Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Corn , Maize, Zea mays

Corn is a number 1 grain crop in the world by volume, it is number 1 crop by calories and protein content also.  Oldest milling tools with maize residue  that were found in Central America are 8700 years old,  corn started to spread all over Americas  around  1500 BC and by 500 AD it was grown even in Canada.  In 2009, over 817.1 million tons  of  maize were produced.
USA is the biggest producer  in the world both by volume and per capita. A "share" of an average American  would be  1072 kg , or  2383 pounds of corn. Its enough  corn to live  for over 5 years and 10 weeks or so at 2000 calories a day  or you could make about 95 gallons of ethanol with it. It takes about 25 pounds of corn to make 1 gallon of ethanol, and about 78 grams to sweeten 1 can of soda. Overall, there are over 3500 uses for  corn products.
Worldwide , 118.6  kg or 263.5 pounds  of corn were available  per potential consumer. That's enough for  about 210.5 days at 2000 calories a day. There is enough corn in the world to feed
over  3 973.5 million people or entire populations of China, India, Indonesia, Brazil, Pakistan,Nigeria, Bangladesh,Russia, Japan, Mexico , Philippines, Burma and El Salvador combined. There is enough protein  in crop of corn to provide 50 grams a day to over 6 250 000 000 people.  Yes, it is incomplete and  hard to digest, still, quite a few  people can be  fed with it.
Over 159 531 000 hectares were used for maize production in 2009,  a territory bigger than Mongolia and Belgium combined.  That is over 10.1% of all arable land in the world. More land was used  only in 2008.  These numbers  do not include corn that was planted for livestock needs and was harvested  before maturity.
Best harvest ever was in 2008, 826 224 247 tonnes. Worst, since 1961-- 204.87 mln tonnes of corn in 1962

Best worldwide yield  was 5128.4 kg/ha in 2008. Worst, since 1961-- 1942.2 kg/ha in 1961.
Individual record yield belongs to Jordan, 2002  --28675 kg/ha. They must be smoking crack there in FAO.org, I will need to take a closer look at this. On the other hand there were only 480 hectares planted with corn in Jordan of 2002 so who knows may be its true.


List of all articles at Ironrye:
 http://ironrye.blogspot.com/2011/10/list-of-all-articles-at-iron-rye.html



Usage of Maize by USA, 2008
           5.25 billion bu. - Livestock feed
           3.65 billion bu. - Ethanol production
  • 1.85 billion bu. - Exports
  • 943 million bu. - Production of Starch, Corn Oil, Sweeteners (HFCS,etc.)
  • 327 million bu. - Human consumption - grits, corn flour, corn meal, beverage alcohol
Cost of the world crop as of today, is around $ 202-205 billion. (623.5 cents for a bushel (56lbs)as of today)

Major producers, 2008-2009

item20082009
Afghanistan
Maize
137000
M
Albania
Maize
4900047600
Algeria
Maize
227168
Angola
Maize
8839431554096
Antigua and Barbuda
Maize
42F
M
Argentina
Maize
34121552337175
Armenia
Maize
39632637
Australia
Maize
6800064580
Austria
Maize
194087178500
Azerbaijan
Maize
3319531501
Bahamas
Maize
180F 180F
Bangladesh
Maize
223868122000F
Barbados
Maize
105F 105F
Belarus
Maize
11270295832
Belgium
Maize
7201566700
Belize
Maize
1573215308
Benin
Maize
746318
M
Bhutan
Maize
28727F
M
Bolivia (Plurinational State of)
Maize
433300289011
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Maize
204266188688
Botswana
Maize
56000F
M
Brazil
Maize
1444458213791219
Bulgaria
Maize
329345274229
Burkina Faso
Maize
608368
M
Burundi
Maize
115000F
M
Cambodia
Maize
163106213000*
Cameroon
Maize
620000F 620000F
Canada
Maize
11688001142000
Cape Verde
Maize
34385
M
Central African Republic
Maize
172665177845
Chad
Maize
235082
M
Chile
Maize
134641128211
China
Maize
2988299830478998
Colombia
Maize
623025591890
Comoros
Maize
2000F
M
Congo
Maize
10250F
M
Costa Rica
Maize
683711227
Côte d'Ivoire
Maize
310000F
M
Croatia
Maize
314062296910
Cuba
Maize
129222203981
Czech Republic
Maize
113777105268
Democratic People's Republic of Korea
Maize
503150
M
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Maize
1483890
M
Denmark
Maize

