Promoting Agricultural Value Chains:
In the OIC Member Countries
40
3.2 Agricultural production
Arable land constitutes 9.4 percent of the surface area of OIC Member Countries, and
permanent cropland comprises 2 percent.
Agricultural production is characterised by the dominance of small-scale holdings of five
hectares or less. Almost 40 percent of the agricultural land is under production by such small-
scale farmers which constitute more than 80 percent of all farms in operation in the OIC.
Farms of over 50 hectares constitute less than one percent of all farms, but occupy five percent
of the agricultural land (se .
Figure 3-7 Percentage of total agricultural holdings in OIC Member Countries, 2011
Source: FAO, 2014a
In 2013, the five most important crops grown in OIC Member Countries on an aggregate level
(in quantity) were palm oil, rice, sugar cane, wheat and cassava (see . In terms of
agricultural value, including livestock, oil palm ranks as number six. The top 5 in value were
paddy rice, milk, yams, wheat and chicken meat (se .
Figure 3-8 Top Five produced crops in the OIC, 2013
Source: FAO, 2014a
0
50
100
150
200
250
Oil, palm fruit Rice, paddy Sugar cane Wheat Cassava
Million tonnes
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Number of Holdings Area
>50ha
20-50 ha
10-20 ha
5-10 ha
2-5 ha
1-2 ha
<1 ha