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62 years of beer production: United States' 41-year rule and China’s overtake
  • The US led global barley beer output for 41 straight years (1961–2001).
  • China has topped production every year since 2002—21 years and counting.
  • The US produced 1.28 billion tonnes in 62 years—about 3.88 trillion bottles of 33cl beer.
  • Nigeria rose from 53rd place in 1961 to 13th in 2014, before sliding to 22nd by 2022.
  • Global beer leadership now reflects shifts in demand from Western to Asian markets.
  • Beer output trends mirror broader changes in economic power and population growth.

South Africa's wine production peaked at 1.15 million tonnes in 2014, while being Africa’s major wine producer for 48 years
Key Takeaways:
  • South Africa has been the leading wine producer in Africa from 1975 to 2022.
  • Algeria was the top producer from 1961 to 1974 but saw a significant decline in output in later years.
  • South Africa, Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia have been the dominant wine-producing countries in Africa between 1961 and 2022.
  • On average, eight African countries have engaged in wine production annually during this period.
  • Sub-Saharan nations such as Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, and Tanzania have contributed small but steady wine to Africa’s production in recent decades.
  • Egypt has consistently ranked among Africa’s top wine producers, with its highest production recorded in 2008.

The former Sudan led Africa’s sesame seed oil production for 48 years, with the largest volume of 69,300 tonnes produced in 2009
Key Takeaways:
  • The former Sudan was the leading sesame seed oil producer in Africa for 48 years, from 1961 to 2011.
  • Nigeria topped Africa’s production rankings between 2012–2014 and 2016–2018.
  • The Central African Republic led sesame oil production in Africa for five years in a recent period.
  • East African countries, particularly Tanzania and Uganda, have seen significant growth in sesame oil production since the 1990s.
  • Six countries—Former Sudan, Somalia, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Mozambique, and the Central African Republic—have consistently played leading roles in Africa’s sesame seed oil production from 1961 to 1981 before the inclusion of some other African countries.
  • Following their separation, both Sudan and South Sudan have remained among the top sesame oil producers in Africa.
  • The top producers of sesame seed oil in Africa are mainly from Sub-Sahara African countries.
  • In SSA, sesame is often grown by small-scale farmers for export purposes.

Just 10 countries got over 75% of public sector funding for agriculture since 1991 — the US alone took nearly 23%
  • Global public agriculture funding between 1991 and 2023 totaled $878 trillion.
  • The U.S. alone received $199 trillion, averaging $6.2 trillion per year — the highest of any country.
  • Japan and China followed with $166 trillion and $122 trillion respectively.
  • Just 10 countries accounted for over 75% of the total.
  • Nigeria ranked 41st out of 145 countries, with only $1 trillion in 32 years — about $32 billion per year.
  • For a country with over 200 million people, that low level of investment tracks closely with rising food prices, low yields, and import dependence.

Nigeria’s sesame oil production in 2012 was 7,247.6% higher than in 2009, but it declined by 82.7% in 2022
Key takeaways:
  • Nigeria’s sesame oil production grew from 6,800 tonnes in 1985 to 30,548 tonnes in 2022, marking a 349% increase over the period.
  • The highest production level was recorded in 2012, reaching 176,342 tonnes, more than 25 times the 1985 output.
  • Between 1985 and 1995, production steadily increased from 6,800 to 12,000 tonnes.
  • From 1996 to 2003, production plateaued at 8,000 tonnes before declining sharply to 2,400 tonnes in 2009.
  • A significant recovery began in 2010, with production rising to 6,124 tonnes, followed by a near tenfold surge to 22,148 tonnes in 2011.
  • After the 2012 peak, production fluctuated significantly but remained substantially higher than pre-2010 levels.

African sesame seed oil production peaked in 2012, followed by the sharpest year-on-year decline in 2013 (38.6%) and a further 42.2% drop by 2022
Key Takeaways:
  • Africa’s sesame seed oil production grew from 23,706 tonnes in 1961 to 217,048 tonnes in 2022, an overall increase of 815%.
  • The highest production was recorded in 2012, with an output of 375,697 tonnes, which is more than 15 times the 1961 volume.
  • Between 1961 and 2012, production rose by 1,484.8%.
  • The largest single-year increase occurred between 1969 and 1970, when production jumped from 41,456 tonnes to 101,472 tonnes.
  • After reaching its peak in 2012, production experienced notable fluctuations, settling at 217,048 tonnes by 2022.
  • The sharpest annual decline occurred in 2013, with a 38.6% drop following the 2012 peak.

Global wine production remained relatively stable over the decades, averaging 28.67 million tonnes, with a peak of 37.5 million tonnes in 1979
Key takeaways:
  • Over the past six decades, global wine production has remained relatively stable, averaging around 28 million tonnes annually.
  • Wine production increased from 21.5 million tonnes in 1961 to 27.4 million tonnes in 2022.
  • The highest production was recorded in 1979, reaching 37.5 million tonnes.
  • The second-highest year was 1982, with a production of 37.4 million tonnes.
  • Wine production exceeded 30 million tonnes in ten different years between 1961 and 2022.
  • Between 2000 and 2022, production was consistently stable, averaging about 27 million tonnes.
  • The 2022 production of 27.4 million tonnes represented a 27.3% increase compared to 1961.

In 62 years of global cotton production, China ruled 41 years and peaked at 7.6 million tonnes in 2007
  • Global cotton production grew by over 160%, from about 9.5 million tonnes in 1961 to 24.8 million tonnes in 2022.
  • China’s Reign: 41 years at number one. Biggest output: 7.62M tonnes in 2007.
  • USA’s Era: 13 years at the top. Peak production: 5.20M tonnes in 2005.
  • USSR’s Legacy: 5 years crowned. Best year: 2.89M tonnes in 1981.
  • India’s Late Charge: Only 3 years at number one, but a huge 6.13M tonnes in 2020.
  • Shift to Asia: In the early decades, USA dominated; now, it’s mostly China and India running the game.

More chickens are killed for meat than any other animal in Nigeria
  • In 2023, over 324 million chickens were slaughtered in Nigeria, making them the dominant source of meat.
  • Goats and sheep followed at 28.23 million and 19.45 million, respectively, but their slaughter numbers were far lower than poultry.
  • Pigs accounted for 8.11 million slaughters, while cows were the least slaughtered at 3.32 million, likely due to their higher economic value.
  • The disparity in slaughter numbers highlights Nigeria's preference for poultry over red meat, aligning with global trends in cost-effective protein consumption.

Top ten African countries by arable land in hectares as of 2024
  • Nigeria leads Africa in total arable land with 36,872,000 hectares, more than twice that of Niger, the second-ranking country.
  • Niger ranks second with 17,700,000 hectares.
  • The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) ranks third with 13,680,000 hectares, revealing the role of Central Africa in agricultural land availability.
  • Other notable countries include Chad (5.3M hectares), Zambia (3.8M hectares), and Guinea (3.1M hectares).
  • The countries at the bottom of the top ten list, such as Congo (550,000 hectares), Liberia (500,000 hectares), and Mauritania (450,000 hectares), have relatively limited arable land compared to leading nations.

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