medieval-grain-trade

Grain

Production / By

UI Summary:

icon_wheatGrain is the Main traded staple Food for most counties with feudal or clan governments, except for those that live from exploiting other edible resources.
Cultivar yields are better in Farmlands or Floodplains, and worse in Desert or Taiga terrain. Yields are best with Manor Houses, very good with Farms & Fields and Orchards, and good with Plantations and Hill Farms Buildings.
Fodder necessary to complement the feed of Cattle—needed for Meat Wool and Cheese—, Horses, Camels, or Elephants is also comprised in this concept.
Grain represents mostly cereals, such as (in terms of decreasing quality) wheat, barley, millet; but also beans, chick peas, lentils, and other dry legumes.
In Northern and Eastern Europe, lesser quality rye is the main cultivar, whereas rice predominates in parts of India and the Middle East.

CK3 game images used in this article are hyperlinks to navigate through the Crusader Kings III Wiki for appropriate explanations of game concepts.

Grain Local Product Value

icon_wheatGrain Local Product Value is made up of:

  1. (+) production_grain Agricultural Industry Value (=Agriculture Buildings).
  2. (×) Cultural Era:
    1. pdx-culture_era_high_medieval High Medieval or Later: 0
    2. pdx-culture_era_early_medieval Early Medieval: +25
    3. pdx-culture_era_tribal Tribal: +50%
  3. (×) pdx-rulesGame Rule (selected on game start):
    1. Standard Grain Value: 0
    2. Small Grain Boost: +25%
    3. Medium Grain Boost: +50%
    4. Big Grain Boost: +100%
  4. (÷) icon_population_smallLocal Consumption:
    1. pdx-county-capitalCapital Barony: Increased Consumption from Development: (– –).
    2. Other Baronies: Local Consumption from Development: (–).
  5. (×) Grain Terrain Value (= production_grain Agricultural Terrain Value).
  6. (×) pdx-Tradition_farmlandCulture Tradition Agrarian: +15%

Grain Trade Value

Grain Trade value adds up:

  • (+) Grain Imports from Exporting baronies (see below).
  • (÷) pdx-rulesGame Rule (selected on game start):
    1. Standard Grain Value: 0
    2. Small Grain Boost: -5%
    3. Medium Grain Boost: -10%
    4. Big Grain Boost: -20%
  • (+) Local Production (see above)
  • (÷) County Trade Deal Modifier:
    • province_modifier_trade_postTrading Post (Permanent): -15%
    • province_modifier_trade_positive Trading House (5 years): -40%
  • (×) Province Trade Product Modifier Foodstuff.
  • (×) Banned Strategic Exports: +100%
  • (÷) icon_population_smallIncreased Consumption from Development: (– –).
  • (–) Current Consumption from MAA (=Fodder for animals)*:
    • pdx-Unit_light_cavalryLight Cavalry: -280% (=70% per Unit x4)
    • Heavy Cavalry: -400% (=100% per Unit x4)
    • Horse Archer: -200% (=280% per Unit x4)
    • Camel Cavalry: -120% (=30% per Unit x4)
    • Elephant Cavalry: -600% (=150% per Unit x4)

* Each unit consumes x4/year in human food equivalent. Percentages are translated into the Character Realm’s Population from Development values when adding up foodstuff.

Grain Production

Represents the usual staple food of a holding. In terms of quality (here also quantity), simplistically and traditionally, Wheat > Barley > Oats > Rye > Rice. (Barley could also be used as proxy for locally produced Beer in LMA Central Europe, Rice for alcoholic beverages in East Asia).

Britannia

Thames Valley agriculture (wheat) [Pounds 1994]
Brentford · Britannia · Catholic · 25%.

Francia

Ile-de-France (wheat) [Pounds 1994]
Paris · Francia · Catholic · 20%.

Ile-de-France (wheat) [Pounds 1994]
Chartres · Francia · Catholic · 15%.

Ile-de-France (wheat) [Pounds 1994]
Orleans · Francia · Catholic · 15%.

