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MP Jain
July 26: The Rajasthan government has decided to implement a project sponsored by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on large-scale maize cultivation.
The Rs 3.4-crore project will last till 2002, according to state director of agriculture, Purshottam Agarwal.
Under the project, farmers will be supplied with hybrid maize seeds at a subsidised rate of Rs 10 per kg as against the market price of Rs 36. Due to the high market price of seeds, tribal farmers, who mainly consume maize, hardly use varieties like Mahi Kanchan and Mahi Dhawal.
Agarwal says if hybrid seeds are used, the maize production will rise to around two tonnes per hectare from the present 1.3 tonnes. There has been a marked increase in area under maize cultivation in the state. During 1997-98, the total area covered under maize was 9.63 lakh hectares as against around 8 lakh hectares during 1992-93. Now maize is grown in winter also with the aid of irrigation. The state government has started implementing the project in July 26: The Rajasthan government has decided to implement a project sponsored by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on large-scale maize cultivation.
The Rs 3.4-crore project will last till 2002, according to state director of agriculture, Purshottam Agarwal.
Under the project, farmers will be supplied with hybrid maize seeds at a subsidised rate of Rs 10 per kg as against the market price of Rs 36. Due to the high market price of seeds, tribal farmers, who mainly consume maize, hardly use varieties like Mahi Kanchan and Mahi Dhawal.
Agarwal says if hybrid seeds are used, the maize production will rise to around two tonnes per hectare from the present 1.3 tonnes. There has been a marked increase in area under maize cultivation in the state. During 1997-98, the total area covered under maize was 9.63 lakh hectares as against around 8 lakh hectares during 1992-93. Now maize is grown in winter also with the aid of irrigation. The state government has started implementing the project inBanswara district, bordering Gujarat, which produces 90 per cent of maize cultivated in the state.
The agro-climatic conditions prevailing in the district makes it a congenial place for maize cultivation, he says. During 1997-98 the total production of maize in Rajasthan was put at 12.17 lakh tonnes as against 9.27 tonnes during 1994-95. The increase in production is largely due to satisfactory monsoon during 1997-98.
Agarwal says there can be some value-addition in case of maize as starch can be made from it. Besides, maize corn and puff corn can also be made from the product. "The crop can be of high commercial value," he says. A corporate firm had shown interest some time ago in putting up a unit in the state to make starch from maize but it backed out later. The government is considering subsidy to the composite maize maize so that the farmers have an access to quality seeds.
The government has also made arrangements to ensure timely supply of seeds to farmers, Agarwal says.
Agarwal says if somesupport price is given to maize, the production will go up. In Banswara district, the growers have formed the Maize Growers Association (MGA) on a cooperative basis. The whole idea is to encourage marketing of maize on a large scale. The UNDP programme will give lot of emphasis on research support and training. The idea is to create awareness among farmers in regard to the commercial aspects of the crop.
UNDP has indicated that the programme can be extended to other districts also if the farmers are interested.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
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