Wheat in Khambhat

Owing to the rich and fertile soil of the Ganges basins, Uttar Pradesh produces the highest amount of wheat in the country. Approximately 96 lakhs hectare of land is used for wheat farming which helps in producing around 300.010 lakh net tons of wheat. The main species of wheat grown in Uttar Pradesh is known as Tritium. The climate, soil type and other conditions for growing wheat are excellently available in this state making it the largest producer of wheat in the country.

China, with an annual production of over 126 million metric tons, is entitled as the largest wheat producing country in the world. Around 24 million hectares of land in China is utilized for producing wheat. The valleys of Yellow River, Huai River, and Yangtze River are chosen as the best area for wheat cultivation in China because of the rich and fertile soil found there. 40% of the grain consumption in China is accredited to wheat as it serves as one of the staple food crops in the country.

The largest wheat consuming country in the world is none other than China. The domestic consumption of wheat in China is estimated to be around 124,000 metric tons. This also accounts for 40% of the total grain consumption by the people of China in a single year, making wheat one of its staple foods.

The United States tops the list of the wheat exporting countries in the world. The total wheat exports made by the US accounts for approximately 14.8% of the overall wheat exports made in the world. It exports wheat grains worth US$5.4 billion annually.

There are various varieties of wheat produced and consumed in different parts of the world. Here are the major varieties:

• Durum: This is the hard, light-colored but translucent wheat grain. It has a high content of protein, especially gluten protein and used for the preparation of semolina flour that’s used in pasta and bulghur.
  
• Red Spring: This is a brown colored wheat grain. It hard and has high protein content. Bread and other hard baked goods are made using the gluten-free flour prepared from this wheat.
  
• Hard Red Winter: This is a hard, rough and brownish wheat grain that is high in protein. The flour prepared from this wheat is used for the preparation of pie crusts.
  
• Soft Red Winter: This is a softer version of wheat grain that does not contain high wheat content. Its flour is used in the preparation of biscuits, muffins, pie crusts and cakes.
  
• Hard White: This is hard and light-colored wheat which is chalky and opaque in appearance. The cultivation of this wheat is done in dry temperature. This type of wheat is used in the preparation of bread and for brewing purposes.
  
• Soft White: This is soft and light-colored wheat that has very low protein content. It is grown in temperate moist areas. The flour prepared from this wheat is used for the baking pie crusts and pastries.