What is Food Crops
Food crops, also called arable crops, are crops cultivated specifically for human and animal consumption as well as industrial purposes. These crops are staple foods across the globe and are vital in the food processing industries, where the produce and by-products of these crops are important. Examples of food crops are cereal, legumes, fruit, vegetables, oil seeds, and more.
As the global population continues to rise, the demand for food crops has OutSpace production failing to meet the needs of humans and industries. Several noticeable factors are responsible for this shortfall. Such as incidents of land tenure, poor mechanization, poor staple and processing, pest and disease outbreaks, and climate change. These challenges have drastically reduced the production of these staple foods and resulting in food insecurity.
These food crops are good sources of nutrients and energy for humans and animals, which constitute the basis for human diets worldwide. The cultivation of these food crops has made farming a lucrative venture, providing the most livelihood for many families across the globe. recognizing their significance in providing food security and source income, multinational agro companies have intensified efforts in investing in the cultivation of these staple food crops.
These crops thrive under optimum sunlight, slightly acidic—neutral soil conditions, and well-draining loamy soil. When cultivated under the right environmental and agronomical practices, they yield higher yields. In the industrial food industry, food crops undergo processing, preservation, and storage for future use, ensuring a steady supply for consumption and commercial purposes.
Importance of food crops
- Source of Nutrition for humans and animals: food crops such as maize, rice, soybeans, millet, and sorghum serve as a major food for man and animals. These crops provide essential nutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals needed for the well-being of animal and human health and survival. These food crops provide the vital nutrients required for the replacement of worn-out tissues, growth, reproduction, and development of farm animals.
- Serves as Staple food: food crops serve as the staple food for individuals across the globe. Many people and cultures depend on food crops such as yam, cassava, rice, wheat, maize, and potatoes as their primary food sources.
- Ensure Food Security: the cultivation of these food crops on a large scale ensures food availability which helps to combat hunger and malnutrition. Processing and storage of food crops help to ensure a stable food supply.
- Source of income: the cultivation and sales of food crops serve as a source of economic livelihood for farmers. commercial farmers that farm in large source large amounts of income for food crop utilization
- Improved Livestock Quality: the cultivation of food crops ensures the harvest of High-quality feed from food crops which helps to enhance meat, milk, and egg production, benefiting both farmers and consumers.
- Raw Materials for Processing: food crops such as yam, cassavas, maize, sorghum, fruit beverages, and species such as major raw materials for manufacturing industries. Many agro-based industries such as flour mills, oil processing plants, beverage companies, and the pharmaceutical industry need the raw materials for the manufacturing and processing for produce into semi – and semi-finished goods.
- Biofuel Production: food crops such as cassava, maize, yam, and sugarcane can process in the industries to produce biofuels such as ethanol, which serve as alternative sources of energy in the farm or farmstead.
- Textile and Paper Industry: agricultural crops such as cotton, knit, and other fiber crops can be vital raw sources of material in the textile industries for the manufacturing of cloths. The husk from cereal crops and other nuts crops can significantly contribute to textile and paper production.
- Pharmaceutical Uses: raw materials extracted from farm produce such as cassava, yam, maize and other food crops can serve as raw material in pharmaceutical companies. Food crops such as ginger, garlic, onions, and other contain medicinal properties which are use used in drug manufacturing,. The starch extracted from maize, cassava starch can be used for coating drugs’ in the pharmaceutical companies