Top 10 Wheat Producing Countries in World – Production Ranks

Wheat is a grass cultivated to obtain its seed and cereal which is used as a staple food all over the world. It is the most widely grown food crop, wheat production in the world in 2020 was recorded to be 761 million tons. It is considered to be the second most-produced cereal after maize. Wheat is cereal grass that is milled to form flour which is further used to make other food products such as bread, noodles, muffins, crackers, and other savory snacks.

Wheat Production entirely depends upon the geographical conditions of a country as well as the environment. China is the largest producer of wheat in the world. It contributes to 17% of the global share of wheat. The list of wheat-producing countries in the world may be long but, in this reading, you will be entertained with a list of the top 10 countries by production.

Top 10 Wheat-Producing Countries in the World

The following table contains the list of the top ten wheat-producing countries in the world along with their total wheat production in tons in the year 2020.

China

China ranks first in wheat production in the world. It achieved a spectacular wheat output in the years following the “Communist Revolution” 1949. It is the only country in the world that has registered a continuous increase in the production of wheat since 1991; with the help of China’s agriculture technology, it is maintaining the first position.

Wheat Cultivation Areas in China

For spring wheat cultivation Northeastern China is most important. Winter wheat crop is intensively grown in the Wei and Fen Rivers basin. Kaoliang region in North China and the Yangtze River basin is important producing areas. China has about 23+ million hectares and production was 109.9 million metric tons.

India

India is the second largest wheat producer in the world. Production has made great strides in recent years and India has achieved self-sufficiency in food production. It produces about 75+ million metric tons from about 28 million hectares. It is cultivated in over 11 percent of cultivated land in India. India exports most of its wheat to Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, United Arab EMTs, Yemen, the Philippines, and Indonesia.

Wheat Producing states in India

Utter Pradesh is the most important region for wheat production followed by Punjab. While Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Bihar are other most important wheat-producing states.

Russia

Today Russian Federation ranks third in wheat production in the world, and Russian farming techniques with geographical factors grow both winter and spring. Wheat production in Russia crosses 49.4 million metric tons, while the hectare age under cultivation was 24.5 million hectares. Russia has broken a record by producing 105 million tons of wheat crop in bulk weight. Among the top 20 wheat exporters, Russia nearly accounts for 24% of the total wheat exports.

Wheat Production Regions

Most of Russia’s wheat production occurs in European Russia, including North Caucasus, Volga, Black Earth, Ural, and West Siberia.

United States of America

The United States ranks at 4th position of the world’s largest wheat producers with a record of producing almost 50 million tons of wheat in 2020. Wheat cultivation in the United States is highly mechanized and due to the regional diversity of climate, the U.S.A. cultivates spring and winter seasons. It produces 55+ million metric tons, from the cultivated area of 20.6 million hectares. Almost 50% of the wheat produced in the country is exported which is valued at US $9 billion.

US Wheat Production states

The following are important wheat-producing regions in the United States:

• Northern Region – Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota
• Great Plains – Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas, Wyoming
• Eastern Region – Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin
• Western Region – Arizona, California, Idaho, Oregon, Washington

Canada

Canada is the 5th largest wheat-producing nation in the world. In Canada, spring wheat crop predominates and the Prairie Provinces account for 95% output of spring. Canadian wheat industry recently produced 20.6 million tons from 3.8 million hectares of area. Canada is ranked in 3rd position when it comes to the largest wheat exporters in the world. Most of the Canadian wheat is transported to Peru. An average of 1.2 million tons per year has been exported to Peru for the past 40 years.

Wheat Production Areas

The provinces of Saskatchewan, Alberta, and Manitoba are notable for cultivation. While British Columbia, Ontario Quebec, Prince Edward Island, and Nova Scotia are also known to produce large quantities.

France

On the continent of Europe, France is the most important producer and produces about 22% of Europe. Agriculture is highly mechanized in France while using the latest agronomic methods, France obtains a high yield of wheat production per acre. France is the 6th largest wheat producer in the world. France is considered to be the largest wheat supplier of the European Union and the 4th largest exporter in the world. Ruhr and Saar’s valleys are world famous for cultivation because environmental factors are most suitable for wheat cultivation. The area under cultivation was 5.3+ million hectares of arid production was 33.2 million metric tons.

