Maize in India: Production Systems, Constraints - AgEcon Search

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Regions were grouped into four categories based on
yield levels and unit cost of production: (1) low-yield
and high-cost, (2) high-yield and high-cost, (3) lowyield
and low-cost, and (4) high-yield and low-cost
(Table 16). The most favorable region combines highyield
and low-cost, while low-yield and high-cost
identify the most undesirable regions. It should be
noted that about one-third of the maize area is
characterized as high-yield and low-cost. Most nontraditional
maize growing areas and, to some extent,
Bihar fall into this category. Another extreme situation,
low-yield and low-cost, is found in Jhabua district in
Madhya Pradesh, where yields are very low and the
unit cost of production is also low.
Technology and policy solutions to maize productivity
constraints would not be the same for different
categories within the table. While new research
frontiers to raise yield levels would be the possible
strategy in the high-yield and low-cost group, strong
technology dissemination programs would be the
prerequisite for low-yield and low-cost areas (Table 16).
Low-yield and high-cost regions call for alleviating
biotic and abiotic constraints. Low yields may be due to
biotic and abiotic constraints, and farmers may incur
costs while trying to minimize their losses. The fourth
Table 16. Maize area (%) and possible strategies for improving production ef ficiency,
by yield and production cost category, India, 2001. †
Maize yield level
Low (less than 3 t/ha)
High (more than 4 t/ha)
Attribute Rainy season Winter season Rainy season Winter season
Production cost High Chindwara Chindwara Munger Munger
Mandsaur Mandsaur Siwan Siwan
Jhabua Jhabua Karimnagar
Mehboobnaga
Dharwad
Alleviation of abiotic
Resource saving
and biotic constraints (41%) strategies (22%)
Low Hardoi Hardoi Begusarai Begusarai
Banswara Banswara Behraich Behraich
Bhilwara
Bulandshar
Udaipur
Nizamabad
Belgaum
Chitradurga
Technology dissemination
New yield
strategies (4%) frontiers (33%)
†
Figures in parentheses are the estimated proportions of maize area in each category.
area, characterized as high-yield and high-cost, needs
resource-saving technologies to reduce costs and
enhance input use ef ficiency.
2.2.7 Post-harvest practices and product/
by-product utilization patterns
The important post-production/post-harvest operations
for maize are drying, grain (and seed) storage, shelling,
and milling. Despite technological advances, solar
drying, not mechanical drying, is commonly practiced
across the study areas. With large proportions of
production aimed for the market, all surveyed states
(except Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and the Hardoi
district of Uttar Pradesh) have impr oved storage
facilities that pr event grain damage from ground- or
rainwater, insect pests, and excessive heat. These
facilities consist of bins with thatched roofs or brick
roofs, and ferro-cement bins. Conventional storage
methods include cribs, and open and closed mudplastered
baskets. In Rajasthan, maize is stored in
thatched-roof cribs. In general, the type of storage
structure depends largely on the farmer’s financial
status. The introduction of high-yielding hybrids called
for modern, improved storage facilities. Local maize
varieties, which have several husk layers tightly
covering the ear, have some
protection against common
insects. Hybrids, with shorter,
loose husks, do not have the
same protection.
In general, shelling is still done
conventionally in the field or in
home backyar ds. In
conventional shelling, grains
are removed from the cobs
either by beating them on the
ground or having animals walk
over them. Milling, on the
other hand, is done
mechanically in all study areas,
except Jhabua, Madhya
Pradesh, where it is still done
conventionally, i.e., flour is
milled from maize grains using
a hand-held stone mill, which
virtually all households in the
village own.