Finding the Amber Waves of Grain…
Where is Wheat Grown and Exported in the 21st Century?

There are some common misconceptions about the production of wheat in the world in the 21st century. Many people euphemistically refer to the United States as the "world's breadbasket." If that is meant to imply that the United States leads the world in wheat cultivation and production, the moniker simply does not fit. In fact, when it comes to wheat production at this point in time -- and in recent years as well -- the United States comes in at third or fourth place. (With that said, and as will be discussed shortly, the U.S. is the world's leading exporter of wheat.)

The world's largest wheat producer is the People's Republic of China. China produces more than twice the amount of wheat that is grown in the United States on an annual basis. China produces approximately 90 million metric tons of wheat annually. Nearly all of the wheat grown and produced in China is used domestically. While China does export some of its wheat crop, it is not a major player on the wheat exporting scene at this point in time.

India comes in at second place when it comes to wheat cultivation and production. India produces in the neighborhood of 70 million metric tons of wheat annually. As mentioned, the United States logs in at third or fourth place (depending on the year) as far as wheat production is concerned, with approximately 45 to 50 million metric tons cultivated and harvested each year.

In recent years the United States has been volleying back and forth with Russia in regard to wheat production. In some years Russia has been beating out the United States for the third tier ranking when it comes to wheat production. Russia's wheat production is in the same ballpark as that of the United States in recent years.

Other countries that are major producers of wheat on the world market today include: Argentina, Australia, France, Canada, Germany, Pakistan, Ukraine and the United Kingdom.

As mentioned previously, while the United States is not the largest producer of wheat in the world today, it is the largest wheat exporter. The other major exporters of wheat in this day and age are the combined nations of the European Union, Russia, Ukraine and Argentina, rounding out the top five.

Russia and Ukraine have booted Australia and Canada out of the top five international wheat exporters in recent years. The most significant reason that Australia and Canada have fallen off the top five list of exporters is a drop in production in those countries. In the same period of time, Russia and Ukraine have experienced a significant increase in wheat production. In fact, wheat production by the five traditional exporters has dropped 18% in recent years while wheat production by countries such as Russia and Ukraine has increased by 19%.

Most industry experts and analysts predict that wheat exports from countries like Russia and Ukraine will continue to increase over the course of the coming decade.