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.

In 2022-23, the International Grains Council’s July report anticipates worldwide wheat production to reach 770 million tonnes, down from 781 million tonnes in 2021-22, with 195 million tonnes available for trade.

Most wheat production comes from a handful of countries and even fewer are major exporters, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations. Here’s a look at the top 10 wheat-producing countries worldwide, based on total yield in tonnes from 2000-2020 with 2022-23 production and consumption projections.

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, US — Representatives of the grain and milling industries recently gathered July 10-13 at McCormick Place in Chicago, Illinois, US, for IFT FIRST, the Institute of Food Technologists annual event and expo.

UZWIL, SWITZERLAND — Leaders from the food, feed and mobility sectors have gathered in Uzwil, Switzerland, for Bühler Networking Days, an event that is held every three years.

The two-day event includes keynote addresses, panel discussions, technical presentations and demonstrations.

Here are some of the sights from Networking Days 2022.

In the USDA's August World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report, the world is projected to produce 779.60 million tonnes of wheat and provide 208.65 million tonnes for export in marketing year 2022-23.

These are the eight major wheat importing nations/regions by tonnes as listed in the monthly WASDE and their annual production projections.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February and the persistent La Niña climate phenomenon have combined to create some of the most volatile market conditions in recent memory, sending prices skyrocketing as nations that depend on wheat to feed their populations scramble to secure supplies.

Each month, the WASDE releases new projections to reflect the most recent global market and production conditions, and this slideshow will be updated with those changes.

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February, the world’s wheat supply has been thrown into question, with poorer nations facing scarcity and a potential food crisis, according to the United Nations.

Following are countries among the world’s least developed that are the most dependent on Russia and Ukraine for their annual wheat supply (2020), according to the UN Conference on Trade and Development. Nations in Africa import 44% of their wheat from Russia and Ukraine, according to the UN.

Sources: unctad.org and knoema.com/atlas.

Held every three years, VICTAM International is one of the world’s largest dedicated events for the animal feed processing industries. Co-located with VICTAM International is GRAPAS Europe, which is focused on the grain, flour and rice processing industries.

This is also the first show that is a result of the partnership between VICTAM and VIV Europe, which brings together the global feed to food industry for the production and processing of poultry meat, eggs, pork, beef, fish and dairy.

The event continues to June 2 at the Jaarbeurs exhibition grounds in Utrecht, Netherlands. 

Besides being the newest flour mill in the United States, the Ardent Mills flour mill built along the Gulf coast in metropolitan Tampa, Florida, US, has several details that set it apart. Advanced analytics, state-of-the-art equipment, unusually large grain storage capacity and unique supply chain capabilities are among the mill’s distinguishing features.

At 17,500 cwts of daily flour milling capacity, the Port Redwing mill is not Ardent Mills’ largest and is not among the 25 largest flour mills in the United States. With the capacity to receive large quantities of wheat, though, Ardent Mills constructed a large grain elevator at the Port Redwing mill, with 4.1 million bushels of storage capacity.

The elevator may be the largest ever built concurrent with the construction of a US flour mill and, according to the 2022 Grain & Milling Annual published by Sosland Publishing Co., it is the sixth largest elevator of any US flour mill currently operating. The concrete elevator includes 12, 50-foot-concrete bins with 300,000 bushels of grain storage apiece as well as a number of smaller grain bins.

After two years of disruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the International Association of Operative Millers (IAOM) returned to an in-person spring Annual Conference & Expo in Richmond, Virginia, US. More than 700 people are in attendance for the event, which is May 2-6.

Alicorp SAA, Peru’s largest flour miller and a company with wide-ranging business interests, has expanded its flour production capabilities by nearly 50% at its plant in the Callao district near Lima, the nation’s capital.

The nine-floor, 1,700-square-meter plant now can produce 1,580 tonnes of flour (wheat equivalent) per day, an increase of 500 tonnes. The expansion, which was executed in existing space inside the building, includes a new milling line that features fully automated Bühler equipment.

The project included the installation of 35 Bühler roller mills, 3 plansifters, an automated bagging carousel and an optical grain sorter.

Other highlights of the project are the erection of wheat storage silos, the installation of concrete silos for wheat conditioning, and a truck filling station for flour and byproducts.

KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, US — The Grain Elevator and Processing Society’s GEAPS Exchange 2022 got underway March 26 at the Kansas City Convention Center in Kansas City, Missouri, US, with the first full day on the expo floor March 27.

With manufacturers, suppliers and customers from across the globe filling the convention center and making connections, here are some more photos from the expo from March 27 and 28.

The March 26-29 event features 45 hours of educational programming, special events and an expo with the latest grain handling and processing solutions.

KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, US — The Grain Elevator and Processing Society’s GEAPS Exchange 2022 got underway March 26 at the Kansas City Convention Center in Kansas City, Missouri, US, with the first full day on the expo floor March 27.

The March 26-29 event features 45 hours of educational programming, special events and an expo with the latest grain handling and processing solutions.

With manufacturers, suppliers and customers from across the globe filling the convention center and making connections, here a few photos from the expo’s first day.