At that time, the word 'exchange' was not used. The word 'torihikijo' was probably first used when the Rice Trading Ordinance was revised to become the Commodity Exchange Law in 1893. This Law was enacted to modernize the exchanges under westernized laws, giving birth to commodity exchanges dealing in cotton, sugar, raw silk in addition to rice. Commodity exchanges were established to produce fair pricing, buying and selling as well as to achieve the smooth production and distribution of commodities and thereby contribute to the proper operation of the Japanese economy and the protection of those who participate in a commodity market. Our 'torihikijo', the Tokyo Grain Exchange which is established for the same purpose, was established on October 10, 1952.
Corn is said to have originated in the Andes, the mountain range of West South America.
However, Mexico has recently found corn pollen in fossils which proved that corn was cultivated in Mexico too. Corn is grown all over the world. The main producing countries are- the U.S., China, Brazil, and Argentina. Most corn production in the U.S. takes place in what is called the Corn Belt which includes the states of Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Missouri, Nebraska, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota and South Dakaota. These 10 states produce approximately one-third of the total corn production.