Commodity Origins

What is being harvested this month?

For 10 major crops, the calendar below shows which of the largest producing countries are harvesting in each month and how much of the world's output those countries account for. May is the busiest month, with 10 of the 10 crops in harvest somewhere among the countries listed, and January the quietest, with 8.

The percentage is the combined share of world annual production from the countries harvesting that month. It is not the share of the year's crop picked that month, because a country's harvest is spread across its season. Only the top producers of each crop are listed, so a month can hide smaller harvests elsewhere.

Combined share of world production from countries in harvest, by month
CropJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Cocoa59%59%54%11%29%29%29%21%6%59%59%59%
Coffee33%10%3%38%38%38%38%38%34%41%41%
Corn5%5%6%15%15%9%61%63%35%2%
Cotton22%22%5%5%17%12%12%47%69%66%40%
Natural rubber79%29%29%44%85%85%85%85%85%85%85%79%
Palm oil94%94%94%94%94%94%94%94%94%94%94%94%
Rice12%12%12%6%25%58%69%44%
Soybeans39%39%51%48%12%12%43%43%30%
Sugar37%37%37%59%25%25%22%22%29%49%61%44%
Wheat2%14%18%22%24%23%21%5%4%7%7%

Month by month

October

Planting or sowing recorded in October: corn, cotton, rice, soybeans, wheat.

Harvest and planting months are curated from USDA FAS IPAD crop calendars (public domain) and FAO GIEWS country briefs, with a source link for every country on each commodity page. Production shares are from FAOSTAT, latest year. Where a country has more than one crop cycle, every cycle's months are included. Harvest timing shifts a few weeks with weather each year.