Jakarta – All of global agricultural commodities which are produced in the cultivation areas of single crops are categorized as products of monocultures. Wheat, corn, peanut, rice and other agricultural crops are grown in single crop plantations in all producing countries.
The Palm Oil Agribusiness Strategic Policy Institute (PASPI) reported recently that based on data of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) in 2017, of the total 224.28 million hectares of global wheat plantations, 30.2 million hectares are located in India; 26.9 million hectares in European Union (EU); 24.3 million hectares in China; 26.9 million hectares in Russia; 17.7 million hectares in USA; and 12.9 million hectares in Australia.
Meanwhile, of around 177.45 million hectares of global corn plantations, 35 million hectares are located in the USA; 36 million hectares in China; 16.4 million hectares in Brazil; and 9.5 million hectares in India. Of the total 159 million hectares of global rice cultivation areas, 44.5 million hectares are located in India; 30.3 million hectares in China; and 12.1 million hectares in Indonesia.
PASPI said that also based on USDA data, compared to the total areas of global vegetable oils, the oil palm plantation areas of Indonesia in 2016 are only 11.6 million hectares, which are smaller than other areas of vegetable oils, including the soybean in the main producing countries.
In 2016, the USA had its soybean plantation areas at 33.6 million hectares, while in Brazil at around 33.8 million hectares, which are three times bigger than the oil palm plantations in Indonesia. In Argentina, the soybean plantations have a total acreage of 19.5 million hectares, and in India at around 11.4 million hectares.
“Considering the fact, the oil palm plantations in Indonesia are not the largest monoculture in the world if compared with other vegetable oils’ plantations and even with other agricultural crops. Indonesia’s oil palm plantation areas are only a third of the total acreage of soybean plantations in the USA and Brazil. Even in Indonesia the acreage of oil palm plantations is smaller than that of the rice fields,” PASPI reported. (*)
Source: Warta Ekonomi
