Three Asian countries produced 87% of the world’s palm oil in the 2022/2023 market year
Nigeria produced 1.4 million tons of palm oil in 2022, 2% of the global production in the 2022/2023 market year, making the country the fifth largest producer of the commodity. Indonesia dominated global production with 59%, followed by Malaysia and Thailand.
Global forest cover is 4.1 Bha, according to the latest FAO assessment.
At 832.6 Mha, 20.1% of the global total, Russia has the world’s largest forest area.
Brazil (486.1 Mha; 11.7%) and Canada (368.8 Mha; 8.9%) rank second and third, respectively.
The United States (7.5%) and China (5.5%) complete the global top five.
Africa’s top contributor is the Democratic Republic of Congo, with 139.2 Mha, 3.4% of the global total.
Other African countries in the top 20 include Angola, Zambia, Tanzania, and the Central African Republic, each accounting for approximately 1% of the global forest area.
Together, the top ten countries account for over 78% of the world’s total forest area, highlighting the global concentration of forest resources.
After yielding 61.9 million tonnes, yams were valued at $25.4 billion in 2023, the highest among reported commodities.
With 62.7 million tonnes produced, cassava generated $9.1 billion, making it the second most valuable crop.
Okra ($818/t), tomatoes ($808/t), and pineapples ($753/t) earned the highest returns per unit despite smaller volumes (1.6–3.8 million tonnes).
Maize ($3.7 b, 11.1 m t), rice ($3.1 b, 8.9 m t), sorghum ($2.3 b, 6.4 m t), cowpeas ($1.2 b, 4.3 m t), and groundnuts ($0.9 b, 4.3 m t) form the backbone of production.
