World Watch: Global Grain Production at Record High Despite Extreme Climatic Events
Global grain production is expected to reach a record high of 2.4 billion tons in 2012, an increase of 1 percent from 2011 levels, according to new research conducted by the Nourishing the Planet project for our Vital Signs Online service. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the production of grain for animal feed is growing the fastest—a 2.1 percent increase from 2011. Grain for direct human consumption grew 1.1 percent from 2011. ...
... Further highlights from the report:
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- The FAO expects global maize production to increase 4.1 percent from 2011, reaching an estimated 916 million tons in 2012.
- Global rice production achieved an all-time high of 480 million tons in 2011, a 2.6 percent increase from 2010.
- World wheat production is projected to drop to 675.1 million tons in 2012, down 3.6 percent from 2011, with the largest declines in feed and biofuel utilization.
- Since 1961, grain production has increased 269 percent and grain yield has increased 157 percent, while the grain harvest area has increased only 25 percent. This is due largely to the Green Revolution and the introduction of high-yielding grain varieties.
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