Modern Tech Enables Year-Round Maize Production
08-Sep-2025 06:12 PM
New Delhi. Thanks to new methods of farming, development of hybrid seeds, advanced agricultural technology and increasing enthusiasm of farmers, maize cultivation is now possible in the entire country.
This important coarse grain is already being produced in Kharif and Rabi seasons, while now plans are being made to start its cultivation on a large scale in summer or Zaid season as well.
This will not only make it easier to meet the rapidly increasing demand and consumption of maize in the domestic sector but will also increase the income of farmers significantly.
Maize is being used on a large scale in the ethanol manufacturing industry, while its demand and consumption is likely to increase even more rapidly in the coming years.
Apart from this, the use of maize is also increasing in animal feed, poultry feed and starch manufacturing industry. This creates an environment of rising and strengthening in prices and farmers get attractive income. This is increasing their interest in maize cultivation.
The central government has set a target to increase the domestic production of maize to 860 lakh tonnes by 2047 because only then it will be possible to meet its growing demand for food purposes, animal feed production and industrial use.
This ambitious target is almost twice as much as the current annual production. The Union Agriculture Ministry has estimated a record production of 423 lakh tonnes of maize in the marketing season of 2024-25.
According to industry and trade analysts, the target of production of 860 lakh tonnes is quite big and ambitious but it can be achieved. But for this it will be necessary to increase the average yield rate of maize in the country.
Although special attention is being given to this in some states and there has been a good increase in the yield rate there, but still the productivity rate at the national level is still much below the global level.
In India, traditionally maize has been cultivated in the Kharif season, but in floods, it started being sown on a large scale during the Rabi season in some other states including Bihar.
This started increasing its total domestic production. Due to climate change, the maize crop remains under threat during the Kharif season, therefore, there is a dire need to continue its cultivation throughout the year. It is expected that vigorous work will be done on this mission in the future.