruit, fresh nes | Sugar cane | Pumpkins, squash and gourds | Onions, dry | Pears | Meat, sheep | Oranges |
| 19 | Bananas | Eggs, hen, in shell | Apples | Garlic | Groundnuts, in shell | Potatoes | Fruit, fresh nes | Cucumbers and gherkins | Maize, green | Pulses, nes | Maize, green |
| 20 | Meat, pig | Coconuts | Rye | Carrots and turnips | Chick peas | Fruit, fresh nes | Eggplants (aubergines) | Carrots and turnips | Bananas | Cauliflowers and broccoli | Lettuce and chicory |
Source: http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#rankings/commodities_by_country
Maize refers to mature corn grains as distinguished from green maize which includes sweet corn.
Cassava should refer to cassava roots there being a separate entry for cassava leaves.
