Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

Stats Can: Corn for grain: the world’s top cereal crop

Stats Can: Corn: Canada's third most valuable crop

     By Marie-Andrée Hamel and Erik Dorff    2014-03-18

Corn for grain: the world’s top cereal crop

When it comes to cereal crop production around the world, corn is king. This may come as a surprise to many. Anyone who has ever seen the endless seas of golden wheat on the Canadian Prairies might think that this lynchpin of Canadian agriculture is the number one cereal crop.

The same might be thought of rice and the landscape of paddies stretching as far as the eye can see across Asia. But instead, the most produced cereal crop worldwide is actually corn (also known as maize), a cereal native to the Americas. It outstrips both rice and wheat in terms of global production (Table 1).

 

Table 1 
World and Canadian production of major grains and oilseeds, 2011
Table summary
This table displays the results of World and Canadian production of major grains and oilseeds. The information is grouped by Commodity (appearing as row headers), World, Canada, Share of total and World position, calculated using Metric tonnes, Percent and Rank units of measure (appearing as column headers).
Commodity World Canada Share of total World position
metric tonnes percent rank
Maize 885,289,935 10,688,700 1.2 11
Rice, paddy 722,559,584 ... ... ...
Wheat 701,395,334 25,261,400 3.6 7
Soybeans 262,037,569 4,246,300 1.6 7
Barley 133,049,075 7,755,700 5.8 7
Canola 62,546,641 14,164,500 22.6 1
Sorghum 58,583,460 ... ... ...
Millet 27,226,548 ... ... ...
Oats 22,676,189 2,997,100 13.2 2
Rye 13,162,017 194,700 1.5 10
... not applicable
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

Maize or corn for grainNote1 is the number one cereal crop worldwide with 885.3 million tonnes produced in 2011 according to the FAONote2. The top producer was the United States with 313.9 million tonnes or 35.5% of global production. The U.S. was followed by China which produced 192.8 million tonnes (21.8% of world production). Canada placed 11th in world production of corn with 10.7 million tonnes of grain corn produced in 2011 (Table 2).

Table 2 
Top grain corn producing nations, 2011
Table summary
This table displays the results of Top grain corn producing nations. The information is grouped by Rank (appearing as row headers), Country, Production and Share of world production, calculated using Metric tonnes and Percent units of measure (appearing as column headers).
Rank Country Production Share of world production
metric tonnes percent
  World 885,289,935 100.0
1 United States of America 313,948,610 35.5
2 China, mainland 192,781,000 21.8
3 Brazil 55,660,415 6.3
4 Argentina 23,799,830 2.7
5 Ukraine 22,837,900 2.6
6 India 21,760,000 2.5
7 Mexico 17,635,417 2.0
8 Indonesia 17,629,033 2.0
9 France 15,913,300 1.8
10 Romania 11,717,591 1.3
11 Canada 10,688,700 1.2
12 South Africa 10,360,000 1.2
13 Italy 9,752,592 1.1
14 Nigeria 9,180,270 1.0
15 Hungary 7,992,000 0.9
16 Philippines 6,971,221 0.8
17 Russian Federation 6,962,440 0.8
18 Egypt 6,876,473 0.8
19 Serbia 6,479,564 0.7
20 Ethiopia 6,069,413 0.7
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, data accessed February 13, 2014.

In Canada, over 32,300 farms reported planting 1.63 million hectares of corn (corn for grain, corn for silage and sweet corn) according to the 2011 Census of Agriculture. The value of farm cash receipts for grain corn alone reached $2.08 billion in 2011, ranking it as the third most valuable crop in Canada, after canola and wheat.Note3

Views: 137

Comment

You need to be a member of Ontario Agriculture to add comments!

Join Ontario Agriculture

Agriculture Headlines from Farms.com Canada East News - click on title for full story

Grain Safety is Literally a Matter of Life and Death

BeGrainSafe Week encourages safe grain handling practices through education, rescue training, and awareness programs aimed at reducing preventable farm accidents across Canada.

Pre Harvest Glyphosate Timing Protects Crop Markets

Growers are encouraged to follow proper glyphosate application timing to reduce residue risks, protect grain quality, and maintain market access for canola, cereal, and pulse crops.

New Research Award Honours Dr. Ira Mandell’s Lasting Contributions to Ontario’s Beef Sector

The Beef Farmers of Ontario (BFO) is pleased to announce the establishment of the Dr. Ira Mandell Research Award and University of Guelph PhD student Madeline McLennan as its inaugural recipient. The award and its first recipient were announced in July during BFO’s Summer Meeting at the Nottawasaga Resort and Conference Centre in Alliston.

New U.S. tariffs target some Canadian products, but canola remains exempt.

United States Levies Tariffs on Canadian Products The White House released a Fact Sheet on July 20, 2026, outlining President Donald J. Trump’s signing of three Proclamations under Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930. The proclamations impose additional 50% tariffs on specific Canadian imports in response to what the administration views as discriminatory practices by Canada in the automotive, alcohol and dairy sectors. Tariff Scope & Rates: The tariffs apply to a range of Canadian products including wine, cement and hockey sticks. A 50% tariff on covered Canadian goods Application to listed goods regardless of USMCA status. Exemptions for energy, potash, critical minerals, fish, and goods already subject to Section 232 tariffs. An effective date of 30 days after signing. Based on the information released on July 20, canola seed, oil and meal, remain exempt and are not subject to the newly announced tariffs. Alberta Canola remains vigilant and will continue to keep its growers in

Federal AgriMarketing Funding Announcement

Today at the Calgary Stampede, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Heath MacDonald announced federal AgriMarketing funding support for the Canadian Cattle Association (CCA). CCA is grateful for the financial support for international travel undertaken by CCA staff and elected representatives to promote Canadian beef production in existing and potential export markets. Minister MacDonald announced CCA will receive up to $300,000 over two years for trade advocacy, to strengthen key international relationships and promote evidence-based, trade supportive rules. CCA travels internationally to help promote the Canadian beef advantage and to represent producers in global policy discussions. CCA staff and elected officials bring practical, on-the-ground expertise to inform decisions and ensure science-based data and real producer perspectives are reflected in global policy discussions. Our participation may be the only way to ensure that the Canadian experience, perspective and facts are s

© 2026   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service