Milling, one of the basic industries, is primarily associated with which crops?

• A. Wheat and Corn
• B. Soybeans and Rice
• C. Oats and Cotton
• D. Wheat and Soybeans

Answer: (A)

Milling is the process of turning grains into flour or meal for use in a wide range of foods. The crops most closely tied to this process are wheat and corn because they’re milled on a large scale to produce flour and meal that form the backbone of many staples—bread, pasta, pastries, tortillas for wheat; cornbread, cornmeal, and similar products for corn. Soybeans are mainly processed for oil and soybean meal, oats are milled for oatmeal and related products but aren’t as central to flour production, and cotton is a fiber crop, not a food grain. Rice does undergo milling as well, but the dominant association in basic milling industries is with wheat and corn. So, wheat and corn are the best fit.