World’s Largest Wheat Producer Now World’s Largest Wheat Importer Too

World’s Largest Wheat Producer Now World’s Largest Wheat Importer Too

Share to Linkedin KUNSHAN, CHINA - MAY 17: Aerial view of combine harvesters working in a field during the wheat ... [+] harvest season on May 17, 2022 in Kunshan, Jiangsu Province of China. (Photo by Yuan Xinyu/VCG via Getty Images) Everyone knows China is the most populous country on the planet. But most people don't realize that China is also the largest producer of wheat in the world behind India. Both countries have enormous populations that have to be fed, and wheat is a primary food staple, so it makes sense that China and India are the world's number one and number two wheat growing countries. But the most recent USDA World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) released this week show China as the dominant wheat player in virtually every metric except exports. India is fortunate enough to be able to grow all the wheat it needs; in most years India even produces a slight surplus it makes available for export to neighboring countries. China can't export meaningful amounts of wheat because it isn't able to grow enough wheat to fulfill its own domestic demand. (For anyone wondering, Russia is the world's top wheat exporter.) Notably in this