Wheat Production States

The state of Centre is the leading wheat producer and accounts for 16% of the total wheat supply. Whereas the state of Picardie is the second largest wheat producer in the country and accounts for 10% of the total wheat production of France.

Pakistan

Pakistan is the 7th largest wheat producer in the world. It is most widely grown in all irrigated areas of Pakistan. While all rainfed areas of all provinces contribute about 15% to 20% percent of the total wheat output of Pakistan because it has different types of soil and the best irrigation system in the World. It is a cash crop in Pakistan as the area under crop is 8.5 million hectares, while production is above 23.5 million metric tons. Wheat yield per acre in Pakistan is only 27,690 kg, which is very less as compared to developed countries.

Wheat Growing Areas

The main wheat-growing region of Pakistan is located in the irrigated areas of the Indus Plain, both in Punjab and Sindh, and the Tras-Indus Plain (Peshawar Valley). Agriculture is important in Pakistan, grown over 37% of the cultivated area and Punjab produces more than 80% of Pakistan’s production.

Ukraine

Ukraine ranks at 8th position in the list of top ten wheat producers in the world. In 2021, wheat production increased to 33 million metric tons which was previously 26 million metric tons in 2020. More than 7 million hectares of land constitute wheat production. Ukraine is also active in exporting wheat and accounts for 5% of the global share in wheat exports.

Wheat Production Areas

Most of the country’s wheat is grown in the central and south-central regions. Almost 95% of the wheat grown in Ukraine is winter wheat which is planted in the fall and is harvested during July and August.

Germany

After France, Germany is considered to be the 2nd largest wheat producer of the European Union. While it is the 9th largest producer of wheat in the world. All most all the plain areas of Germany produce and due to the small population, Germany exports large quantities in the international market. Its production is more than 21.4 million metric tons and the area under cultivation is only 3 million hectares, due to its high yield it achieves a large amount from small hectare age.

Wheat Production Regions

Bayern is the top wheat-producing region in Germany, it accounts for producing 17.16% of the country’s total wheat production. Four other regions account for producing 64.25% of the total wheat production. These four regions are:

• Niedersachsen
• Sachsen-Anhalt
• Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
• Nordrhein-Westfalen

Turkey

Turkey is another prominent country in wheat production in Asia and ranks 10th in the world. Turkish cultivation area is 8.6+ million hectares, while production is 17.7 million metric tons. In 2022-2023, Turkey’s wheat production is expected to increase by 1 million tons. Turkey mainly exported its wheat to Iran but their demand decreased soon as Iran invested in their flour milling industry. Now, Turkey is looking for new markets to export its wheat.

Wheat Production Regions

In Turkey’s northwestern region, the coastal southern plain and plateau of Armenia are important growing regions. The major farmland for wheat production is located in Konya with almost 2.6 million hectares of land, of which 700,000 hectares constitute for wheat farming.

Wheat Exports by Country

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization Corporate Statistical Database, the following are the top ten wheat exporting countries along with the quantities they exported and the trade value they earned in 2020.

Other Important Wheat-Producing Countries in the World

Conclusion

Wheat is cereal grass that is milled to form flour which is further processed to make other food products such as bread and kinds of pasta. It is a staple food worldwide. Almost every country produces wheat but China is considered to be the largest wheat producer with 134,254,710 tons of wheat produced in 2020 followed by India (107,590,000 tons) and Russia (85,896,326 tons). Other countries producing wheat include the United States, Canada, France, Pakistan, Ukraine, Germany, and Turkey. Wheat is also exported widely and the largest exporters of wheat are Russia, United States, and Canada.

Lisa C. Townes

Lisa is a passionate travelers. She spends 3 months every year visiting different places worldwide. She has visited almost every famous place in the world. She herself is an affiliate blogger