M
M
Djibouti
Maize
6F
M
Dominica
Maize
145F
M
Dominican Republic
Maize
18412
M
Ecuador
Maize
358480368769
Egypt
Maize
819945835000F
El Salvador
Maize
256164261628
Eritrea
Maize
16448F
M
Ethiopia
Maize
17673891768122*
Fiji
Maize
1000F 900F
France
Maize
17020301679800
French Guiana
Maize
40F
M
Gabon
Maize
20000F 20000F
Gambia
Maize
4346047000
Georgia
Maize
141400124000
Germany
Maize
520478464333
Ghana
Maize
846260954400
Greece
Maize
240000240000
Grenada
Maize
320F
M
Guadeloupe
Maize

M
M
Guam
Maize
15F
M
Guatemala
Maize
795000F
M
Guinea
Maize
484296
M
Guinea-Bissau
Maize
17000F
M
Guyana
Maize
4600F
M
Haiti
Maize
269000F
M
Honduras
Maize
317602335514
Hungary
Maize
11918041177321
India
Maize
8300000* 8400000*
Indonesia
Maize
40033134160659
Iran (Islamic Republic of)
Maize
242740225639
Iraq
Maize
122575114050
Israel
Maize
53605000F
Italy
Maize
991500915500
Jamaica
Maize
1514
M
Japan
Maize
60F 65F
Jordan
Maize
10411043
Kazakhstan
Maize
7570099800
Kenya
Maize
17000001884368
Kuwait
Maize
50F
M
Kyrgyzstan
Maize
7890078800
Lao People's Democratic Republic
Maize
193220175965
Lebanon
Maize
9001000F
Lesotho
Maize
137156137366
Libyan Arab Jamahiriya
Maize
1380F
M
Lithuania
Maize
76005500
Luxembourg
Maize
379409
Madagascar
Maize
250000F
M
Malawi
Maize
1596955
M
Malaysia
Maize
63156340
Maldives
Maize
25F
M
Mali
Maize
352263463640
Mauritania
Maize
2190216684*
Mauritius
Maize
95
M
Mexico
Maize
73539407200000*
Micronesia (Federated States of)
Maize
45
M
Montenegro
Maize
2756
M
Montserrat
Maize
15
M
Morocco
Maize
219300
M
Mozambique
Maize
1400000F
M
Myanmar
Maize
345000F
M
Namibia
Maize
28000F
M
Nepal
Maize
870166875428
Netherlands
Maize
2210018800
New Caledonia
Maize
1100F
M
New Zealand
Maize
1830021558
Nicaragua
Maize
318435
M
Niger
Maize
6400
M
Nigeria
Maize
3845000
M
Pakistan
Maize
1052000950000
Panama
Maize
46290
M
Papua New Guinea
Maize
1700F
M
Paraguay
Maize
858101774100
Peru
Maize
499073514030
Philippines
Maize
26610202683900
Poland
Maize
317193274100
Portugal
Maize
10960087600
Puerto Rico
Maize
290F
M
Qatar
Maize
7075F
Republic of Korea
Maize
18366
M
Republic of Moldova
Maize
427950368000*
Réunion
Maize
1550F
M
Romania
Maize
24322102333501
Russian Federation
Maize
17317001122200
Rwanda
Maize
210000F 187000F
Saint Lucia
Maize

M
M
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Maize
210F
M
Sao Tome and Principe
Maize
1300F
M
Saudi Arabia
Maize
29000
M
Senegal
Maize
216517211585
Serbia
Maize
12739101208640
Sierra Leone
Maize
60000F
M
Slovakia
Maize
154238144235
Slovenia
Maize
4369838611
Somalia
Maize
235000F
M
South Africa
Maize
27990002427500
Spain
Maize
366300345000
Sri Lanka
Maize
5160050860
Sudan
Maize
3067237083
Suriname
Maize
12
M
Swaziland
Maize
47409F
M
Switzerland
Maize
1759316713
Syrian Arab Republic
Maize
7090041848
Tajikistan
Maize
1451614000F
Thailand
Maize
10428261104870
The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
Maize
3101332466
Timor-Leste
Maize
63400F
M
Togo
Maize
487175
M
Trinidad and Tobago
Maize
1200
M
Turkey
Maize
593710591279
Turkmenistan
Maize
15300
M
Uganda
Maize
862000887000
Ukraine
Maize
24401002089100
United Kingdom
Maize


M
United Republic of Tanzania
Maize
3100000
M
United States of America
Maize
3179649332209277
Uruguay
Maize
8060087500
Uzbekistan
Maize
32000* 35000F
Vanuatu
Maize
1450F
M
Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)
Maize
783314
M
Viet Nam
Maize
11259001086800
Yemen
Maize
4346737402
Zambia
Maize
663990911942*


Zimbabwe                                                                 1730 000             M

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