KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, US — These are the 12 nations at which World Grain took an in-depth look through its Country Focus series in 2022. Revisit the locations and the perspective they provide.

KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, US — When Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, it set off a chain reaction in the global grain markets that was felt from the hungry living in less-developed nations to the top echelons of government and agricultural industry leadership.

While the war and its fallout were the most shocking shakeup of 2022, climate change, mergers, sustainability and biotechnology continued to push innovative and practical solutions for the global grain and milling industries.

One can never predict the future with 100% confidence, but looking back at the previous year, we might be able to determine where the trends will take global agriculture in 2023. 

Global supply chains were challenged by a variety of geopolitical events and inflation in 2022, but grain handling and storage equipment suppliers remained resilient with new products and services.

Here is the first of a two-part look at some companies that highlight the 2023 International Buyers Guide from Sosland Publishing Co.

WASHINGTON, DC, US — Along with corn and wheat, rice, an edible starchy cereal grain, is one of the important staple crops used to nourish the world, providing a food source rich in carbohydrates.

According to the US Department of Agriculture’s World Agriculture Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) November 2022 report, the global production of rice is projected to reach 503.69 million tonnes in 2022-23. Of that total, USDA expects 52.83 million tonnes will be exported to world markets.

China is the largest producer and importer of rice to meet its projected 2022-23 domestic consumption of 155 million tonnes.

These are the top 10 global rice producing countries.

CREMONA, ITALY — More than 150 guests from all over the world attended Ocrim’s “Grano, Farina, E…” (Wheat, Flour, And…) event Sept. 16-17 in Cremona, Italy.

The two-day event included discussions on topical issues, including energy saving, maximizing productivity, milling plant efficiency and food trends. The Ocrim “O|farmhouse” was inaugurated, in the area next to the Milling Hub plant, a recently renovated farmhouse that functions as a hospitality area.

The Sept. 17 conference began with greetings from the Mayor of Cremona, Gianluca Galimberti followed by professors from the Università del Sacro Cuore.

At the end of the conference, attendees visited the Milling Hub mill plant, near the Ocrim manufacturing and logistical headquarters.

These photos, courtesy of Ocrim, provide a snapshot of the activities during the event:

KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, US — Corn is the top produced crop in the world. Its high starch content and versatility make it useful in hundreds of products such as food and beverages, biodegradable materials, fuel ethanol and especially animal feed.

The US Department of Agriculture’s World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) projects the world will produce 1.172 billion tonnes of corn in marketing year 2022-23, of which 183.58 million tonnes will be exported. The WASDE sees individual countries’ domestic feed production using 743.05 million tonnes of corn, and global ending stocks at 304.53 million tonnes.

These are the Top 10 corn producing nations in the world, according to the September WASDE 2022-23 projections.