Corn is key to ag – US is the worlds largest producer
Karoll Copp 7/20, news editor at Investopedia, “The World's 6 Biggest Corn Producers”, July 20, 2024, Investopedia, https://www.investopedia.com/articles/markets-economy/090316/6-countries-produce-most-corn.asp
More corn is produced than any other grain crop, and for good reason. It is a staple food for many people and helps to feed a growing world population. It's also a major component of livestock feed. According to the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) "World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates" report, nations worldwide are projected to produce 1,225.45 million metric tons of corn for the 2023-2024 season and 1,220.54 million metric tons for the 2024-2025 season. 1 Corn is considered a multipurpose agricultural crop around the globe. It is used in consumer items, industrial products, biofuels, as a sweetener in many processed foods, and it's the main ingredient in corn oil, corn starch, and corn syrup. It's also used to create ethanol fuel, and even the cobs have industrial uses due to their absorbent qualities. Read on for information about the world's major corn-producing nations in the 2022-2023 season. The U.S. is by far the world's largest producer of corn, with a 2022-2023 production of 346.74 million metric tons. The estimate for 2023-2024 is 389.69 million metric tons.2 The acreage dedicated to planting corn changes from season to season, but in all about 90 million acres of American land are planted with corn each production year. While the nation is an of corn, most corn produced is used for domestic consumption as livestock feed and ethanol production. About 12% was exported in the 2022-2023 season.3