Following Vanilla (for Languedoc – excedent for Northern Italy) (wheat)
Angouleme · Francia · Catholic · 10%.

Germania

(wheat) [Pounds 1994]
Cologne · Germania · Catholic · 15%.

Speyer (wheat) [Pounds 1994]
Speyer · Germania · Catholic · 13%.

For Worms (due to Vanilla terrain) (wheat) [Pounds 1994]
Vaihingen · Germania · Catholic · 13%.

for Mainz (due to Vanilla terrain) (wheat) [Pounds 1994]
Frankfurt · Germania · Catholic · 13%.

for Gosslar and Brunswick (due to Vanilla terrain) (wheat) [Pounds 1994]
Dessau · Germania · Catholic · 13%.

Prague region – Main Czech resource (mostly barley) [Pounds 1994]
Vysehrad · Germania · Catholic · 13%.

Northern Prague region – Main Czech resource (mostly barley) [Pounds 1994]
Litomerice · Germania · Catholic · 7%.

Northern Prague region – Main Czech resource (mostly barley) [Pounds 1994]
Zatec · Germania · Catholic · 7%.

Central-East Europe

Poznan (factor compensates for Gniezno) – Main Gniezno-Poznan resource (rye) [Pounds 1994]
Poznan · Central-East Europe · Catholic · 7%.

Gniezno (lacks proper Vanilla terrain, factor needs to adjust for that) – Main Gniezno-Poznan resource (rye) [Pounds 1994]
Gniezno · Central-East Europe · Catholic · 100%.

Italy

for Plain of Lombardy and Maremma [Kedar & Wiesner-Hanks 2015] (wheat)
Firenze · Italy · Catholic · 25%.

South Italian excedent [Kedar & Wiesner-Hanks 2015] (wheat)
Napoli · Italy · Catholic · 15%.

South Italian excedent – “the bread basket of all Italy” (wheat). Factor adjusted for Vanilla distribution [Kedar & Wiesner-Hanks 2015]
Salerno · Italy · Catholic · 150%.

Sicilian excedent (exported to Ifriqiya) [Kedar & Wiesner-Hanks 2015] (wheat)
Palermo · Italy · Catholic · 15%.

Iberia

Iberia – Christian North, a main exporter of grain [cf. Constable 1994]

Tierra de Campos, famous for its development in wheat cultivation in the 12th-14th c. Factor should compensate for Vanilla terrain. ValenciadeCampos not built in Vanilla
Villafafila · Iberia (Christian) · Catholic · 250%.

(Western) Muslim World

Al-Andalus, Andalusia and Granada *constantly in shortage* of grain despite the Christian North being a main exporter. [cf. Constable 1994]
Following Vanilla terrain distribution, Southern Iberia, Maghreb & South Levant should account for the grain necessary in Al-Andalus and N. Africa.

Seville and its region, used as the main source of (mainly specialized) cultivars for Al-Andalus and N. Africa
Sevilla · Iberia (Muslim) · Muwalladi · 13%.

Selected for Huerta de Murcia, not built in Vanilla, giving time for later events (factor must compensate for terrain disadvantage)
Cartagena · Iberia (Muslim) · Muwalladi · 15%.

for Cordoba, due to terrain distribution
Cantillana · Iberia (Muslim) · Muwalladi · 13%.

Ahgmat & surrounding Atlas range, most likely source of Maghrebi grain [cf. Ros, Badri, et al. 2021]
for Aghmat, due to Vanilla land distribution – Oasis (factor must compensate for terrain disadvantage, incl. building). The Maghreb exports to Catalonia in the Late MA, but it is unclear from where.
Marrakesh · Africa · Ashari · 550%.

for Fes, due to Vanilla land distribution – Hills (factor must compensate for terrain disadvantage). The Maghreb exports to Catalonia in the Late MA, but it is unclear from where. Selected area to the north for most likely trading posts.
Wargha · Africa · Ashari · 300%.

Tunis in Ifriqiya seems to be always in shortage despite local product, needed imports from Sicily.

