Gourt > Regional > Oceania > Australia > Business and Economy > Agriculture > Grains and Cereals
Cereal crops are mostly grasses cultivated for their edible grains or seeds (actually a fruit called a caryopsis). Cereal grains are grown in greater quantities worldwide than any other type of crop and provides more food energy to the human race than any other crop. In some developing nations, cereal grains constitute practically the entire diet of common folk. In developed nations, cereal consumption is more moderate but still substantial . The word cereal derives from Ceres, the name of the Roman goddess of The Harvest and Agriculture. Grains are traditionally called corn in the United Kingdom, though that word became specified for maize in the United States, Canada and Australia.
Production
The following table shows annual production of major cereal grains, in 19611961 is the earliest year for which FAO statistics are available. and 2005, ranked by 2005 production.* All but buckwheat and quinoa are true grasses.
| Grain | 2005 (Mt) | 1961 (Mt) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maize | 694,575,552 | 205,004,683 | A staple food of peoples in North America, South America, and Africa and of livestock worldwide; called "corn" or "Indian corn" in North America and Australia, or "sweetcorn" in the UK. |
| Wheat | 628,101,035 | 222,357,231 | The primary cereal of temperate regions |
| Rice, Paddy | 618,534,989 | 215,654,697 | The primary cereal of tropical regions |
| Barley | 137,302,263 | 72,411,104 | Grown for malting and livestock on land too poor or too cold for wheat |
| Sorghums | 58,620,842 | 40,931,625 | Important staple food in Asia and Africa and popular worldwide for livestock |
| Millets | 27,388,444 | 25,703,968 | A group of similar but distinct cereals that form an important staple food in Asia and Africa. |
| Oats | 23,972,508 | 49,588,769 | Formerly the staple food of Scotland and popular worldwide for livestock |
| Rye | 15,605,370 | 35,109,990 | Important in cold climates |
| Triticale | 13,473,141 | 0 | Hybrid of wheat and rye, grown similarly to rye |
| Buckwheat | 2,529,794 | 2,478,596 | Used in Europe and Asia. Major uses include various pancakes and groats |
| Fonio | 264,508 | 178,483 | several varieties of which are grown as food crops in Africa |
| Quinoa | 51,152 | 32,435 | Ancient pseudocereal, grown in the Andes |
Products and Services :: Agriculture
Ausbulk - A grower cooperative specializing in storing and handling cereal grains, pulses and oilseeds.
Australian Barley Board - The barley grower's resource centre contains the latest information on grain prices, weather and global statistics.
Australian Foods - Buyers of wheat, canola, feed grain, barley, oats, peas, pulses and other grains for export worldwide.
AWB Limited - AWB Limited markets and sells Australian grain on behalf of Australia's 40,000 grain growers to more than 50 countries and 100 individual customers.
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Deltapine Australia - Specialists in breeding and producing quality cotton planting seed for Australian conditions. Includes news and information on trials, field days, diseases, germination and varieties.
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FarMarCo - An agricultural commodity marketing company, active in the grain and cotton industries in Australia.
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GrainCorp - Grain prices and marketing information.
Heritage Seeds - A national supplier of pasture and amenity seed products. Includes product information, research and development, and a newsletter.
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Pacific Seeds - Specialists in the research, production, marketing and distribution of a diverse range of crop varieties, including sunflower, grain and forage sorghum, maize, sweet corn, popping corn, soybeans, canola, grazing oats, and an assortment of temperate pastures.
Pioneer Seeds - Developers, breeders and distributors of Hi-Bred, seeds. Includes details of products, crop and agronomy, service, and performance information.
Meta Description: [ In Australia, Pioneer sells seed of proprietary Pioneer® brand corn, grain sorghum, forage sorghum
and sunflower hybrids, as well as varieties of canola and lucerne, soybean. ]
Sunrice - Information about SunRice, rice products, recipes and news.
| A woman let us in her house to see how she grinded some cereal grains....MUNARRIZ ZANZIBAR NUNGWI | |
