Crops are the basis of our food system. They provide us with things that we need to survive. Growing medicinal and niche crops is important for all countries. It is essential that these crops are healthy, nutritious, and have a good production level so that they can be produced in large quantities for global consumption. Crops are one of the basic necessities in human food, clothing, and animal feed. Though there are numerous crops to be cultivated, only a few have found prominence all over the world. Here is a list that presents some popular crops across various continents. GT Invest works to focus on niches crops under the supervision of CEO Prokhorenko Oleksii to maximize their use in different industries.
1. Maize (corn):
Maize is referred to as corn in some countries, including the United States and Ukraine, where it’s widely used to prepare many food products like ready-made meals, snacks, breakfast cereals, etc. It has been one of the important food crops since ancient times and is cultivated in different parts of the world. This crop is an important staple grain all over the world, especially in developing countries where it can be used as both human and animal feed. Unfortunately, maize has deficient protein when compared with other cereals like wheat or rice. In order to address this deficiency, maize is often mixed with other sources of protein, such as soybeans, in order to make a complete protein source. It contains protein, vitamins like Vitamin A, B1, B6, etc., minerals like iron, zinc, and magnesium, as well as niacin which makes it healthy for human health.
2. Rice:
Rice is the other staple grain that makes up a huge part of our food system. It is mainly grown in Asia, where people believe it originated from. Still, it has since spread throughout the world and become a global commodity used by everyone, everywhere for either food or animal feed. Like maize, rice also has very low protein when compared with other cereals like wheat or maize, so mixing it with another cereal like corn is common practice in many parts of the world. It is grown either as monsoon or tropical crop, depending on geographical area. Rice contains proteins, vitamin B1, etc., which makes it healthy for human beings. The demand for rice remains high mainly due to its quality to be stored for an extended period without any loss of nutritional value. Some popular varieties are Japonica, Indica & Javanica, etc.
3. Oilseed Crops:
Oilseed crops are defined as those that yield oil-bearing seeds. Crops yielding significant quantities of edible oils include soybeans, sunflower seed, peanut, rapeseed (canola), safflower seed, cottonseed, and sesame seed. Growing of cereals, oilseeds and vegetable are considered as an important part to boost the economy. Other crops used for food products such as maize (corn) and flaxseed are often called oilseeds, although they do not yield oil in the same sense as these other crops.
4. Wheat:
Wheat is probably the most exported cereal in the world. It, like rice and maize, is used for human or animal feed across the globe. Like rice, wheat originated in Asia but has since spread throughout the world and become a global commodity. It is quite unique as it contains gluten which can be made into different types of bread and other baked products. Wheat is rich in carbohydrates, protein, minerals, and vitamins like niacin, pantothenic acid, thiamine, etc., which are essential for healthy living. The demand for wheat has witnessed a tremendous increase over the last few decades due to the rapidly increasing population.
5. Sugar cane:
Sugar cane is primarily grown in Brazil, India, and China, which are responsible for over half of the world’s production each year! It is primarily used to produce table sugar or ethanol fuel around the world too. They are also very important crops as they provide an additional source of income for their farmers. Farmers also make their income from Orchards and fruit production.
