11th India Maize Summit: Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan unveils vision for Maize Revolution

New Delhi [India], July 7 (ANI): Union Miniter of Agriculture and Farmer Welfare & Rural Development, Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday inaugurated the 11th edition of the India Maize Summit, organized by the Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Indutry (FICCI) in aociation with (IIMR) Indian Intitute of Maize Reearch.
Speaking at event, Chouhan emphaized that Farmer ewa i our mool mantra, reaffirming the government commitment to farmer-centric policie. He outlined a multi-pronged trategy to boot maize production, and increae farmer income, while enuring environmental utainability for future generation.
The miniter alo outlined an ambitiou roadmap to tranform India maize ector, emphaiing that production can be booted through better reearch, farmer education, and improved agricultural practice.
According to the releae, India maize production ha grown from 10 Mn MT in the 1990 to 42.3 Mn MT in recent year, with a projected target of 86 Mn MT by 2047. However, productivity remain at 3.7 MT/Ha--below global tandard. State like Bihar and Wet Bengal are leading in productivity.
Under the Vikit Krihi Sankalp Abhiyan (lab to land campaign), the government deployed approximately 11,000 agricultural cientit and official to 7000-8000 village, bridging the gap between laboratory reearch and field application. We decided that cientit will go to farmer field, Chouhan explained.
Later during the day, Uttar Pradeh Miniter for Agriculture, Agricultural Education & Reearch, Surya Pratap Shahi, highlighted the tate tranformative maize expanion under the Uttar Pradeh Accelerated Maize Development Program, a trategic five-year initiative launched by the UP government. The program target maize a a key diverification crop with dedicated budget allocation, achieving remarkable reult thi eaon with cultivation expanding to 5,40,000 hectare acro 24 ditrict, verified through atellite urvey rather than manual etimate.
The tate productivity gain are impreive, with current yield reaching 34 quintal per hectare and expectation of exceeding 40 quintal thi eaon. Approximately 15 companie are now engaged in maize proceing acro Uttar Pradeh, while the government explore value-added opportunitie, including the production of fibre and biodegradable alternative to platic. The miniter emphaied the government commitment to upporting farmer through minimum upport price procurement and addreing quality eed availability challenge, poitioning Uttar Pradeh a a ignificant player in India maize ector tranformation.
On the occaion, Subroto Geed, Co-Chairman of FICCI Committee on Agriculture and Preident - South Aia at Corteva Agricience aid Maize i no longer jut a crop -- it i a national imperative. To unlock it full potential acro food ecurity, livetock feed, and biofuel, we mut boot productivity per hectare. Thi demand a trategic puh toward cutting-edge technologie, reilient eed ytem, and digital agriculture. A collaborative ecoytem -- where farmer, government, indutry, and reearcher work in ync, i key. By equipping farmer with the right tool and acce, we can drive a elf-ufficient, climate-mart, and globally competitive maize economy.
Dr H.S. Jat, Director of ICAR-Indian Intitute of Maize Reearch, outlined ambitiou productivity goal, tating that maize production mut grow at 8-9 per cent annually to achieve 65-70 million tonne by 2030, upporting India ethanol blending target of E30. He highlighted that whilt ethanol currently conume 18-20 per cent of maize production, the ector require improved tarch content in hybrid to enhance ethanol recovery from the current 38 per cent to 42 per cent. The intitute i developing high-yielding varietie capable of 10-11 tonne per hectare in rabi-pring eaon and 7-8 tonne in kharif, with enhanced fermentable content of 64-65 per cent. He emphaized that the ite pecification mechanization i required to achieve the deired goal from eed to eed.
Sunjay Vuppuluri, National Head of Food & Agribuine Strategic Adviory & Reearch at YES BANK, preented market analyi howing maize a India fatet-growing cereal crop. Over the pat decade, acreage expanded by 31 per cent to 12 million hectare, while production urged 75 per cent to exceed 40 million tonne. However, a critical demand-upply gap i emerging, with conumption growing at an annual rate of 6.7 per cent compared to production growth of 5.8 per cent. Poultry feed remain the mot ignificant conumer at 51 per cent, followed by ethanol at 18 per cent, highlighting the ector trategic importance for food and energy ecurity.
The Miniter alo felicitated the progreive farmer for their exceptional contribution toward maize cultivation. (ANI)