# Travel >> Destinations >> Asia

Major Crops of Asia: Rice, Wheat, and a Continent's Agricultural Diversity

Asia's vast climatic range—tropical to boreal, monsoon to desert—supports the world's most diverse crop portfolio, feeding 4.7 billion people.

Staple Grains

Rice

Dominant staple for 3.5B+ Asians. 90% global production in Asia. Systems: irrigated lowland (60%), rainfed lowland, upland, deepwater. Major: China, India, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar, Philippines, Japan.

Wheat

Primary in North/West Asia: China, India, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Turkey, Iran. Winter wheat (irrigated) + spring wheat (rainfed). Rotations with rice, cotton, maize.

Maize (Corn)

Expanding rapidly: China (#2 global), India, Indonesia, Philippines. Uses: feed (livestock boom), food (noodles, snacks), industrial (starch, ethanol), silage.

Protein & Oil Crops

Soybeans: China (largest importer), India, Indonesia — oil, meal, tofu, tempeh
Pulses: Chickpea, pigeonpea, lentil, mungbean — India dominant; protein for vegetarians
Oilseeds: Rapeseed/mustard (India, China), peanut (China, India), sesame, sunflower

Horticulture

Vegetables: Tomato, onion, chili, eggplant, cabbage, cucumber, leafy greens — year-round in tropics; seasonal north
Fruits: Mango, banana, citrus, apple, grape, durian, jackfruit, lychee, dragon fruit — huge diversity
Roots/Tubers: Cassava, sweet potato, potato, taro, yam — food security crops

Industrial & Export Crops

Tea: China, India, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Indonesia
Coffee: Vietnam (#2 global), Indonesia, India
Rubber: Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia
Cotton: India, China, Pakistan, Uzbekistan
Sugarcane: India, China, Thailand, Pakistan
Spices: Pepper (Vietnam), cardamom (Guatemala/India), cinnamon (Sri Lanka), cloves (Indonesia)