Uttar Pradesh

• 01 Apr 2024

Uttar Pradesh Aims to Increase Maize Production

Why in News?

The Uttar Pradesh government is targeting to increase the production of Maize to more than 3.2 million tonnes (mt) by 2027-28.

Key Points

• Currently, the state’s maize production across different cropping seasons (kharif, rabi, and zaid) is estimated at 2.12 mt across 830,000 hectares.
  • The yield is at nearly 25.49 quintals (100 kg) per hectare, which is lower than the national average.
  • The state plans to increase maize acreage by 200,000 hectares and boost production by an additional 1.1 mt.
  • This will hike the state’s maize area and production to about 1.03 million hectares (MH) and 3.2 mt, respectively.
• The state will invest almost Rs 150 crore on various maize publicity programs and give incentives to food processing units.
• Maize crop has multifarious uses as food, poultry feed, and fuel (grain based ethanol).
• It is also used in pharmaceutical, cosmetic, textile, paper, and alcohol industries.
  • Maize is the third most important cereal crop in India, after paddy and wheat, and accounts for nearly 10% of total food grain production.
  • Globally, maize is referred to as the ‘queen of cereals’ owing to its high genetic yield potential among the cereal crops.
• Industry has estimated that India needs to ramp up maize production by 10 mt over the next four-five years to cater to the demand from the ethanol and poultry sectors.
• The demand for maize is rising due to growing health awareness. People prefer maize for its high nutritional value, macronutrients like starch, fiber, protein, fat, vitamin B complex, carotene and essential minerals like magnesium, zinc, phosphorus, and copper.

Maize

• Temperature: Between 21-27°C
• Rainfall: High rainfall.
• Soil Type: Old alluvial soil.
• Top Maize Producing States: Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh.
• As per the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organisation) data, India was the fifth largest producer of Maize in 2020.
• It is used both as food and fodder.
• Use of modern inputs such as High-Yielding Variety seeds, fertilisers and irrigation have contributed to the increasing production of maize.
• Technology Mission on Maize is one of the government’s initiatives for maize.