Grain is the seeds of some special kinds of grass. These grains are also called cereals. People grow different kinds of grain as food. The different kinds of grain are perhaps one of the most important foods in the world. Some kinds of grain are Barley, Maize or American Corn, Oats, Rice, Rye, Wheat.
87% of all grain grown by farmers around the world is maize. Grains contain carbohydrates that people can eat. In poorer countries, grains are a large part of the food supply. In richer countries, they are still important as food, but not as important as in poorer countries. Growing grain uses a lot of water. About 1,000 tons of water is needed to grow one ton of grain.
Many different foods are made from different types of grain. Grain is often ground into a powder called flour. Flour can be made into breads, cakes, or noodles.
Different kinds of beer are made from barley malt, wheat, and other grains.
Animal feed barley grain production ranked fourth behind corn, rice, and wheat. Barely has more protein than other cereals commonly used in ruminant diets. Barley is utmost importance for livestock feeding, which accounts for about 85% of barley production.