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. 2018 Jan 17;2018:1451894. doi: 10.1155/2018/1451894

Table 1.

Major crops grown in Africa with their global area of cultivation, total production, and productivity. indicates the top 10 globally important crops in terms of total production. ∗∗ refers to finger millet, pearl millet, and proso millet and others. Source: [8, 9].

Crop Center of origin Area cultivated in Africa Total production in Africa Yield (t ha−1)
Common name Botanical name (000′ ha) % of global (000′ tons) % of global Global Africa
Cereals
 Barley Hordeum vulgare Ethiopia 4,997 10.1 6,022 4.5 2.7 1.2
 Fonio Digitaria exilis 566 100 587 100 1.0 1.0
 Maize Zea mays Mexico & Central America 33,710 19.0 69,636 7.9 4.9 2.1
 Millets∗∗ Diverse species Ethiopia 19,977 62.9 16,083 53.8 0.9 0.8
 Rice Oryza sativa India 10,538 6.4 26,823 3.7 4.4 2.5
 Sorghum Sorghum bicolor Ethiopia 23,169 60.7 23,312 40.9 1.5 1.0
 Tef Eragrostis tef Ethiopia 3,000 100 4,700 100 1.6 1.6
 Wheat Triticum spp. Middle East 10,216 4.7 24,710 3.7 3.1 2.4
Food legumes (pulses)
 Bambara beans Vigna subterranea 232 100 159 100 0.7 0.7
 Beans, dry Diverse species Diverse 7,829 26.7 5,069 21.5 0.8 0.6
 Chickpea Cicer arietinum Central Asia 593 4.8 696 5.9 0.9 1.2
 Cowpea Vigna unguiculata India 10,402 92.1 5,402 94.5 0.5 0.5
 Pigeon pea Cajanus cajan India 754 14.1 632 14.9 0.8 0.8
Vegetables
 Cabbages Brassica spp. China 124 5.2 2,805 4.0 29.3 22.6
 Okra Abelmoschus esculentus Ethiopia 516 47.4 1,833 21.9 7.7 3.5
 Tomato Lycopersicon lycopersicum Mexico & Central America 1,010 21.0 17,937 11.1 33.7 17.8
Oil seeds
 Castor seed Ricinus communis Ethiopia 250 14.8 90 4.6 1.1 0.3
 Sesame Sesamum indicum Central Asia 3,283 41.5 1,708 42.3 0.5 0.5
 Soybean Glycine max China 1,637 1.5 1,986 0.8 2.3 1.2
 Sunflower Helianthus annuus North America 1,790 7.2 2,223 5.9 1.5 1.2
Roots & tubers
 Cassava Manihot esculentum 13,662 67.0 149,479 52 12.9 10.9
 Enset Ensete ventricosum 312 100 728 100 2.3 2.3
 Potato Solanum tuberosum North America 1,894 9.9 28,169 7.7 18.9 14.8
 Sweet potato Ipomoea batatas Mexico & Central America 3,506 43.3 17,999 17.4 12.7 5.1
 Taro Colocasia esculenta India 1,127 85.7 7,367 73.8 7.6 6.5
 Yam Dioscorea spp. India 4,801 95.3 56,500 96.1 11.7 11.7
Fruits
 Banana Musa spp. India 1,493 30.1 15,863 15.5 20.6 10.6
 Mango Mangifera indica India 691 13.4 7,135 16.9 8.1 10.3
 Papaya Carica papaya Mexico & Central America 134 30.8 1,330 10.7 28.5 9.8
 Plantain Musa spp. 4,368 80.8 26,545 71.4 6.9 6.1
Others
 Cocoa Theobroma cacao Mexico & Central America 6,337 63.8 3,289 65.7 0.5 0.5
 Coffee Coffea spp. Ethiopia 1,990 19.8 1,000 11.3 0.9 0.5