Africa produces crops for both sustenance and export, including maize, cassava, fruits, vegetables, fish, goats, ostriches, wool, cotton, tobacco, tea, coffee, sugar cane, nuts, seeds, cut flowers, sunflowers, macadamia nuts, pecans, and rice. South Africa is a major producer of many crops.
The different crops in Africa include both those for sustenance and those for export. Maize or maize is a key African crop, as is the starchy root cassava. Many grains, fruits and vegetables are grown in Africa. Fish, goats and ostriches are also part of African agriculture. Other important African crops include wool, cotton, tobacco, tea, coffee, sugar cane, nuts, seeds and cut flowers.
Many popular flowers grow well in Africa, which makes cut flowers, plants and bulbs an export crop dependent on global demand. The colorful gerbera or African daisy is native to South Africa and was one of the first types of flower crops in Africa. Roses, gladioli and amaryllis bulbs as well as a variety of green plants are common African exports for the floral industry.
Sunflowers are also grown as a crop, but the seeds are mostly used for oil production. South Africa is known as a major producer of sunflower seeds. Macadamia nuts and pecans are common African nut crops. Sugarcane growth and production is common across Africa, but lack of adequate water irrigation in some countries can make it a limited crop. South Africa is typically the region with the highest sugar cane production in Africa.
East Africa, including Kenya and Rwanda, is known for its coffee farms, while the South African section of Western Cape Cederberg produces teas including the herbal variety rooibos. Rooibos is a herb native to Africa. Oriental and Virginia are the main types of African tobacco. South Africa is a major producer of tobacco crops.
Cotton crops in Africa are grown both with irrigation systems and on land. Angora goats are raised for mohair, while sheep produce crops of Merino wool in Africa. Ostriches are used to make leather products, while goats are often raised for milk or meat. African fish crops include trout, tilapia, catfish, oysters and mussels.
Yams, potatoes, avocados, tomatoes and onions are common African horticultural crops. Fruit crop types include grapefruit, pears, plums, apricots, mangoes, peaches, apples, melons, pineapples, guavas, plantains, and bananas. South Africa is known for producing wine grapes. Cassava, the starchy root from which tapioca is derived, is one of Africa’s staple crops. Typically, cassava is grown on small farms with other types of crops.
Maize, another staple African crop, can be widespread in its growth, but this depends on the availability of irrigation systems in certain areas. Reunion, Mauritius and Egypt are often associated with the cultivation of maize. Other African cereal crops include sorghum, millet, oats, wheat and rice. Rice crops in Africa are often grown in more urban areas, including parts of Egypt, Sierra Leone, Senegal, Liberia, Guinea and Mali.
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