The FAO expects global wheat production this year to reach 797 million tons (Reuters)

Wheat is an essential ingredient in human food, as about 35% of the world’s population depends on it as the main ingredient in their diet, according to World Bank statistics.

In the Arab world, wheat may be the most important basic food item in every citizen’s diet. Wheat is bread, and bread is the basic food in the Arab world. Wheat is also used in the manufacture of sweets, baked goods, and pastries, along with a large number of other food materials and products.

In the holy month of Ramadan, whose blessed shadows we are basking in these days, it is difficult not to find bread and foods made from wheat on the table, including Qatayef and Umm Ali sweets in Egypt and Lokmat al-Qadi in the Gulf.

Who are the largest producers and exporters of wheat in the world?

Who are the largest importers?

Note that there are 3 Arab countries among the largest wheat importers in the world, which we will learn about in this report.

Facts you may not know about wheat

  • Wheat is one of the oldest crops in the world.


    Its cultivation began about 10 thousand years ago in the Euphrates Valley in Iraq. Wheat is the basis of civilization. Its cultivation began even before cities and states were formed, and it was the basis for the emergence of the first civilizations and states in Mesopotamia and then the world.

  • Wheat is the most growing and widespread commercial crop in the world.


    Wheat is the most widespread crop in the world, with an area of ​​cultivation of more than 218 million hectares, and its global trade is greater than all other crops combined. In terms of food security, it is the second most important food crop in the developing world. After rice.

  • Wheat grows on all continents.


    One of the most amazing facts about wheat is that it grows on all continents. It grows easily in moderate climates. It is easy to store once planted and can become part of an amazing number of foods thanks to its ability to turn into flour.

  • Wheat occupies a central place in human nutrition. Wheat


    provides 20% of protein and daily dietary calories, and contains vitamin B, dietary fiber and protein, which makes this popular grain an important part of balanced nutrition. Whole grains also contain most of the nutrients, which is why it is recommended It is included in healthy diets.

  • 120 days between sowing wheat and harvesting it.


    Wheat needs about 120 days between sowing seeds and harvesting it, but keep in mind that different seeds and different climates may mean a different timetable for planting and harvesting these grains.

The volume of global wheat production

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the volume of global wheat production this year is expected to reach 797 million tons, an increase of 1% compared to the 2023 crop, which reached 785 million tons.

The volume of global wheat exports

The volume of global wheat exports increased by about 33.6%, to exceed 216 million metric tons in 2023, according to the specialized Statista platform, and the value of the global wheat market reached $73.3 billion in 2022, according to the FAO’s OEC World platform.

The 10 largest wheat producing countries in the world

According to a report issued by the World Grains Council, the top 10 wheat producing countries in the world during the past two decades of the current century (2000 - 2020) are:

1- China: 2.4 billion tons.


2- India: 1.8 billion tons.


3- Russia: 1.2 billion tons.


4- United States: 1.2 billion tons.


5- France: 767 million tons.


6- Canada: 571 million tons.


7- Germany: 491 million tons.


8- Pakistan: 482 million tons.


9- Australia: 456 million tons.


10- Ukraine: 433 million tons.

The 10 largest wheat exporting countries in the world

In 2022, the total global sales of wheat exported from all countries amounted to $66.2 billion, according to what was reported by the “World’s Top Export” organization. The following is a list of the 10 largest wheat exporting countries in the world, valued in dollars:

1- Australia: $10.2 billion (net export surplus has increased by 40.5% since 2021).


2- Canada: $7.9 billion (an increase of 20.2%).


3- United States: $7.8 billion (an increase of 13.9%).


4- France: $7.3 billion (an increase of 63.9%).


5- Russia: $6.8 billion (down -6.6%).


6- Argentina: $3.1 billion (an increase of 5%).


7- Ukraine: $2.7 billion (down -47.2%).


8- India: $2.1 billion (an increase of 23.6%).


9- Romania: $1.8 billion (an increase of 14.1%).


10- Kazakhstan: $1.6 billion (an increase of 32%).

The effects of the Russian-Ukrainian war are noted on the list, as the two countries’ exports decreased significantly compared to before the war, noting that Russia was topping this list in 2021.

The top 10 wheat importing countries in the world, including 3 Arab countries in 2022 (according to World’s Top Export):

1- Indonesia: $3.81 billion (5.3% of the total wheat imported globally).


2- Egypt: $3.8 billion (5.3% of the total wheat imported globally).


3- China: $3.78 billion (5.2%).


4- Türkiye: $3.4 billion (4.6%).


5- Italy: $2.8 billion (3.9%).


6- Algeria: $2.7 billion (3.7%).


7- Philippines: $2.58 billion (3.6%).


8- Morocco: $2.56 billion (3.5%).


9- Japan: $2.53 billion (3.5%).


10- Nigeria: $2.3 billion (3.1%).

The top 5 Arab wheat-producing countries in 2022 (according to the World Pollution Review platform):

1- Egypt: 9.7 million tons.


2- Algeria: 3 million tons.


3- Iraq: 2.8 million tons.


4- Syria: 1.6 million tons.


5- Tunisia: 1.1 million tons.

Finally, the Arab countries are among the largest importers of wheat in the world, noting that the area of ​​arable land in the Arab world amounts to 220 million hectares, of which only a third is exploited. The decline in the percentage of exploited agricultural lands places the Arab peoples facing great challenges in the field of food security, as the Arab countries are the largest importers. For food in the world, it suffers from a rise in the bill for importing food from abroad in hard currency from year to year. The value of the food import bill for Arab countries has reached about 100 billion dollars annually.

Source: Al Jazeera