Uttar Pradesh government is aiming to double the maize production to 2.75 million tonnes (mt) from the existing 1.47 mt in 4-5 years to meet the growing demand for the commodity, reports Business Standard.
According to industry experts, the demand for maize is likely to increase by around 10 mt in the next five years due to demand for the ethanol and poultry sector. The maize production in 2021-22 (July-June) was 33.7 mt and it is estimated to be around 34.6 mt.
The UP government is working on increasing the yield as well as the area under the maize crop. As per the official statistics, the area under maize in the current zaid sowing season is around 193,000 hectares as against the target of 171,000 hectares. Maize accounts for about 10% of total food grain production in India and is the third most important cereal crop after paddy and wheat.
India contributes 2.5% of the total maize production in the world and is the fifth largest producing country.
