ગુજરાતી
English
Ahmedabad, 24 June 2020
America is eating corn. Maize is a staple food in its diet, but now it is becoming the staple grain of Gujarat. Maize consumption is already high among tribal people. Maize is now being used more in the Gujarat people. Maize is the third most important crop in Gujarat after wheat and paddy. In Gujarat, 3 lakh hectares are planted in the Kharif-monsoon. Planted in 58 thousand hectares, now. In which 42 thousand hectares have been planted in Dahod alone. Maize is cultivated in Panchmahal, Mahisagar, Chhota Udepur district. In central Gujarat, maize accounts for 25 percent of other crops. Thus maize is the most popular crop in central Gujarat.
If there is good rainfall this year, 3 lakh ha. maize in the monsoon season and 2 lakh ha. maize in winter and summer will produce 10 lakh tons of maize in 5 lakh hectares. There are only 1.50 lakh hectares of irrigated land. If the government provides Narmada water to these areas, it is likely that maize will be more 100 percent produced here.
Consumption increased and good prices started
Corn prices in the country were breaking records in August 2019. So this year farmers are planting records of maize in tribal areas. In 2019, it was priced at Rs 2450. Maize prices in Gujarat ranged from Rs 2,250 to Rs 2,500 last year. Maize consumption in Gujarat has increased due to animal husbandry. Amul dairy and Banas dairy are buying more maize to make fooder dairy livestock. Also, the use of corn in chicken feed is increasing in Gujarat as the trend of eating eggs and chicken meat. Therefore, for the first time in agricultural history, the price of maize was higher than that of wheat. In addition, pharmaceutical and starch industries in Gujarat are the largest in the country and the consumption of maize is increasing. There is a trend among the people of Gujarat that instead of eating only wheat and rice, one should also eat other grains. Hence consumption of maize, millet, nagali, maize is increasing. Therefore, the cultivation of millet is also increasing. In 2016, corn consumption increased so much that corn had to be imported from the US.
Development of Maize in Gujarat
Around 1950, the area of maize was 1.90 lakh hectares. The productivity was 600 kg per hectare. 50 years later, it was planted in 5 lakh hectares and production was 9.65 lakh tons. The maturity was up to 1700 kg per hectare.
In 2017-18, 1.35 lakh hectares of maize were planted in Dahod. Which was 33.83 percent of the entire state. Dahod produced 2.14 lakh tonnes of maize. Then the Panchmahal stood at second place with 85,000 hectares which was 21.25 percent of the state. Panchamahal produced 1.48 lakh tonnes of maize. Thus, 50% of the total cultivation of maize in these two districts of Gujarat. In the 2019 kharif season, maize planting was 2.90 lakhs till July. Which was 3 lakh hectare more than in 2018. 65-70 lakh hectares have been planted in the country.
Maize is the second-largest crop in the areas. Maize is the number one agricultural crop in Dahod. Where cultivation is done in about 1 lakh hectares. Panchmahal is the number one agricultural crop. Maize is the second-largest crop in Chhota Udepur. Maize is the number one crop in Dahod with 1.60 lakh hectares.
Productivity
Chotaudepur produces 2275 kg maize per hectare. Which is the highest in the entire state. However, Tapi district is at the forefront of productivity where 3043 kg maize is grown per hectare. This is followed by Sabarkantha. This is followed by Kheda and Aravali. Dahod is considered a storehouse of corn. Where 1.50 lakh tonnes of maize is grown on 1.08 lakh hectares. The districts of Banaskantha, Sabarkantha, Alavalli, Panchmahal, Mahisagar, Dahod, Chhotapur and Narmada are among the districts that produce more than 10,000 tons of maize. The districts are mostly tribal populations and animal husbandry.
the product
Maize is grown on 3 lakh hectares in the monsoon. In which 4.67 lakh tonnes of maize is harvested. He harvests 1522 kg maize per hectare. Which is also less productive than rice. Rice is harvested at 2400 kg per hectare.
Monsoon planting in the state of the country (lakh hectares)
State 2014 – 2014
Bihar 3.65 – 3.81
Gujarat 2.94 – 3.10
Jharkhand 2.47 – 2.46
Karnataka 9.78 – 10.53
Madhya Pradesh 15.28 – 13.52
Maharashtra 7.92 – 7.64
Rajasthan 8.80 – 8.68
Telangana 3.31 – 4.15
Uttar Pradesh 7.12 – 7.07
Total 72.74 – 72.83
