FACTBOX: World wheat production climbing

(Reuters) - Harvest is getting under way for the new 2008/09 world wheat crop. Production is expected to climb this year over last year, though stocks will still be tight.

Used in a variety of food ranging from bread to noodles to cereals, wheat is the largest cultivated crop in the world. Here's a list of the top wheat-growing nations:

World Wheat Production

PRODUCTION

(in thousand metric tonnes)

2007/08 2008/09 (projected)

EU-27 119,481 140,000 China 106,000 109,000 India 75,810 76,780 United States 56,247 65,100 Russian Federation 49,400 52,000 Canada 20,050 25,000 Australia 13,100 24,000 Argentina 15,500 15,000

OTHER NATIONS 150,812 149,133 World Total 606,400 656,013

(Source: USDA Foreign Agriculture Service, May 2008)