Market Potential

Maize Biology:-

Maize is the world’s leading crop and is widely cultivated as cereal grain that was domesticated in Central America. It is one of the most versatile emerging crops having wider adaptability. Globally, maize is known as queen of cereals because of its highest genetic yield potential. Maize is the only food cereal crop that can be grown in diverse seasons, ecologies and uses. Beside this maize have many types like normal yellow/ white grain, sweet corn, baby corn, popcorn, waxy corn, high amylase corn, high oil corn, quality protein maize, etc. Apart from this, maize is an important industrial raw material and provides large opportunity for value addition.

World Maize Scenario:-

Maize is the most versatile crop among cereals with respect to its adaptability, types and uses. It is the second most widely grown crop in the world and cultivated in tropics, sub-tropics to temperate climate and has several types like field corn, sweet corn, popcorn and baby corn. Currently, nearly 1147.7 million metric ton of maize is being produced together by over 170 countries from an area of 193.7 million ha with an average productivity of 5.75 t/ha (FAOSTAT, 2020). The global consumption pattern of maize is: feed-61%, food-17% and industry-22%. It has attained a position of industrial crop globally as 83% of its production in the world.

India Maize Scenario:-

Among the maize growing countries India rank 4th in area and 7th in production, representing around 4% of world maize area and 2% of total production. During 2018-19 in India, the maize area has reached to 9.2 million ha (DACNET, 2020). During 1950-51 India used to produce 1.73 million MT maize, which has increased to 27.8 million MT by 2018-19, recording close to 16 times increase in production. The average productivity during the period has increased by 5.42 times from 547 kg/ha to 2965 kg/ha, while area increased nearly by three times.

Prospects of maize utilization

Maize is not only food and feed, but also the important industrial raw material. It can be processed into more than 3000 kinds of industrial products. Corn processing can improve industrial structure, increase products value and solve the issues of profitability in agriculture. We can also produce high value product like high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), corn germ oil and refine biological ethyl alcohol. This can provide solution to the energy crisis by using corn as alcohol. The government already permitted mixing of 20% ethanol in petrol and diesel..