Maize gains acreage in Karnataka, MP

Important kharif maize-creating states this sort of as Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh are reporting a increase in acreage as farmers show much more curiosity in sowing the coarse cereal crop. But states this sort of as Rajasthan and Maharashtra see a dip, pulling down the general acreage countrywide.

Until July 9, maize was planted on 49.16 lakh hectares (lh), some 7 for every cent decrease than the 52.ninety four lh noticed all through the exact time period a yr in the past. The space under maize in Karnataka has greater by twenty five for every cent, although in MP it is 15 for every cent much more, and virtually 4 instances in Telangana.

“Karnataka and MP are racing neck-to-neck in phrases of space,” stated Sujay Rakshit, Director, ICAR-Indian Institute of Maize Analysis. It appears there is a shift from soyabean to maize in MP as unseasonal rains and the rust sickness afflicted farmers very last yr. Also, the proactive purpose performed by the MP Government, in collaboration with IIMR, in endorsing maize in districts this sort of as Chindwara is serving to, Rakshit stated.

Maize is largely grown in southern MP, in and all over Chhindwara, as also in its southwestern elements this sort of as Khargone and Barwani, besides the regions all over Indore.

“Maize seed product sales have greater this yr as a portion of the farmers have switched from soyabean and cotton,” stated Touseef Khan, co-founder and CEO of Gramophone, an agri-tech start out-up in Indore that sells inputs this sort of as seeds and agrochemicals besides providing advisory to farmers.

Khan stated the southwest is a cotton-rising region in MP. “There is a shrinkage in acreage of cotton as farmers have shifted to alternatives like soyabean and maize. As soyabean acreages have also shrunk a bit, farmers are noticed preferring maize, the 3rd significant crop in the region,” Khan stated.

Pricier seeds

Also, soyabean seed selling prices had just about doubled at above ₹9,000 for every quintal towards the usual of ₹4,000-five,000 for every quintal. “Soyabean seed selling prices were quite significant due to the fact the crop was not quite great very last yr. A lot of farmers, primarily the scaled-down ones, have viewed as other crops including maize, as the charge of cultivation of soyabean has also gone up, besides the shortage of seeds,” he stated.

What’s more, many regions in MP had not gained adequate rainfall, impacting soyabean plantings.

For the kharif year, the Agriculture Ministry has established a greater maize manufacturing focus on of 22.1 million tonnes in comparison with 21.41 million tonnes very last yr. Karnataka and MP account for above 13 for every cent every single of the country’s maize output of all over 28 million tonnes.

In Karnataka, the resumption of the southwest monsoon is noticed aiding the maize crop, which is in the early vegetative phase throughout the central elements, despite the fact that there were some sporadic occasions of humidity tension, sources stated. In Maharashtra, the acreage is down at 3.9 lh as of July 9 in comparison with 7.23 lh in the yr-in the past time period. Rajasthan has also witnessed sluggish planting due to the delayed monsoon, and the coverage is decrease at 4.2 lh (five.eighty four lh). Acreage in UP and Punjab remains identical to very last yr , although it is decrease in Bihar and Gujarat.