Target to cultivate maize on 10 lakh hectares in ’24: Minister
Bihar aims to cultivate maize on a record 10 lakh hectares in 2024, driven by rising demand for ethanol production, according to state agriculture minister Mangal Pandey. At the 10th India Maize Summit, he urged private sector investment in hybrid maize seed production and warehouse infrastructure. Bihar’s ethanol capacity is expected to reach 8.09 lakh kilolitres annually, requiring 23.38 lakh tonnes of maize.
Patna: Revealing Bihar’s ambitious target to cultivate maize on record 10 lakh hectares this year, state agriculture minister Mangal Pandey on Wednesday called for private sector investment in production of hybrid seeds of the crop and building warehouses.Addressing the 10th India Maize Summit-2024, organised by FICCI in Delhi, Pandey highlighted maize’s vital role in food, feed and industrial uses.“Maize is no longer just for human and animal consumption.
It’s now powering our vehicles through ethanol-blended petrol,” Pandey said, adding the Bihar govt has introduced various subsidies to bolster agriculture. “We aim to increase maize cultivation to about 10 lakh hectares this year, while Bihar’s current maize storage capacity is 5 lakh million tonne (MT). We have plan to expand this capacity to meet future demands,” he said.Pandey urged the private sector investors to establish operations in Bihar to increase production of hybrid maize seeds.Being the country’s fifth-largest maize producer, Bihar is witnessing a shift in farmer preferences towards the crop’s cultivation due to attractive market prices surpassing the minimum support price.
The Centre’s decision to allow maize as feedstock for ethanol production has led to a manifold rise in demand, spurring the establishment of ethanol plants across the state. However, the boom has exposed two critical challenges — a shortage of hybrid maize seeds and insufficient storage infrastructure.“Bihar’s ethanol production capacity is set to reach 8.09 lakh kilo litres annually by year-end, with 15 plants expected to be operational.
This expansion will require about 23.38 lakh tonnes of maize per annum, further boosting demand for the crop,” state’s agriculture secretary Sanjay Kumar Agarwal said, revealing that they had to source 99% of improved quality maize seeds from other states. Agarwal highlighted several initiatives to promote maize cultivation, including the distribution of subsidized seeds and training programmes for farmers. “Bihar govt is working on a policy framework to encourage in-house seed production, along with special schemes to promote baby corn and sweet corn,” he said
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