Proceedings of the Fifth Asian Regional Maize Workshop - Search ...

Table 1.
Climatic conditions in the two cropping seasons in Sri Lanka.
Season Rainfall Temp. CO Photoperiod
(mm) MaXlmum Mlmmum
Maha 900 29.8 21.5 12 hr 10 min
Yala 600 32.8 23.9 12 hr 50 min
usual. But the fact that these varieties have persisted over the years suggests that rainfall
during the maha season has been generally sufficient to mature a crop of that duration when
planted at a low density. Moreover, these tall, leafy varieties could probably tolerate weeds
better than t~e short and early maturing types, which is an advantage in subsistence farming
systems. However, they are not suitable for growing under improved management practices.
Area and production
Maize is cultivated in 18 districts entirely under rainfed conditions. Anuradhapura,
Badulla, Ampara, and Moneragala districts are the main maize producing areas during the maha
season. These areas are the so called "maize belt" of Sri Lanka (Fig. 2). Apart from these
districts, Hambantota, Polonnaruwa, Batticaloa, and Matale districts contribute a smaller
percentage to maize production. Among the leading producers, Badulla district has been the most
stable. The higher elevation districts of Kandy and Nuwaraeliya contribute to the total production
only during the yala season.
Seventy-six percent of the national maize acreage and 78% of the current national maize
production are located in six districts of the maize belt.
Utilization and future market potential of maize
Human consumpt ion.
Demand of maize for direct human consumption is low. The largest single market is for the
'Thriposha' program, which currently requires about 7,300 t of maize per year. Thriposha is a
food supplement provided by the Ministry of Health to lactating mothers. A portion of the maize
crop is also consumed as green cobs. This is an important food for the rural poor in a few
locations, while it is a novelty food with wealthy citizens in urban areas. The demand for green
cobs has increased in recent times and farmers get a higher income.
Research on consumer preferences for maize flour-based food show that maize flour can be
mixed with rice flour at the ratio of 3:1 (DOA, 1989). If emphasis is placed on popularizing
maize flour-based foods, demand for maize could be increased.
Animal feed industry.
The largest demand for maize is created by the animal feed industry. Demand for maize as
a raw material in animal feeds is derived primarily from the demand for poultry feeds. Until
recently, no serious attention was given to monitor the maize market facilities and as a result
the product gets a very low price. At present, the government has fixed a floor price for maize
at Rs. 7.00/kg (1 US$ = Rs. 48.90). Yet, the bulk of maize is purchased by middle man at the
site at a lower price because farmers find it difficult to reach the government purchasing
centers due to poor transportation facilities.
With the increase in population and a change in food habits, the demand for maize has
increased rapidly over the years due to expansion in the national poultry and livestock industries..
The annual projected maize requirement for layer mash, broiler mash, and direct human
consumption are shown in Fig. 3. However, the production in the country is seasonal and a large
Quantity of maize is imported by the private sector for the feed industry. This is one of the
reasons why the demand and price of maize are low.
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