(Eastern) Muslim World

In Egypt, grain needed to supply the bigger population of the Delta was imported from Upper Egypt, and also exported to Arabia [cf. Shoshan 1981, 1983], but they were still in constant shortage in the Lower Nile

Upper Egypt
Aswan · Egypt · Ashari · 25%.

Main grain (wheat) producer of Jerusalem region during Muslim period [Alwardi 1970]. Accounts for other cultivation in Damascus and the Levant.
Amman · Jerusalem · Ashari · 20%.

Persia

In Persia, the Sawad (Lower Mesopotamia) was a great producer of grain, which supplied its big population [cf. Campopiano 2012]

Upper Mesopotamia supplied the Sawad in times of need (takes bad terrain into account)
Mosul · Persia · Ashari · 100%.

for Kufa – Area from Baghad to Kufa, highly productive
Al-hila · Persia · Ashari · 75%.

for Baghdad-Kufa region, following the distribution of Vanilla duchies (taking terrain into account)
Kaskar · Persia · Ashari · 200%.

Byzantium

Supplied Northern Italy (through Venice) in the 12th c.

Thessalonike supplied Constantinople [Jacoby 2017].Factor adjusted for terrain.
Thessaloniki · Byzantium · Orthodox · 100%.

Demetrias major maritime outlet for grain [Jacoby 2017]
Halmyros · Byzantium · Orthodox · 30%.

major maritime outlet for grain [Jacoby 2017]
Chrysopolis · Byzantium · Orthodox · 30%.

major maritime outlet for grain [Jacoby 2017]
Raidestos · Byzantium · Orthodox · 30%.

lesser Sagoudaous emporion at the mouth of the Maritsa river [Jacoby 2017]
Traianopolis · Byzantium · Orthodox · 15%.

“Rhosia” and Matracha – Black Sea grain [Jacoby 2017]
Tmutarakan · Byzantium · Orthodox · 50%.

India

Keeping overpopulated industrial areas, but also for exports to the west. Values adjusted by terrain (+++ farmlands) and ++development relative to cultivars (rice)

Grain for Delhi (Rice) [Raychaudhuri & Habib 1998]
Mathura · India (North) · Svetambara · 20%.

Grain for Delhi (Rice) [Raychaudhuri & Habib 1998]
Soron · India (North) · Vajrayana · 20%.

Grain for Delhi (Rice) [Raychaudhuri & Habib 1998]
Tilokpur · India (North) · Vajrayana · 25%.

Grain for Delhi (Rice) [Raychaudhuri & Habib 1998]
Etawah · India (North) · Vajrayana · 20%.

Grain for Delhi (Rice) [Raychaudhuri & Habib 1998]
Musanagar · India (North) · Vajrayana · 20%.

Grain for Gujarat (Rice) – Using vanilla distribution
Dewas · India (North) · Svetambara · 20%.

Grain for Gujarat (Rice) – Using vanilla distribution
Betma · India (North) · Svetambara · 20%.

Grain for Bengal (Rice) – Using vanilla distribution
Somapur · India (North) · Theravada · 20%.

Grain for Bengal (Rice) – Using vanilla distribution
Bikrampur · India (North) · Theravada · 20%.

Grain for Bengal (Rice) – Using vanilla distribution
Pundravardhana · India (North) · Theravada · 20%.

Grain for Bengal (Rice) – Using vanilla distribution
Bokainagar · India (North) · Theravada · 20%.

Grain for Bengal (Rice) – Using vanilla distribution
Nabadwipa · India (North) · Theravada · 20%.

Grain for South India (Rice) – Using vanilla distribution
Uraiyur · India (South) · Krishnaism · 75%.

Grain for South India (Rice) – Using vanilla distribution
Tanjavur · India (South) · Krishnaism · 100%.

Grain for South India (Rice) – Using vanilla distribution
Madurai · India (South) · Krishnaism · 50%.

Grain for East India (Rice) – Using vanilla distribution – Selected South India to compensate for lack of sources in the south.
Konarak · India (South) · Mahayana · 10%.