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Besides China, USA and India which can practically grow any crop that comes to mind, what other countries can compete in that regard? or at least come close?
I'd include Australia in that category. Able to grow some of the most heat demanding crops like Durian in far north Queensland and the top end of the NT (especially if you count with irrigation) to cool season crops in the south and at higher latitudes.
I'd include Australia in that category. Able to grow some of the most heat demanding crops like Durian in far north Queensland and the top end of the NT (especially if you count with irrigation) to cool season crops in the south and at higher latitudes.
Australia for sure....as an example extensive Mango orchards and Banana plantations in the Northern Territory and Queensland and stone fruits and Apples in the southern tablelands and Tasmania.
Almost all of the staple S E Asian vegetable and fruit crops are grown in the Darwin rural areas and traditional cold climate species are cultivated in the southern states. Victoria and Tasmania have large potato farms for example.
Australia for sure....as an example extensive Mango orchards and Banana plantations in the Northern Territory and Queensland and stone fruits and Apples in the southern tablelands and Tasmania.
Almost all of the staple S E Asian vegetable and fruit crops are grown in the Darwin rural areas and traditional cold climate species are cultivated in the southern states. Victoria and Tasmania have large potato farms for example.
The best bananas I've had were from a roadside stand near Mission Beach in Queensland - so large and yellow and sweet, unlike the sad green-grey things that get to the supermarkets here. Great mangoes too and saw lots of other things that are probably only grown on a small scale like jackfruit, breadfruit, cocoa etc.
South Africa also grows a very wide range of crops, not as large as Australia but almost. Pretty much all the cooler climate fruit and vegetables familiar to Europe and North America like apples, pears, cherries, potatoes, carrots etc, hot dessert things like dates, more tropical crops like mangoes, bananas, pineapples etc. Only things missing would be the most equatorial types I think.
Mexico has diverse topography, oceanic influences and also encompasses a greater range of latitude; can't imagine there's any crop that wouldn't grow somewhere in Mexico.
Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru have enough varying topography to be able to grow just about anything from the most ultra-tropical fruits to potatoes, wheat, apples, and stone fruit. Peru has the slight edge due to having true xeric conditions for some minor crops like dates. I imagine most of the East African rift would function similarly to the northern Andes, with enough varying elevation to grow just about anything. Some countries like Rwanda actually lack low enough elevation for some tropical stuff so are excluded.
Some parts of Indonesia and Papua New Guinea also have enough elevation but not as much diversity in rainfall.
Mexico has diverse topography, oceanic influences and also encompasses a greater range of latitude; can't imagine there's any crop that wouldn't grow somewhere in Mexico.
Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru have enough varying topography to be able to grow just about anything from the most ultra-tropical fruits to potatoes, wheat, apples, and stone fruit. Peru has the slight edge due to having true xeric conditions for some minor crops like dates. I imagine most of the East African rift would function similarly to the northern Andes, with enough varying elevation to grow just about anything. Some countries like Rwanda actually lack low enough elevation for some tropical stuff so are excluded.
Some parts of Indonesia and Papua New Guinea also have enough elevation but not as much diversity in rainfall.
The far north east of Colombia is in the rain shadow of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and is semi arid to fully arid, so would probably be suitable for crops like dates with some irrigation. There's also a another rain shadow desert further south at Tatacoa.
I was doubtful that temperate deciduous crops like apples could be grown at high altitudes in places like Colombia because they usually need a period of winter dormancy triggered by lower temperatures. But I looked it up and apparently they are, but they have to use special techniques like defoliation or chemical treatments to either trigger or remove the need for dormancy.
What about Turkey and Iran? And yes, I believe Australia is up there.
Australia, as you would expect being a continent, has a huge diverse range of climates. Queensland and Western Australia span a large range latitudinally, and Queensland also has modest altitude rural regions that support stone fruits and traditional European vegetable crops at the same latitude as tropical crops at lower elevations. The Atherton Tablelands inland from Cairns in the Far North is an example, as is the Darling Downs and Granite Belt in southern Queensland.
Brazil must be up there too. Obviously much of the country can grow the most equatorial crops like cocoa and oil palm that need constant heat and moisture for optimum growth, but the south and highlands are cool enough in winter for "temperate" crops. I was slightly surprised to see Brazil listed as the world's 11th highest producer of apples ahead of (in Eurppe) better known exporting countries like South Africa and New Zealand. In between grows things like grapes and has hot, semi arid climates that are probably suitable for dates etc.
I think there's quite an asymmetry in climate requirements for crop cultivation. Ie the most heat demanding really need a lot of and consistent heat, while the cool types only need a modest amount of cool. In other words plenty of things will only grow well in a climate like Singapore, but nothing comes to mind that is strictly limited to somewhere like Calgary. Therefore generally hotter climate countries like Brazil are going to have the advantage here.
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