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Informist, Wednesday, Sep 25, 2024

 

By Pallavi Singhal

 

NEW DELHI – Punjab farmers are increasingly turning to maize cultivation, drawn by the promise of higher returns, according to Shankar Lal Jat, a senior scientist at the Indian Institute of Maize Research. This shift in cropping pattern has led to a significant 33% increase in maize acreage in Punjab this year, with the state now cultivating the crop on 123,000 hectares.

 

According to Lal, the state has the potential to increase the acreage by over three times in a short period. "Our organisation, in 2021, initiated a pilot project to raise maize cultivation, covering around 150 acres across Punjab and Haryana. The aim was to showcase the potential of maize production in the two states," Jat told Informist on the sidelines of the India Maize Summit in Delhi today.

 

 

The results have been impressive, with average productivity reaching 6 tn per ha and maximum productivity touching 7.7 tn per ha, Lal said. The area, as per Lal, under maize cultivation has risen to 123,000 ha this year, from 93,000 ha last year. "Punjab easily holds the potential to take this area up to 400,000 ha within a short span of time," he said.

 

The maize production in the country is estimated at 37.7 mln tn in 2023-24 (Jul-Jun), down almost 1% from a year ago, according to the final crop production estimates released by the government today.

 

The presence of distilleries, higher realisations, and increased yields are pushing farmers in Punjab to readily cultivate maize, he said. "Punjab farmers are ready to grow maize as one of the major hurdles--the low price--has been done away with... if you see, the number of ethanol distilleries present in Punjab is the highest amongst any Indian state," he said.

 

Shankar Lal said the increase in maize acreage has come in line with the government's efforts to promote diversification and reduce the burden on water resources. "Maize requires significantly less water compared to rice, making it an attractive alternative. We recorded a significant reduction of 27 irrigation cycles in maize cultivation compared to rice. Maize only requires about 7 irrigation cycles."

 

However, he said, that the current trajectory can only be maintained if all stakeholders, including input providers, research institutions, government departments, non-government organisations, and industries, come together to support maize production. "We need to create an ecosystem that encourages maize production, and we are committed to making that happen."

 

Historically, Punjab has shown potential for high maize production, with acreage reaching 580,000 ha in 1971, Lal said. "We can very easily take acreage to that level again."

 

States like Bihar have also shown significant increases in maize acreage. The maize acreage in Bihar has increased by 200,000 ha in just one year to 950,000 ha this year. "These developments demonstrate the potential for maize production to increase in India and replace a small portion of water guzzling crops like rice," he said.  End

 

Edited by Akul Nishant Akhoury

 

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