The Indian government is encouraging the private sector to explore growing hybrid maize seeds in the northern region to improve yields as part of a crop diversification program, particularly as an alternative to paddy. Currently, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh lead in maize seed production.
At the “India Maize Summit” in New Delhi, Union Agriculture Secretary Devesh Chaturvedi emphasized the need for increased hybrid maize seed production to meet rising output targets. However, scientists noted two main challenges: the risk of technology theft and the longer waiting period for seed sales when grown in the northern states, compared to the southern states where seeds can be sold sooner.
India’s maize production dropped to 37.67 million tonnes in the 2023-24 crop year largely due to a decrease in kharif season output. While kharif maize production is projected at 22.25 million tonnes, rabi season output increased to 12.03 million tonnes.
FICCI-YES BANK report highlighted the growth drivers for the maize sector, including rising demand from the poultry and livestock industries and industrial uses like ethanol. It identified challenges such as low adoption of hybrid seeds, high moisture content leading to fungal issues, and high raw material costs.
Bihar’s Agriculture Minister Mangal Pandey urged private sector investment in hybrid maize seed production, announcing an ambitious target to cultivate maize on 10 lakh hectares in the upcoming rabi season and outlining plans for a new policy to attract investment.
Source: The Business Line
