At the 11th India Maize Summit organized by FICCI, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan unveiled an ambitious vision to more than double Indiaโs maize production from 42.3 million tonnes to 86 million tonnes by 2047. As the worldโs fifth-largest maize producer, India is prioritizing high-yielding, high-starch, non-GM seed varieties to meet the growing demand for food, animal feed, poultry feed, starch, and ethanol production.
๐๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ญ๐๐ ๐ข๐ ๐๐ง๐ฌ๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐๐๐ญ๐จ๐ซ-๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ข๐๐ข๐ ๐๐๐ข๐ณ๐ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐๐ฎ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง
Experts at the Summit, including insights from the FICCI-YES BANK knowledge report, emphasized a tailored approach to maize production to address diverse sectoral needs:
๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ญ๐ซ๐ฒ ๐ ๐๐๐ (51% ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐): With poultry feed consuming the largest share, experts advocate for maize varieties with high energy content to support Indiaโs booming poultry sector. The focus is on scaling production to close the demand-supply gap, as consumption grows at 6.7% annually compared to production at 5.8%.
๐๐ง๐ข๐ฆ๐๐ฅ ๐ ๐๐๐: Maizeโs role as a key livestock feed ingredient requires varieties optimized for nutritional value, such as distillersโ dried grains with solubles (DDGS) from ethanol production, which substitutes 1.2 tonnes of maize grain per tonne. Investments in feed processing infrastructure are critical.
๐๐ญ๐๐ซ๐๐ก ๐๐ง๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐ฒ: The starch sector demands maize with higher starch content (targeting 72% from the current 65-70%) to enhance industrial applications like biodegradable plastics, textiles, and pharmaceuticals. Research into specialized hybrids is underway.
๐๐ข๐ซ๐๐๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง (22% ๐จ๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐๐ฎ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง): For food uses like cornmeal, flour, and sweet corn, experts stress developing consumer-preferred varieties (e.g., baby corn, popcorn) to diversify markets and boost farmer incomes.
๐๐ญ๐ก๐๐ง๐จ๐ฅ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐๐ฎ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง (18-20% ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐): With Indiaโs E30 ethanol blending target by 2030, maize hybrids with enhanced fermentable content (64-65%) are vital. Production must grow at 8-9% annually to reach 65-70 million tonnes by 2030, supported by mechanization and policy incentives.
๐๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐๐ ๐๐ก๐๐๐
To achieve these goals, collaboration is key. Subroto Geed from Corteva Agriscience highlighted maize as a โnational imperative,โ urging advancements in resilient seed systems, digital agriculture, and mechanization. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has already developed 265 maize varieties, including 77 hybrids, but more innovation is needed to improve yields (currently 3.7 tonnes/ha) and ensure sustainability.
Indiaโs maize sector is poised for transformation, balancing food security, industrial growth, and environmental sustainability.
Source : Linkedin
