🌾 Record year for global food production

🌾 Record year for global food production

Global production of rice, wheat and soybeans reached new record levels during 2024. Corn production remained at high levels, comparable to the 2021 harvest. Yields per hectare for most staple crops were equal to or higher than previous years.

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  • Global production of rice, wheat and soybeans reached new record levels during 2024.
  • Corn production remained at high levels, comparable to the 2021 harvest.
  • Yields per hectare for most staple crops were equal to or higher than previous years.

New production records for staple crops

Global food production continued to increase during 2024. According to the latest World Agricultural Production report from the US Department of Agriculture, several important staple crops reached new record levels.

Soybeans showed particularly strong growth with a significant increase compared to the previous year. Rice production also broke records by a good margin, while wheat production noted a smaller increase compared to previous peak levels.

Corn production, which is the world's most cultivated crop, did not reach last year's record levels but was in line with 2021 production.

Agricultural productivity continued to develop positively during the year. Corn cultivation delivered the same high yield per hectare as the record year 2023, with up to 6 tonnes per hectare. Rice cultivation approached 5 tonnes per hectare, while wheat stood at 3.5 tonnes and soybeans closer to 3 tonnes per hectare.

Varied results for other crops

Several other crops also showed good results during 2024. Coffee production reached the third highest level ever with 176.5 million bags. Only 2018 and 2020 production was higher.

Sugar production achieved the second highest level ever, only surpassed by the 2017 harvest. Cotton cultivation resulted in the fourth highest production ever, with record yields of 843 kilograms per hectare.

In fruit production, record harvests were noted for pears, cherries, and lemons, while orange and apple harvests were close to previous years' levels without breaking new records.

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