India asks private sector to explore growing hybrid maize in the North

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The Indian government wants the private sector to explore the possibilities of growing maize hybrid seeds in the northern region so that the yield improves when the cultivation of the crop is taken up as an alternative to paddy under the crop diversification programme. Currently, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh dominate the space in maize seeds production.

Addressing the annual “India Maize Summit”, organised by industry chamber FICCI in New Delhi, Union Agriculture Secretary Devesh Chaturvedi on Wednesday said there is need for increased hybrid maize seed production amid the government’s target to raise the output further.

Various risks

But scientists said there are mainly two reasons for which no private company tried to produce seed in northern States. Even for Bihar, where rabi season is the key season for maize, companies are reluctant to produce seeds due to risk of getting the technology stolen through parental lines, sources said.

“If a company produces maize seeds in Andhra Pradesh or Telangana in the rabi season (October-March), it will be able to sell it after a few months for next kharif season as sowing starts in June. If the hybrid seed is produced in kharif in the North, the company will have to wait till next season to sell those seeds, which is commercially not a good proposition,” said an agriculture scientist involved in developing new seed varieties.

The scientist further said there is also a higher risk of pest attack in kharif maize in the northern states compared to rabi-grown seeds in the South. But he said there is no issue with the yield for the kharif crop in the North, even if the seeds are produced in the southern States.

Rise in yield

India’s maize production in 2023-24 crop year (July-June) dropped to 37.67 million tonnes (mt) from 38.09 mt in 2022-23 due to a big drop in kharif season’s crop which could not be completely offset despite higher output in rabi and zaid (summer) seasons, official data released on Wednesday showed.

The kharif maize’s output has been estimated at 22.25 mt in 2023-24 against 23.67 mt in 2022-23. But the maize production in the rabi season has been pegged at 12.03 mt in 2023-24 — up from 11.69 mt a year-ago and that of zaid crop at 3.39 mt against 2.72 mt.

According to a FICCI-YES BANK knowledge report on maize, released on the occasion, productivity of maize in India has increased to 3.5 tonnes/hectare from 2.6 tonnes, growing at CAGR 3.3 per cent between 2012-13 and 2022-23.

Growth driving factors

The key factors driving the growth of the maize ecosystem include increasing demand from the poultry and livestock sectors as well as growing industrial uses such as ethanol production, the report said. At the same time, the report also mentioned that challenges at the farm level include low adoption of hybrid seeds, with only about 30 per cent of the cultivated area under Single Cross hybrids.

It has identified post-harvest handling challenges such as poor-quality management leading to moisture content as high as 18 per cent makes the produce susceptible to fungal infection and high aflatoxin levels and those issues should be addressed. Challenges in the maize processing industry include high raw material costs due to price fluctuations, varietal and quality mismatches, and restrictions on maize imports due to GM regulations, it said.

The report has suggested the government to develop a roadmap to scale up maize production and acreage, ensure faster and broader adoption of new technologies, to devise effective extension programmes, to strengthen post-harvest infrastructure, to facilitate maize supply security for diverse industry and promote private sector investment across the maize value chain through various incentives and schemes.

Ambitious Bihar target

Bihar Agriculture Minister Mangal Pandey, in his address at the summit, called for private sector investment in hybrid maize seed production and warehouse facilities amid increased local production. He announced Bihar’s ambitious target to cultivate maize on a record 10 lakh hectares in ensuing rabi season.

“We are facing a huge requirement for hybrid maize seeds. I invite the private industry to invest in local seed production,” Pandey said, adding that a new policy is being framed by the State government with an expression of interest to be issued soon.

Subroto Geed, President (South Asia) of Corteva Agriscience, in his address said: “India’s maize sector is primed for a revolution, with its potential to significantly enhance productivity, and support the accelerating requirement in feed, fodder, fuel and other industrial applications.”